Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Transcription

1 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Brief Overview: Youth will learn about recycling. Issue Area(s): Environment YVC Strategic Focus Areas: Compassionate Communities Learning Objectives: During the lesson, youth will estimate how long trash lasts while filling out the How Long Does Trash Last chart. By the end of the project, youth will investigate reasons to recycle by reflecting on their How Long Does Trash Last chart. Skill Development Potential: Teamwork Communication National Education Standards (i.e. Common Core) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.6 Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Materials: How Long Does Trash Last chart Writing utensils Display Items (you can also use pictures) o aluminum soda can o paper bag o leather boot o cotton rag o banana peel o plastic six pack rings o plastic bottle o styrofoam cup o glass bottle o steel/tin can

2 Instructions/Content: Hand out the Worksheet: How Long Does Trash Last Direct student s attention to the display of trash items in the classroom. Explain that these items are examples of solid waste. Every city and town has a solid waste management system to handle the collection, transport, disposal, managing and monitoring of solid waste. Ask students the following questions: o What happens after you throw something away in the trash? Where does it go? o trashcan>large trash barrel>dump truck>landfill What is a landfill? o A carefully designed structure built into the ground in which trash is isolated from the environment; a plastic liner is used to prevent groundwater pollution and the trash is periodically covered with sand or similar material and compacted Have a discussion about decomposition. o Decomposition is the process by which a substance is broken down into component parts or basic elements under proper conditions of light, air and moisture. Ask students: Does a lot of decomposition occur within the landfill? Explain. o Explain that when a landfill is constructed, the goal is to isolate the trash from the elements, so the trash doesn t decompose much. Arrange students into small groups of 3-4. Tell the students to use the times displayed and come to a consensus agreement about their best guess of the decomposition time of each of the trash items in a landfill. They can refer to the Trash Composition Times Display sheet. Record these times in the appropriate column in the table on their worksheet. Hand out the Display Sheet: Trash Decomposition Timeline to each group of students. Have the students record the scientists estimations in the appropriate column. Discuss the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Ask the students as a group to define the following. (They can write them on their How Long Does Trash Last worksheet) o Reduce (the process of decreasing the amount of waste generated) What are ways you can reduce the amount of waste generated? (only buy what you need, reuse/recycle items) o Reuse (the process of using an object more than once in its same form for the same purpose or for different purposes to extend the life of the object) What are ways you can reuse a glass bottle? What are ways you can reuse a jar? o Recycle (the process of collecting, sorting, processing and using already manufactured materials for remanufacturing of new products) Do you recycle in your homes? What types of items can you recycle? Briefly discuss composting. Ask any of the students if they compost at home. What is composting? o Composting is the process of collecting food waste and yard trimmings and storing them under conditions that allow them to decompose. The resulting compost can be used as a natural fertilizer. Refer to the display items and list of garbage items. Ask the students to think of how they could use the 3Rs and composting to keep each item from going into a landfill. For each item, ask what would be the best method to prevent them from going to a landfillreduce, reuse or recycle? (There can be more than 1)

3 For example: Styrofoam the best choice may be to reduce or use less as it is more expensive to recycle than it is just to make new Styrofoam, it never decomposes and it may not be a functional tool for reusing. Reflection Questions: Excellent service-learning incorporates a variety of challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one s relationship to society. 1. List at least three ways you can reduce your waste. 2. Identify something that you use regularly that you can reuse instead of throwing it away. 3. Brainstorm ways that you can encourage people in your community to recycle. Connection to Local Community (optional): Does your community have city-wide recycling? If so, speak to someone in the profession to find some fun facts about recycling. Career Connections (optional): Environmentalist Civil Engineer Hazardous Material Removal Worker City Planner Take It Home Challenge (optional): Begin to recycle at home. Purchase goods that have been made from recycled products. Reuse a water bottle instead of using plastic water bottles.

4 How Long Does Trash Last? Trash Item Aluminum soda can Banana peel Cotton rag Glass bottle Leather boot Paper bag Plastic 6-pack rings Plastic water bottle Steel/tin can styrofoam cup Group Consensus Decomposition Times Decomposition Times Estimate by Scientists Define each of the following options for solid waste management. a. Reduce b. Reuse c. Recycle d. Compost

5 Display Sheet: Trash Decomposition Times 3 to 4 weeks 1 month 5 months 40 to 50 years 80 to 100 years 200 to 500 years 450 years 1 million years unknown? forever? unknown? forever?

6 Trash Decomposition Timeline: