Recycling Lesson Plan

Investigation:: Recycling and Renewable Energy Resources
Objectives:: Discuss the meaning of recycling; Make a list of the things around the home and classroom that can be recycled; Discuss the various reasons for recycling; Discuss how recycling can improve our standard of living while fostering respect for the environment in which we live; Compare materials that are recyclable to those that are not recyclable; Access/Use information on recycling obtained from a distant source via telecommunications (optional); Manufacture recycled paper yourself from old newspapers (optional); Apply the problem - solving method; Demonstrate sketching and drawing skills to develop a project design; Make a prototype of a new product that will be manufactured from recycled materials; Discuss and identify renewable energy resources

Materials:

Access to e-mail and other telecommunications applications (optional)
Old newspapers and various other supplies specified in the recycled paper recipe (optional)
Empty two liter soda bottles
X-acto knives and/or scissors
Hot glue (optional)
Paper for drawings
Trash

Activities:

Discuss the meaning of recycling as a group.
Get the trash can in the classroom and categorize the materials within as recyclable and non-recyclable.
Discuss the why some materials are currently recyclable, while others are not. (e.g. the two general types of plastics are thermoplastic - materials that can be melted and remolded, and thermosetting - those that cannot be melted and remolded)
Discuss the various reasons for recycling materials in the workplace, at school and at home.
Discuss the ways in which recycling efforts can be used to raise our standard of living. (e.g. recycled materials often have monetary value, and recycling efforts reduce the need for costly landfill space)
Discuss the reasons for recycling paper products that are commonly used at home, in school, and in the workplace
Conduct an investigation on the use of paper products in the school.
Randomly select ten classrooms in the school and collect the recyclable paper waste that is generated in those classrooms for one day. You can do this by placing recycled cardboard boxes in the other classroom marked "Recyclable Paper Waste Only!", and having a members of your class explain the project to the participating teachers.
Weigh the materials collected from each class and get and average weight / class.
Multiply the average weight / class by the number of classrooms in the building, and you will get an average weight/day for your school building.
Multiply the average weight of materials / day from the building by the number of school days to get the weight / year. MUCH PAPER!
Access AskERIC on the WWW or via telnet or gopher and obtain lesson plan CECsci.167. You will be pleased to find a recipe that will give you the instructions for making your own paper from retired newspapers. Have fun! (optional)
Design a useful product that can be made from a used two - liter plastic soda bottle. Any useful product will be acceptable. Creativity is encouraged! The product might be evaluated on it's marketing potential. The class will select the top five "sellers" to be displayed in the hallway outside the classroom as examples of creative re - use of materials. (Steps - 1. Prepare a sketch of your design to work out any ideas that you have before beginning construction. 2. You may use one bottle, anything that you can find in the trash can in the classroom, and any waste materials that are left over from the designs being built by your classmates.)
Have a class discussion about the various forms of renewable energy resources that are available. (e.g.collection of methane gas from landfills and water treatment facilities, energy produced by combustible waste, solar power, wind power, hydro - electric power)
Access the EcoGopher at the University of Virginia (ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu), CIESIN-NASA-EOS Global Change Information Network through the gopher at , or use Veronica to locate resources on renewable energy. (optional)
Access the Antarctic Telecommunications Program journal entry that discusses Recycling efforts, and energy use at the South Pole.
(Optional) Send e-mail to Tom Spencer between January tenth and February first and attempt to arrange an interactive chat over the Internet. Remember that satellite visibility times precess throughout the season. The satellite must be visible at the South Pole when interactive sessions are scheduled. The times for these sessions will have to be arranged well in advance of the chat. You can find out about the times that are available by e-mailing me.