Planeteer Alert: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Setting 10:15-11:00 3rd grade ESL lesson. 8-10 students of high intermediate to advanced level. This lesson will precede a lesson where the students will create a trash collage using a huge portrait of the Earth. (Non) Recyclable Items: Newspaper, Waxed milk carton, Cardboard shoe box, Painted wooden sticks, Plastic six pack rings, Paper bag, Styrofoam cup, Aluminum can, Plastic bottle, Plastic Bag Students will bring recyclables from home from predetermined list of acceptable list of items. 10 Worksheets 10 sheets of notebook paper Projector, Computer, Internet Access YouTube video of Planeteer PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYLsX50Cj1Y 2-5 Boxes Procedures Warm Up Take a poll of students using the following pre- activity questions: What do you think about recycling? How important is it to you? Watch a PSA from Captain Planet Show, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYLsX50Cj1Y Post- video referential question: What do you notice in the video? Introduce the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, and a brief description of trash disposal in landfills. Group work Break up students into 2-3 groups. Groups will be given 5-8 items. They will sort items into two categories: Recyclable and Non-Recyclable. Have students predict the rate of decay in a landfill for each item. Encourage students to be a creative with their predictions. Model sorting of 1-2 items and predicting the rate of decay using the example on the worksheet. Class Discussion Discuss predicted rate of decay for each group. Provide correct rate of *decay and discuss the difference in outcomes. Provide visual examples of decaying items in a landfill. Discuss what effects this will Materials YouTube video of Planeteer PSA Projector Computer Internet access

Materials

Time 5-8

10-15

(Non)Recyclable Items Worksheet

15

have on the Earth in the future. Discuss what they can do in their school, homes and community to reduce pollution. 5-10 Sorting Activity Sort all items into piles of similar colors for the trash collage. Have predetermined boxes of particular colors set up. 5-8 Evaluation Have students write a reflection based on the following questions that will be projected on the screen or written on the board: What are your views of recycling now compared to the beginning of the class? Are they the same? If not, what is different? How important is to you and why? *Answers for Camp Teachers (List can be expanded upon): Newspaper Cardboard shoebox Waxed milk carton Painted wooden sticks Plastic six pack rings Plastic bag Plastic bottle Paper bag Aluminium can Styrofoam cup 6 weeks 2 months 3 months 13 years 450 years 10-20 years 100 years 50 years 200-500 years Unknown? 2-5 Boxes for specific colored items

10 sheets of notebook paper Projector Computer

Appendix A: Worksheet Non-Recyclable Example: Plastic Bag Rate of Decay (Months, Years, Decades, etc.) 10-20 years Recyclable Example: Apple Core Rate of Decay (Months, Years, Decades, etc.) 2 months

List of Items: Newspaper Waxed milk carton Cardboard shoe box Styrofoam cup Painted wooden sticks Aluminum can

Plastic six pack rings Plastic bottle

Paper bag Plastic Bag