TITLE: ONE PERSON'S GARBAGE, ANOTHER PERSON'S . . .?
AUTHOR: Sheryl Weinberg Southeast Island School
District Ketchikan, AK
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: US-HS, Social Studies
( Level 5 )
OVERVIEW:
It's no secret that a wealth of discarded products
will outlast most people alive today. . . a disturbing
legacy. Heightening the collective consciousness of
citizenry has yielded some improved practices. The
problem may be slowing slightly, but it is not going
away. In geographically remote localities, where
landfill operations lack technological advances, or may
perhaps be nonexistent, the problem holds special
significance.
This lesson will ask students to consider the
issue of waste recycling alternatives for isolated
settings. They will be asked to transform discarded
solid waste into a usable item.
Student Motivation: Ask the students: "What happens to
discarded solid waste in our community? How do
disposal practices impact our lives? What kind of
things are discarded?" As a class, visit the landfill
site, or an appropriate alternative. Following the
field experience, have students list and discuss what
they saw. Next have them compare/contrast the same set
of questions relative to a remote environment.
Problem: The students will list many, different and
unusual items that could be constructed out of refuse
and found objects. Construction resources are to
include only hand tools and personpower.
Academic Concepts: Waste management. Design and
measurement. Model building.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Students will be asked to reflect on the questions
listed under "student motivation". They will make
notes or drawings of their ideas for 5 minutes.
Students will participate in a discussion of the
issues using their notations as a resource.
2. Students will visit a landfill. Following the
visitation, as a group, they will synthesize what
they saw and their reactions.
3. Students will break into groups of two. Each
group will be provided with a profile of a
rural/remote community, including waste disposal
issues. Each group will read and discuss the
profile.
4. Given ten minutes, each group will list many,
different and unusual items that could be
developed from their communities solid waste.
Each group will share their ideas with the class.
5. Each group will create a usable object from
scavenged refuse, using hand tools and
personpower. Refuse selected needs to reflect
that which would be found in their assigned
community. Upon completion the object will be
described, photographed and displayed. (At the
onset of the project students will be asked to
keep a journal of the evolution of their project.)
OPTIONAL FOLLOW UP: Each group will be afforded the
opportunity to forward a description and photograph of
their creation to members of their assigned community.
Evaluation:
MANY - Total number of usable objects that can be
made out of solid waste using hand tools and
personpower.
DIFFERENT - Number of categories that waste product
objects can be grouped into.
UNUSUAL - One-of-a-kind objects that can be made
from solid waste.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org