Creator: Teach Engineering | visit site
Grade Range: 5 - 8
Great for a foundations of science class or middle level environmental science class, use this activity to have students "get their hands dirty" solving real life problems with real life activities. <i>Life After Trash</i> is an excellent lesson for having students think beyond the obvious uses of everyday products. Concepts such as landfills, the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle), and basic environmental awareness are partnered with the skills of working in groups, critical thinking, and problem solving to create an interesting and fun classroom activity. There is little cost (if any) to doing the lab.
In the Classroom
A week or so before conducting this simulation activity, ask students to bring in recyclables and clean trash from home. This will cut down on the amount of trash you need to collect, and it will add variety to the supplies. Set up the activity by talking about trash, where it comes from and where it goes. Discuss better alternatives for trash "disposal" such as recycling and reusing. Have students think of obvious reuses for materials and then explain that there are other alternatives to obvious uses. Introduce the activity and basic rules and safety to the students. Arrange them in groups of three or four and then allow them to "shop" the classroom "landfill" to create new things out of old trash. Follow up with discussion of group products, uses, and real life applications of this idea such as recycled art.
At Home
Encourage your family, PTO, sports team, or community group to collect recyclables. Allow members to "shop" your items to create new things out of old trash. A great Earth Day activity to teach reduce, reuse, and recycling.
Tags
problem solving, engineering, critical thinking,
Subjects
Biology/Life Science, Earth Science/Geology, Mind Stretchers, Science,