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Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse
Our School’s Trash
Lesson Description:
This activity prompts students to look at trash in a new way by considering what items can be recycled, reused as is, or repaired, rather than just being thrown away. Students participate in a classroom activity that focuses on specific items of trash and then design their own at-home project with the ultimate purpose of reducing the amount of trash their families generate on a daily basis. Students are also actively engaged in researching the environmental impact of proper waste management.
This activity prompts students to look at trash in a new way by considering what items can be recycled, reused as is, or repaired, rather than just being thrown away. Students participate in a classroom activity that focuses on specific items of trash and then design their own at-home project with the ultimate purpose of reducing the amount of trash their families generate on a daily basis. Students are also actively engaged in researching the environmental impact of proper waste management.
Lesson Type:
- Project
Sustainability Topic:
- Waste Reduction
GEF Program Category:
- Waste Reduction Challenge
Time Needed:
Two weeks
Two weeks
Standards Addressed:
South carolina curriculum standards addressed
- science, grades 9–12
- i. inquiry
- b. design and conduct investigations
- 1. design a scientific investigation based on the major concepts in the area being studied.
- 2. select and use appropriate instruments to make the observations necessary for the investigation, taking into consideration the limitations of the equipment.
- 4. select the appropriate safety equipment needed to conduct an investigation (e.g.,goggles, aprons, etc.).
- 5. suggest safety precautions that need to be implemented for the handling of materials and equipment used in an investigation.
- 8. identify possible sources of error inherent in an experimental design.
- 9. organize and display data in useable and efficient formats, such as tables, graphs, maps, and cross sections.
- 10. draw conclusions based on qualitative and quantitative data.
- social studies
- iii. people, places, and environments: geography
- 10.8 the learner will demonstrate an understanding of interactions between the environment and society.
- 10.8.2 examine the global impacts of human changes in the physical environment
- 10.8.3 explain how to apply appropriate models and information to understand environmental problems
- health
- i. personal health and wellness
- standard 4: analyze the influence of personal beliefs, culture, mass media, technology, and other factors on health.
Materials Needed:
- Chart paper and markers
- computers with internet access
- one bag of clean trash weighing approximately 4 pounds and containing items t
Submitted By:
Green Education Foundation (GEF) on Behalf of Greenville County Government Online
Green Education Foundation (GEF) on Behalf of Greenville County Government Online
School or Group:
Greenville County Government Online
Greenville County Government Online
Contact Email:
service@greeneducationfoundation.org
service@greeneducationfoundation.org
Notes:
Http://www.greenvillecounty.org/solid_waste/funzone/lessons.asp
Http://www.greenvillecounty.org/solid_waste/funzone/lessons.asp
Located in: Health