engaging students and teachers … students and teachers through film d r e a m s ... this lesson...

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ENGAGING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THROUGH FILM

D R E A M SGARBAGE

A F I L M B Y M A I I S K A N D E R

LESSON 3: We Recycle!

©Copyright2010IndependentTelevisionService(ITVS)

COMMUNITYCLASSROOMisan innovativeeducationresourceprovidingshortdocumentary filmcontentand accompanying curricular materials, lesson plans and homework assignments, to high school andcommunity college instructors and youth-serving community-based organizations. Film modules are drawnfrom documentaries scheduled for broadcast on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens.Contentisgroupedintosubjectspecificsegmentsthatcorrespondtolessonplansandeducationalactivities.AllCOMMUNITYCLASSROOMmaterialsaredesignedwithkeyeducationstandardsinmind,andavailable,alongwiththefilmmodules,freeofchargeonaDVDandonline.

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NationalAssociationforMediaLiteracyEducation,NationalCouncilfortheSocialStudies,NationalStateTeachersofthe

Year,andPBSTeachers.

Community Classroom LeadCurriculumDevelopers:

IndependentTelevisionService(ITVS) Anne SchreiberandDavid Langendoen (ElectricFunstuff)

61BrannanStreet,Suite410 http://www.electricfunstuff.com/

SanFrancisco,CA94107 Designers:Aidan HumrichandWilson Ling

E-mail:[email protected]

http://www.itvs.org/educators/collections

COMMUNITY CLASSROOM GARBAGE DREAMS

Photo Credit: Kryollos (12 years old)

INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE (ITVS) 651 BRANNAN STREET, SUITE 410 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107 PHONE: 415.356.8383 EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: WWW.PBS.ORG/INDEPENDENTLENS/CLASSROOM PAGE 1

Lesson 3We Recycle!

Objective:

Studentswilllearnaboutthebenefitsofrecyclingastheyapplymathandscienceskillstolearningaboutrecyclingintheircommunities.Subject Areas:

Mathematics,EarthScience,Economics

Materials:

PaperandmarkersChartpaperTrashSchoolpersonnel(includingmaintenanceperson,artteacher,cafeteriaworkers)GarbagebagfilledwithpapergarbageAscaleRubbergloves(4-5pairs)

Time:

Thislessonmayneedtobedoneovertwoclassperiods.Youcanreducethenumberofoptionalstepsifyouwanttodoashorterlesson.Participatingintheextensionactivitieswilladdtotheoveralllessontime.

Learning Style:

SmallgroupsActivelearning

Grades:

Highschool;grades9–12



Procedures:

Before: Whole Group Instruction

1.BuildingBackground:Wasteproductionandwastemanagementareapartofeveryone’slives.Yourstudentsalreadyknowalotaboutmaking,andgettingridof,theirgarbage.Talkabouttheirwastemanagementhabitstogetthemthinkingaboutthesubjectofgarbage.

Whole Group Discussion Questions:

Askstudentsaboutwhatkindsofgarbagetheyproduceathome.Whattypesofgarbagedotheyproduceintheclassroom?Whataresomeofthedifferences?

Recordtheiranswersonasheetofchartpaperlabeled,“TypesofGarbage.”

Askstudentswhorecyclesathome.(Somecitieshaverecyclinglawsinplaceandmoststudentswillrespondthattheydorecycleatleastminimally,athome.)Whatkindsofwastedotheytypicallyrecycle?Askstudentstoestimateabouthowmuchgarbagetheypersonallycreateeachday.Abouthowmuchgarbagedotheythinktheyproduceasafamilyathome?SomestatisticsindicatethattheaveragepersonintheUnitedStatesproducesaboutfivepoundsofgarbageeachday.

Beforethelessonbegins,collectagarbagebagfullofpapergarbage.Youwantabagthatweighsaboutfivepounds.Holdupthebagandtellstudentswhatthebagweighs.Thiswillallowthemtoestimatetheweightofthegarbagetheyproduce.Remindthemthatifabagthissizehadfoodorother,heaviergarbageinside,itmightweighasmuchastwicetheamountofpapergarbage.Askstudentswhattheythinkaresomeofthebenefitsofrecycling.(Possibleanswersincludelessgarbageforlandfills,lessgarbageincinerated,reclamationofexpensiveandhard-to-findresourcessuchasmetalsandglass.)Whydocitieshaverecyclingprograms?Whatwouldhappentogarbageifitwasn’trecycled?(Possibleanswersincludeincinerators,landfills,dumpinginwatersystems.)Listtheirresponsesonaseparatesheetofchartpaperlabeled,“RecyclingBenefits.”Youwillgobacktothislistattheendofthelesson.

