Recycling Lesson

Purpose

To provide the students with information to have a better understanding of recycling.

Objectives

  • TLW demonstrate an understanding of how things are recycled through paper making.
  • TLW demonstrate an understanding of recycling, re-using, and reducing by being able to sort recyclables onto these categories.
  • TLW be able to extend the idea of reusing by using garbage/recyclables to create something new.
  • TLW generate questions on what they want to know through the KWL.
  • TLW recap on what they learned by filling in the L portion of the KWL.
  • TLW demonstrate their ability to obtain information from members in the community by surveying their recycling habits.
  • TLW demonstrate their ability to sort recyclables into groups, (cans, glass, papers, etc.).
  • TLW demonstrate graphing skills by charting the results of the survey and recycling groups.

Engage

  • TLW demonstrate their prior knowledge of recycling through the KWL chart.
  • TLW engage in hands on activities by participating in the three centers:
    1. Paper Making
    2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R activity)
    3. Invention Center
  • TLW engage in graphing their data on a Bar graph.

Explore

  • TLW explore different ways and items to recycle, reduce and reuse.
  • TLW explore what types of materials their class recycles.

Explain

  • TLW explain what they have learned about recycling at the end of the unit in the learning section of the KWL chart.
  • TLW explain how many items were collected in their data through graphing.

Extend

  • TLW extend their understanding of the importance of recycling by recycling on their own.
  • TLW extend their knowledge of recycling by bringing in materials to class over the week long Collecting project.

Evaluation

  • TLW demonstrate an understanding of recycling by engaging in activities, centers, class discussion, and presenting their materials that they graphed.

Day one

Attention Getter (5 Min): Write the letters KWL on the board and explain that the first letter, K, stands for knows. Ask students what they know about recycling. Write these ideas on the overhead, under K. then tell students that W stands of what they want to know and write their questions under the W. Finally tell the students we will fill out the L after we have explored recycling. (Pass out nametags during this discussion). Will

Procedure

  1. Break students down into two groups of twelve. Explain that three different things that we will be doing today, paper making, the 3 Rs activity (sorting "garbage" into recyclables reducible, and reusables, and the invention center (reusing "garbage" to make something useful or aesthetic out of it). (1 min) Caitlin
  2. Briefly demonstrate paper making as a whole class before breaking up into two groups. (See Procedure 8 for directions) (2 min) Ima
  3. Then have students go to correct table based on the color of their nametag.   
  4. Three R’s station (7 min) Will, Caitlin, Allison, Ima
    • A. Once broken up into two groups discuss what is meant by the three "R’s" (recycle, reduce, and reuse). 
    • B. Then give directions to the 3 Rs station:
      • "When you get to this station you will see that there are three boxes outlined on the table cloth. One box is for reusable materials, one is for reducible, and the last is for the recyclable materials. When you get to this station look at the materials and decide what category each items fits into."
      • Examples:
        • Reducible materials:
        • Reusable materials:
        • Recyclable materials:
  5. Invention Center Caitlin and Allison /Paper Making Will and Ima (same time: 20 min)
    • Once finished with the 3 R station, tell students that we want them to reuse some of these materials by making something out of them.
    • "Use the materials at the center to create something new."
  6. How to rotate students through papermaking: 
    • Students name on their nametag will be in a specific color (12 will have red and 12 will have blue) and have a number on it (1-12).  Tell students that if they have # 1, 2, or 3 they will start off by making paper.  Continue this process until all students have had a chance to make paper.
  7. Paper Making Station
    • Materials:
      • Scrap paper (Computer paper, newspaper, magazines, paper bags, etc.)
      • Pre-soaked night before in tubs of water.
      • Water
      • Screens framed with duct tape
      • Sponge
      • Plastic Tub
      • Washcloths
    • Activity:
      • The student will make recycled paper from scraps of paper provided for them.
    • Procedure:
      • Night before pre-soak paper scraps in a bin of water (Thu morning Will will come).  
      • Give student Screen and instruct them to hold both sides of screen and emerge it under the water and scoop up the paper scraps onto it so that screen is completely covered.  
      • Use sponge to soak up extra water.
      • Gently lift the screen off the paper.
      • Leave the paper to dry. This takes about 1 day.    
  8. At end of class have the students go back to their seats. Explain that students will be receiving two surveys. One is for them to fill out and the other is for them to survey another individual outside the classroom. Have students bring these surveys back on next Wednesday 4-28-04.
  9. Introduce the bins at the back of the classroom. Ask the students to bring in recyclables and put them into the bins. Explain that the student will be given a letter to bring home to their parents about bringing in recyclable materials for the next week. +

Recycling Survey

  1. Do you recycle at school/work?
  2. Do you recycle at home?
  3. Do you recycle plastic? (examples: milk jugs, yogurt cups, plastic silverware…)
  4. Do you recycle paper? (examples: newspapers, magazines, scratch paper…)
  5. Do you recycle cans? (examples: pop cans, vegetable/fruit cans, soup cans…)
  6. Have you ever been to a recycling center?
  7. Do you think it is important to recycle?
  8. Do you encourage others to recycle?
  9. Do you buy items in bulk? (big containers of yogurt instead of smaller individual ones)
  10. Do you think that recycling is too much of a hassle?
  11. Do you think that it should be a law to recycle?
  12. Do you think you should recycle more than you already do?

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