The Three R's Adapted from Municipal Solid Waste Management: Source Reduction Teacher' Guide

Transcription

1 The Three R's Adapted from Municipal Solid Waste Management: Source Reduction Teacher' Guide Overview Students distinguish between trash, garbage, and litter. They first pick up the litter on the school grounds and sort it as trash, garbage, and other categories. Using pictures of several kinds of trash, they sort the items as: recyclables, plastics, metals, reusable items, paper, or glass. Objectives Students will; demonstrate an awareness of what constitutes trash, garbage and litter. be able to define and demonstrate what is meant by the words recycle, reuse, and reduce in waste management. Grade Levels K-6 Time Needed 45 min. Subjects to Integrate Social Studies, Art, Science, Math Topics reducing, recycling and reusing trash; environmental awareness Skills classification, evaluation, social, graphing Goals and Concepts A 1, 20, 29; B 3, 13; C 8; E 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12; F 1, 11 Materials Trash bags Hula hoops or 8 ft. pieces of rope or cord Scissors Crayons or markers

2 Background In the world of waste management, there are some important definitions the teacher should know to carry out this activity: Trash Material considered worthless, unnecessary or offensive that is usually thrown away. Generally defined as dry waste material, but in common usage it is a synonym for garbage, rubbish, or refuse. Garbage Spoiled or waste food that is thrown away, generally defined as wet food waste. It is used as a general term for all products discarded. Litter Any form of solid waste that is discarded/disposed of in an inappropriate manner. Recycle To take a used product and use it to make new products. Reduce To use less of something. Reuse The use of a product more that once in a manner not necessarily consistent with its manufactured intent. The above terms become more well defined by the general population as cities and towns move toward more sophisticated management of waste. In most of America the day is past when all "trash" went to the dump. More people on the land, awareness of limited resources, non recyclable waste materials that just stack up, toxic waste, and society's desire for a healthy place to live affect our awareness of what "trash" really is. Many cities now have curbside pick up of sorted trash. For such a system to work, people must "know their trash." "The Three R's " activity is a quick and interesting way for teachers to begin the study of waste management. As the teacher proceeds with other activities in the section, this activity serves to define terms for the students with concrete examples. Procedure 1. Be sure the classroom trash can has examples of these kinds of trash, most of which may be recycled or reused: metals (aluminum and steel cans), plastics (pop bottles, milk jugs, etc.), old but reusable clothing items (gloves, a coat, shoes), paper (newspaper, white office paper, magazines), glass (clear, green, and brown), waste food items. Normally the trash will have other items that will have to go to the landfill, since they are not yet handled by recycling centers. 2. Empty the contents of the trash can onto newspaper that has been spread on the floor. Define the key words using the definitions above and the labels on the trash cans in the Student Activity Sheets that accompany this activity. Show students examples of the categories of trash. 3. Out on the school grounds place hula hoops, circles of rope or cord to designate the collection sites for the categories of trash: metals, paper, plastics, etc.. Be sure to define the borders of the school grounds so students are in sight and control. Tell them to pick up the litter and sort it into the correct categories. 4. Sack the classified trash into bags. Deliver the recyclables to the recycling center, or if your school has a program to collect some of the materials, take them to the collection receptacles (See the activity, "There's Money in It," in this section.) 5. Follow the playground litter pick up with "Save! Sort! Recycle!," (Student Activity Sheets). Here students sort the pictured items into the proper receptacles. Teachers Note: Check with the recycling center in your area to see which particular items on page one of the Activity Sheets may be recycled locally.

3 Extending the Activity 1. Weigh the groupings of the school ground collection of trash. Have students graph the weights of the categories. 2. Make a bulletin board of the trash using a collage of the items. Identify how each item may be dealt with to reduce trash and conserve resources. For example: old gloves to the Salvation Army; white office paper to the school's collection box; aluminum can to the school's collection cage. Suggested Assessment 1. Hold up particular items and ask students to respond by naming them: trash, garbage, litter or recyclable. Have students list different ways of reusing and/or recycling the item. 2. Use the Student Activity Sheet, "Save! Sort! Recycle!. Additional Resources Let's Reduce and Recycle: Curriculum of Solid Waste Awareness 1990 Environmental Protection Agency th St., Suite 500 Denver, CO Montgomery County Schools in Rockville, Maryland has a comprehensive waste reduction curriculum, K-5. It is online at: montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/socialstd /Recycle.html

4 Save! Sort! Recycle! Student Activity Sheets 1. Color these trash items. Some are recyclable. Put an "R" by the items that are recyclable. Put an "L" by the ones that will have to go the landfill. 2. Cut out the items and sort them into the proper bin on the next page.

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6 Wyoming Science Standards 1. CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES In the context of unifying concepts and processes, students develop an understanding of scientific content through inquiry. Science is a dynamic process; concepts and content are best learned through inquiry and investigation. 7. Properties of Objects: Students classify objects by properties that can be observed, measured, and recorded, including color, shape, size, weight, volume, texture, and temperature. 2. SCIENCE AS INQUIRY Students demonstrate knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary to safely perform scientific inquiry. Inquiry is the foundation for the development of content, teaching students the use of processes of science that enable them to construct and develop their own knowledge. Inquiry requires appropriate field, classroom, and laboratory experiences with suitable facilities and equipment. 2. Students use the inquiry process to conduct simple scientific investigations. A. Collect and organize data B. Use data to construct simple graphs, charts, diagrams, and/or models C. Draw conclusions and accurately communicate results, making connections to daily life D. Pose or identify questions and make predictions E. Conduct investigations to answer questions and check predictions 3. HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DECISIONS Students recognize the nature of science, its history, and its connections to personal, social, economic, and political decisions. Historically, scientific events have had significant impacts on our cultural heritage. 2. Students recognize how scientific information is used to make decisions. A. Identify and describe local science issues, such as environmental hazards or resource management B. Suggest feasible solutions and personal action plans to address an identified an issue

7 Social Studies Standards 3. PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSUMPTION Students demonstrate an understanding of economic principles and concepts and describe the influence of economic factors on societies. 1. Students describe the importance of major resources, industries, and economic development of the local community and Wyoming