During Small Group Work:

2.Dividetheclassintogroups.Eachgroupisresponsibleforadifferentgarbage“set.”Assignonegrouptotheclassroomgarbage.Assignanothergrouptogarbageproducedbyaspecialtysubject,suchasArtclass.Assignanothergrouptothecafeteria.Assignafinalgrouptotheschooloffice(ifthisisnotavailabletoyou,tryanotheradministrativeareaoftheschool).Eachgroupisgivenapairofrubberglovesandanemptytrashbag.

3.Sendeachgrouptotheirareasorclassrooms(havingprearrangedaheadoftime,sothatstudentswillshowupintheclassroomsatthistime).Oncethere,eachgroup,neatlyandwithoutmakingamess,emptiesthegarbagecansfromthatclassroomintoonegarbagebag.Thisshouldbedonewearingrubbergloves.Eachgroupshouldaimtocollectonemedium-sizebagofgarbageweighingabout5-10pounds.Studentsassignedtothecafeteriamightwanttotakethegarbagefromjustoneofthetrashcans,sotheydon’tendupwithtoomuchgarbage.

4.Backinyourclassroom,arrangestudentdesksasworktables—oneforeachgroup.Whenstudentsarefinishedcollectingtheirtrash,havethemreturntotheclassroomandbringtheirgarbagebagtotheirworkstation.Havestudentscovertheirtableswitholdnewspaper(youmaywanttotapethisdowntothetables).Beforestudentsemptyouttheirtrashbags,havethemestimatetheweightoftheirtrash.Ifyouhaveascaleavailable,theycanweightheirbagsandrecordtheweightontheirsheets.Nowaskstudentstoneatlyemptytheirbagsontotheirworkstations.



5.Usingrubbergloves,havestudentssortthroughthetrash.Groupsworktogethertocreatetrashcategories.Itwillbeuptothemtochoosethesizeoftheircategories.Theymightcreatecategoriessuchaspaper,metal,glass,etc.Or,theymaywanttomakemorespecificcategoriessuchasconstructionpaper,computerpaper,looseleafpaper,etc.

6.Askstudentstoassignonememberofthegrouptographtheirinformation.HandoutWorksheet #4 Recycling Graph.Instructthe“grapher”ineachgrouptomakeatallyofthetotalnumberofpiecesofgarbageundereachcategory.Iftheydecidedtodividetheirtrashintomorespecificcategories,theycanshowthatonthegraphaswell.Forinstance,underthecategory,FOODWASTE,inadditiontorecordingthetotalnumberofpiecesoffoodwaste,studentsmayalsowishtorecordthenumberofapplecoresversusbananapeels.

After: Sharing Results

7.Whengroupshavecompletedtheirgraphicexercise,askthemtoreporttheirresultsbacktotheclass.Onapieceofchartpaper,createatable.Listthegarbagecategoriesacrossthetopofthechart(xaxis).Ontheleftcolumnofthechart(yaxis),listthenameofeachgroup(classroom,Artroom,cafeteria,etc).Askeachgrouptoreporttheirspecifictalliesforeachcategory,andrecordthenumbersbythegroupname.Youcanalsolistthespecifictypesofgarbageineachcategoryifstudentshaveprovidedthisinformation.

8.Whenyouarefinishedrecordingtheinformationonthechartpaper,discussyourresultswiththeclass.Whatwerethedifferencesthatyourstudentsnoticedbetweenthedifferentclassroomareas?Whatdotheythinkabouttheoverallamountofwasteineachclassroom?Wasmostofthegarbagenecessaryordidsomeoftheitemsnotneedtobecomegarbage?Howmuchoftheschoolgarbagedotheythinktheyarepersonallyresponsiblefor?Isthereanythingtheycandotoreducethatamount?Howdoesthegarbageproducedatschoolcomparetothegarbageproducedathome?Aretheredifferenttypesofgarbageproducedathomeandschool?Whatabouttheoverallamount?

(Steps9-10areoptional)

9.Whatdostudentsthinkhappenstothegarbageonceitisinthewastebaskets?Haveeachstudentwritedownatleastonequestionaboutwhathappenstothegarbagetheyproduceatschool.Askthemtovolunteertheirquestionsandlisttheontheboard.

