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Elements of Waste
Elements of Waste Program Students will:
Explore what is in our trash by determining the elements found in our food, paper, plastic, cell phones and other discarded items. Study the Periodic Table of Elements and learn to make smart choices when using and disposing of items.
- Understand what they choose to consume and how they discard can greatly impact the quantity of solid waste going to the landfills
- Understand the basic atomic structure of elements
- Start to understand how the periodic table is organized
- Understand that the materials that make up a waste item will determine how it can be disposed
Use the links below to introduce students to vocabulary and concepts discussed on your field trip.
PowerPoint – words/definition
Worksheet – crossword
|Pre/Post Visit Activities |
1) Trash Jounal - In the classroom, students collect, weigh, record, and analyze the amount of trash their families generate over the course of a day. Working in small groups, students learn about standard categories for disposing waste as they sort items from their family’s trash.
2) Bottle Biology - Using common 2-liter plastic bottles, your students will observe and compare how different types of matter decay over the period of several weeks. The activity is built around the Bottle Biology program created by Dr. Paul Williams, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
3) Public Service Announcement - Students produce ad campaigns (posters, school announcement, play, and/or movie) that inform about why proper disposal of solid waste is important.
4) RETHINK Discuss the difference between a want and a need. Make a class list of things they want & what they need. (Rethink the way we throw good things away and buy unneeded items)
The Quest for Less: A Teacher's Guide to Reducing, Reusing and Recycling from the EPA
The Teacher's Guide: Recycling Lesson Plans
Trash Goes to School: Solid Waste Activities