Solid Waste and Recycling
by Judith M. Seegert-Farmer
Lesson I
Objectives: The students will:
-Listen to the book titled The Legend of Bluebonnet by Tomie de Paola.
-Discuss important terms and phrases.
-Work in cooperative groups to retell parts of the story that relate toNative Americans and their relationship to the environment.
Time Allotment: 60 minutes.
Materials:
-1 teacher copy
-25 student copies
-paper, pencils, and crayons
Advanced Preparation: Retrieve books from library.
Procedure:
-Locate Texas on U.S. map
-Discuss the fact that states have state birds, flowers, trees and fish.
-State the fact that Texas has the bluebonnet as the state flower.
-Read the book to students as they follow in student copy.
-Discuss that Native Americans used all materials of nature and were examplesof a people concerned with the environment.
-Discuss important phrases of the book.
-Divide into cooperative groups of 4 to retell how the book indicates thatNative Americans were concerned with the environment. Illustrate.
-Groups share efforts with entire class.
Summary:
Students will listen and read an authentic piece of literature. This bookspeaks of nature and the environment. Students discuss key passages andwork in cooperative groups to write and illustrate the fact that book speaksof the Comanche Indians as environmentalists.
Lesson II
Objectives: The students will:
-Discuss the term re-use.
-Follow teacher directions to create large folder from the re-use of browngrocery bag.
-Label student folders "People of the Past."
-Decorate
Time Allotment: 60 minutes
Materials:
-25 large brown paper grocery bags
-scissors
-glue
-crayons and markers
Advanced Preparation:
Each student brings large brown grocery bag from home and one plastic bagis in room.
Procedure:
-Display a plastic bag and tell students that it will never turn to dust.
-Display a brown paper bag and tell students that it will take 1 month toturn to dust.
-Discuss term re-use and tell students that they will re-use a brown paperbag to make an important object for the theme "People of the Past".
-Make folder. Follow teacher directions for folding, cutting and gluing.
-Students decorate.
Summary:
Students have opportunity to re-use an object and make it into somethinguseful for theme "People of the Past". Students will be made awarethat a plastic bag will never turn to dust while it take 1 month for a brownbag.
Lesson III
Objectives: Students will:
-Discuss the sacrifice that the Indian girl She-Who-Is-Alone from the bookThe Legend of Bluebonnet made in order to make it rain.
-Discuss conveniences of our culture that have harmed the environment, suchas plastic, Styrofoam.
-Write story about what an 8-year old can do to improve the environment."What Can I Sacrifice?"
Time Allotment: 60 minutes
Materials: paper and pencils
Procedure:
-Discuss everyday conveniences.
-Think of a favorite object as a convenience.
-Write a story about a simple sacrifice made that will improve the environment.
Summary:
Students will recall sacrifice made by girl in story so as to make it rain.Students will write a story about sacrifice of convenience that can be madeon their parts.
Lesson IV
Objectives: Students will:
-Observe video Milk: From Farm to You
-Discuss process of milk from cow to you as consumer.
-Discuss packaging of milk in cardboard containers, plastic containers,and glass containers.
-Discuss length of life of container in environment. Plastic never decomposes.Glass takes 500 years and cardboard one month plus.
-Students will write letter to Wisconsin Dairy Association to express concernsabout packaging in plastic and glass.
-Students will write to local grocery stores with the same concern.
Time Allotment: 60 minutes
Materials:
-video: Milk: From Farm to You
-pencils, paper, envelopes
Procedure:
-Students will be told that in the past milk was delivered to homes andstores in glass bottles. After milk was consumed, bottles were returnedto dairy to be sterilized and re-used.
-View video Milk: From Farm to You
-Discuss packaging as seen in video.
-Discuss time allotments for decomposition to dust (glass - 500 years, plastic- never, cardboard - 1 month plus).
-Students write to Wisconsin Dairy Association and urge all dairies to considerpackaging in glass so as to re-use what we have and reduce garbage.
-Write to local grocery stores to urge them to consider using glass bottlesfor milk. Re-use glass for mile consumption. Urge all to respond to students.
Summary:
Students consider how people in the past packaged milk as compared to today.Students consider the re-use of glass.
Lesson V
Objectives: Students will:
-Enjoy designing a toy from things brought from home.
-Use imagination and creativity.
-Work together in cooperative groups of 3 to make object, write about object,and share with larger group.
Time Allotment: 2 days
Materials:
-objects from home (fabric, plastic bottles, plastic containers, cardboardcontainers, etc.)
Advanced Preparation:
Teacher letter to home requesting objects to re-use for project.
Procedure:
-Divide students into cooperative groups of 3. Students bring to group objectsfrom home.
-Students work cooperatively to make toy from materials.
-Students work cooperatively to write a description of toy.
-Group shares with class.
Summary:
Students work in group setting to create a toy. Students write about thetoy and then share. Students have opportunity to re-use objects to makesomething useful and fun. Objects and descriptions will be displayed inhallway.