10.Invitethemaintenanceworkerintoyourclassroom.Askthispersonthequestionsfromthelisttheclassgenerated(youmaywishtoinviteyourstudentstoconducttheinterviewusingtheirindividualquestions).Havethemtakenotesabouttheanswers.TheywillusethesenotestocompletetheExtensionActivity,ifdesired.


Photo Credit: Christine (11 years old)


Assessment:

Useclassparticipationandthegraphstoassessthestudents’work.Thefollowingrubriccanhelpguideyourassessment.

Basic Understanding Proficient Understanding Advanced Understanding

Participated in Class Discussion

Providedminimalideasduringgroupdiscussion,orcontributedideasthatwerenotrelevanttothediscussion

Activelyparticipatedingroupdiscussionswithideasthatwereontopic

Activelyparticipatedingroupdiscussionwithuniqueideasthatfurtheredtheconversation

Understood the Benefits of Recycling

Demonstratedlimitedunderstandingofrecycling

Demonstratedunderstandingoftherecyclingincludingsomebenefits

Demonstrateddeepunderstandingoftheproblemswithwastemanagement,andwhyrecyclingwasapotentialsolution

Categorized Types of Garbage

Wasnotabletocreatecategoriesfromthegarbagecollected

Identifieddifferentcategoriesandwasabletoplacemostofthegarbageintocorrectcategories

Identifieddifferentcategories,placedtheobjectsintheappropriatecategoriesandcreatednewandmoredetailedcategoryheadings

Created a Graph from Collected Information

Includedinformation,butdidnotputthisingraphform

Usedtheinformationtocreateabargraph

Usedtheinformationtocreateabargraph,addedadditionalfeaturesorideastocommunicateadditionalinformation


Photo Credit: Marina S. (10 years old)


Extension Activities:

I. Visit to a Facility:

Findoutwherethewasteprocessingfacilityisinyourcommunity.Havestudentsfindthefacilityonamap,andthenmapthedistancebetweentheschoolandtheplant.Whatistheroutethattheschoolgarbagetakestogettotheprocessingplant?Isitcloseenoughforavisit?Ifso,visitthewasteprocessingfacilityonaclasstrip.Askstudentstotakenotesaboutwhattheyfindout.Howdoeswhattheylearnaffecttheirrecyclingbehavior?

II. Research Paper:

Havestudentsdoaresearchprojectaboutthebenefitsandchallengesofrecycling.Studentscanchoosefromavarietyofhypothesisstatements.Somepossibilitiesare:

• Recyclingisbeneficialtotheenvironment.• Compostingorganicwasteisbeneficialtotheenvironment.• Choosingitemswithlesspackagingwillreduceoverallgarbageproduction.• Dumpingwasteinlandfillsisapotentialenvironmentalproblem.

Somematerialsaremoredifficultandthereforecostliertorecycle.Othermaterialscannotberecycledbytheavailablefacilitiesinacommunity.Truckingthosematerialstoadifferentcommunityusesenergyandcausespollution.Someitemsaremadeofmultiplematerials,andthereforecannotbeeasilyrecycled.Students’researchshouldfocusonunderstandingthechallengesofrecyclingandalsolearningmoreaboutthebenefits.Oncetheysettleontheirhypothesisstatement,theirresearchshouldbefocusedonprovingordisprovingthatthesis.TheycanusethelinksprovidedintheAdditional Resourcessectionofthispackettohelpguidetheirresearch.

*III. Calculating the Amount of Garbage Produced:

Itisestimatedthateachpersongeneratesapproximately5poundsofgarbageeachday.Further,it’sestimatedthatmorethan75percentofthatgarbagecouldberecycled,butonlyabout1percentis,inmostcommunities(thecommunitiesthatevenrecycleasmuchas30percentaretheonesthathaverecyclingprogramssetup).Further,theaveragecostofdealingwithgarbageisabout$40pertonofgarbage.However,ifthisgarbagewasrecycled,ratherthanpayingmoneytohavethegarbagecollected,thecitywouldgetmoneybackfromsellingbacktherecycledmaterials.Studentscanuseanumberof$10pertontoestimatetheaveragepaymentthecitywouldreceivefordepositingtheirrecycledmaterials.

Usingthenumbersabove,firstaskstudentsiftheythink5poundsadayperpersonisarealisticnumber.Usingthenumberthattheythinkiscorrect,havestudentsestimatetheamountofwastegeneratedbytheircommunityinonemonth.Theycanusetheschoolcommunity,theirneighborhood,ortheircityasthemultiplier.Nowhavethemdothemath.(Remember,1tonequals2,000pounds).Asamplecalculationisdoneforyoubelow.StudentscanuseWorksheet #5 Garbage Math toguidetheirwork.



