MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE Recycling - Litter Prevention - Composting - Pollution

Grades 4-6: Are you helping our environment?

Students will learn what habits can improve the environment.

Science Learning Outcomes:
Grade 4 - #1, #2, #3
Grade 6 - #3, #6

Materials: pen, paper, graph paper, ruler, colored markers or pencils.

Vocabulary: degrade, habit, survey

Procedure:

• Brainstorm habits that impact the environment. Good habits are walking instead of driving, recycling, and buying items with little packaging. Bad habits include littering, putting used motor oil down the drain or leaving the water run while you brush your teeth or wash the dishes.
• Handout habit survey for students to complete individually.
  Habit survey:
  1. I save my soda pop, juice bottle, so I can put it into a recycling bin.
  2. When I see litter on the ground, I leave it there because it did not come from me.
  3. I put all materials I throw away into the garbage can.
  4. I sometimes reuse trash to make a game, toy, or something useful.
  5. When I rake leaves, they are composted in my backyard or by the city.
  6. I throw away food that could be eaten later as leftovers.
  7. I separate recyclable materials such as metal cans, plastics, newspaper, and glass from other trash items and recycle them.
  8. I throw away paper or plastic bags after I put away items I bought from a store.
  9. I refill plastic bottles with water or juice.
  10. I donate my clothes that I no longer wear or use them as cleaning rags.
  11. I have thrown trash on the ground when there is not a trash can.
  12. I donate my old or unwanted games to charity.
  13. I pick up litter that is on ground even though I did not put it there.
  14. I compost vegetable, fruit and bread scraps when I am done cooking or eating.
  15. I always take a bag from the store, even if I bought only one item.
  16. I help friends and family with remembering to recycle.
  17. I write on both sides of the paper before putting it into the recycling bin.
  18. Sometimes I throw items out of the car window if there is not a small bag for trash.
  19. I look for the recycling arrows when I buy products or encourage my parents to buy recycled products.
  20. I bring my lunch in a cloth bag or thermal lunch tote.
• Once everybody has completed the survey, tally the Yes and No answers buy show of hands marking totals on the board.
• Have students create a bar graph of the classroom's environmental habits. On the horizontal axis, create space of two bars labeled yes and no for each question. The number of students should be labeled in increments along the vertical axis. Students should color the bar graph by using the answers that help the environment (green) and the answers that degrade the environment (red). Color the bar green for yes to questions 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20. Also, color the bar green for no answers to 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 15, 18. Green shows that your habits help improve the environment.

Time: One or two class periods

Conclusion:

• Have the class compare survey questions by analyzing the graphs.
  Which habits that improve the environment did the class score the highest? Why?
  Which habits that degrade the environment did the class score the highest? Why?
  
• Ask how can the students encourage habits that help the environment for themselves and others.

Followup: Have students write a pledge to improve their habits. Redistribute the pledges at the end of the year as a reminder.

Recycling - Litter Prevention - Composting - Pollution