Sample Calculation:

Asanexample,let’sworkwiththenumbersof1,000studentsintheschoolcommunity,eachproducing5poundsofgarbageaday.

The1,000peopleintheschooleachproduce5poundsofgarbageaday.

1,000x5=5,000

If5,000poundsofgarbageareproducedeachday,howmuchgarbageisproducedinonemonth?

5,000x30=150,000pounds.

Thereis2,000poundsineachton,sohowmanytonsequal150,000pounds?

150,000/2,000=75tonsofgarbagepermonth.

Ifitcosts,onaverage,$40pertonto“throwaway”garbage,howmuchwoulditcosttothrowawaytheschool’sgarbageeachmonth?

75tonsx40dollars/ton=$3,000permonth.Ifinstead,50%ofthatgarbagewererecycled,therewouldbe50%ofthe75tonstorecycle.

75tons/50%=37.5tonsofgarbage.

Ifthecityweretobepaidat$10pertonfortherecycledgarbage,howmuchmoneywouldtheyget?

37.5tonsx$10perton=$375.

Therewouldalsobeonlyhalfasmuchgarbagetopayfor,or

3,000/50%=1,500dollarstothrowawaythegarbage.So,ratherthanspending3,000dollarsamonthtothrowawayallthegarbageproducedbythe1,000studentsinaschoolinonemonth,thecitywouldspendonly1,500dollarsandwouldgetbackanadditional375dollar.Thiswouldmeantheywerespendingabout1,125dollarsamonth,insteadof3,000onwastemanagement.

NowhavestudentsuseWorksheet #5 Garbage Mathtodotheirowncalculations.

* The activity and estimates for this extension activity were developed by Carl Hursh from for the Bureau of Land Recycling and Waste Management for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website. Pennsylvania, 2010.



Worksheet #4 Garbage Graph

Lesson Three: We Recycle!

Garbage Graph

Yourcollectionarea____________________________________________

Abouthowmuchdoesyourbagweigh?____________

Usethechartbelowtographthegarbageyoucollected.Fillthecolumnwithcoloruptothenumberofitemsyoucollected,tomakeabargraph.

Organic (Food) Paper Plastic Glass Metal

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

ListsomeoftheindividualtypesofgarbagethatyoufoundinyourCollectionAreainthespacebelow.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________



Worksheet #5 Garbage Math

Lesson Three: We Recycle!

Garbage Math

Whatisthecommunityyouwillbeanalyzing?Writeithere.__________________

Howmanypeopleareinthatcommunity?Writeithere.___________________

Assumethateachpersoninyourcommunityproduces5poundsofgarbageperday.

Multiplythenumberofpeopleinyourcommunitywiththeamountofgarbagetheyproduceeachday.

_____________(numberofpeople)X5=_______poundsofgarbageeachday

Multiplythatnumberwith30togetthepoundsofgarbageproducedinonemonth.

__________poundsx30days=_______________pounds

Nowdividethenumberofpoundsby2,000tofindouthowmanytonsareproduced.

_______pounds/2,000=________tonsofgarbagepermonth

Itcoststhecity,onaverage,40dollarspertonto“throwaway”theirgarbage.Howmuchdoesthecityspendthrowingawaythegarbagefromyourcommunity?

________tonsofgarbagepermonthX$40perton=_$__________.THIS IS THE COST OF HANDLING THE COMMUNITY’S GARBAGE, WITHOUT RECYCLING.

Nowdividethenumberoftonsofgarbagepermonthby50%(orinhalf)tofindouthowmuchofthegarbagecouldberecycled.

________tonsofgarbage/50%=_________tonsofgarbagetoberecycled.

Takethenumberofgarbagethatcouldberecycledandmultiplyitby$10tofindouthowmuchmoneythecitywouldmakebyrecyclinghalfitsgarbageeachmonth.______tonsofgarbage/50%=______tonsx$10perton=_$___________permonth.

Takethenumberthecitywouldhavetopayfortheirgarbagewithoutrecyclinganddivideitinhalf.Thatiswhattheywouldpayfortheirgarbageiftheydidrecycle.

_________dollarspermonthforgarbagedisposal/50%.

Nowsubtractthemoneythatthecitywillearnbyrecyclingfromtheamountthecitywillhavetopaytogetridofitsgarbage.Thisistotalcostofgarbagedisposaltothecity,ifthecityrecycles.Comparethisnumbertotheoriginalcostofgarbagedisposal.Isrecyclingcosteffectivetoacommunity?



Additional Resources

UsetheselinkstoreviewedwebsitestolearnmoreabouttheZaballeenpeople,theGarbage Dreams film,thescienceofwastemanagement,andrecycling.Youwillalsofindsiteswithadditionallessonplansonrecyclingandonlearningaboutothercultures.

About the Film

TheofficialGarbage Dreamswebsite

http://www.garbagedreams.com

TheIndependentLens/PBScompanionsite

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/garbage-dreams/.html

ThisDiscussionGuideforthefilm(PDF):

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/garbage-dreams/resources/garbagedreams_discussion.pdf

Additional Lesson Plans

Scholastic Teachers:Lessonplanactivityonpapermaking

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=1329

The National Health Museum:AccessExcellence:WasteManagement:Activitiesforreusingandrecycling

garbagehttp://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEPC/WWC/1991/waste.php

The Educator’s Reference Desk: Pollution and Recycling

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Health/Environmental_Health/ENH0002.html

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Eightqualitylessonplansonrecycling,packagingandwaste

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/Rec_lessons/contents.htm

Recycling

EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA):RecyclingGames&Activities

http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/activity.htm#Information

UniversityofOregon:TheRecyclingProcessAfterCollection

http://www.uoregon.edu/~recycle/after_collection.html

Offerscleardetailsongarbageprocessingtechniques.



Environmental Issues

No-Burn.org: The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives

http://www.no-burn.org

Providesfactsandcalls-to-actioninoppositiontoincinerationasawastemanagementstrategy.

UNESCO: Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future

http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/

Vermont Education for Sustainability

http://www.vtefs.org/index.html

Providesinformationaboutsustainabilitycurriculaandotherresources.

Green Learning

http://www.greenlearning.ca/

ComprehensiveCanadiansiteincludesavarietyofdownloadablecurriculaonsustainability.

The Zaballeen

Coptic Cairo

http://www.coptic-cairo.com

ProvidesabackgroundonCopticChristianculture.

The Zaballeen Recycling School Fan Page on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=121855759600

Independent Lens Garbage Dreams Discussion Guide

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/garbage-dreams/getinvolved.html


GUIDE CREDITS

CURRICULA DEVELOPERS

Anne Schreiber is a thought leader in new media and education with over 20 years experience as a multi-media publisher, product designer and educator. She is currently consulting for various publishing and media companies as founder of Indigo Media. David Langendoen is a founding partner of Electric Funstuff, a company that specializes in applying game design to experiences with educational outcomes.

ITVS STAFF

Duong-Chi DoAssociate Director of Communications

Annelise WunderlichNational Community Engagement and Education Manager

Cathy FischerSenior Content Producer for ITVS Interactive

COMMUNITY CLASSROOM NATIONAL ADVISORS

Carole LesterAmerican Association of Community Colleges

Maxine EinhornKQED Education Network

Kara ClaytonNational Association for Media Literacy Education

Wendell Bourne & Michael YellNational Council for the Social Studies

Joseph FathereeNational State Teachers of the Year

Donelle Blubaugh & Jenny BradburyPBS Teachers

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Mai IskanderDirector of Garbage Dreams

Jeremy BernsteinLead Designer/Producer for Garbage Dreams the Game

Duane DunfieldLead Developer for Garbage Dreams the Game

Julie SmithEditorial review of the lesson plans

About ITVS:The Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds and presents award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web and the Emmy Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Tuesday nights at 10 PM on PBS. ITVS is a miracle of public policy created by media activists, citizens and politicians seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television. ITVS was established by a historic mandate of Congress to champion independently produced programs that take creative risks, spark public dialogue and serve underserved audiences. Since its inception in 1991, ITVS programs have revitalized the relationship between the public and public television, bringing TV audiences face-to-face with the lives and concerns of their fellow Americans. More information about ITVS can be obtained by visiting itvs.org. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

About Independent Lens:Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing Tuesday nights at 10 PM on PBS. Hosted this season by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the acclaimed anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers. Independent Lens features unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history. Presented by ITVS, the series is supported by interactive companion websites, and national publicity and community engagement campaigns. Further information about the series is available at pbs.org/independentlens. Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS, and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts. The series producer is Lois Vossen.

About PBS:PBS is a media enterprise that serves 354 public noncommercial television stations and reaches almost 90 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS’ premier kids’ TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (pbskids.org), continue to be parents’ and teachers’ most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.



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