Recycling Revolution:Taking Action in Your Community

EDU 505Multimedia and Internet for Education

BY: Jessica Whitney and Bridget Callaghan

Introduction Have you ever wondered what happens

to all of your old toys after they are thrown away? Or where Styrofoam cups or packing material ends up? Plastic from toys and other products can end up in oceans and lakes, hurting the animals that live there. Styrofoam can take up to 1,000 years to decompose! There are many other materials you throw away everyday that hurt the environment in one way or another.

Is it your job to protect the environment and the future of your community? If you don’t take action, who will? It is your responsibility as a citizen to take care of the community you live in for future generations.

Task Your task is to become a local

environmentalist. You will team  up with a partner to investigate one material that can potentially harm the environment. Then, you will be taking action. You will learn how and where to recycle that material and create a poster that will be shared with the class.

Process1) First, you must break up into groups of

two. Find a partner! 2) It’s time to get excited about the

environment. Please watch this video. Keep in mind all of the materials that are being recycled and how you can help the environment by recycling in your community. Reduce the Harm: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Process Continued 3) Choose one recyclable item you would like to focus your research on:

ELECTRONICS MOTOR OIL STYROFOAM PAPER PLASTIC ALUMINIM CANS LIGHT BUBLS GLASS BATTERIES TIRES

4) Search provided resources for your item and jot down information in your “Go Green” journal. There will be four things you should be looking for.

a) 3 interesting facts about your item b) 3 reasons this item is harmful to the environment when not recycled c) 3 things you can to do to reduce, reuse, recycle your item (one example for each ) d) Investigate and list locations within 25 miles that you can recycle your item (using

Earth911.com locator)

Process Continued5) When you are finished a complete search and found

all required information, you and your partner will be creating a poster to share your results. Your poster must be communicate all of the information found in your search and fully cover the four guidelines listed above.

 6) When you have completed your poster you and your

classmates will be reporting their findings and their posters to the rest of the class. They will be set up around the classroom on the due date and everyone will have a chance to walk around and see each poster.

ResourcesHere is a list of sources for you and yourpartner to help with your investigation. Look for your material and click away!Recycle Cityhttp://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ NIEHS Kids Pageshttp://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm Commonly Recycled Materials Informationhttp://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html Earth 911- Local recycling Resourcehttp://earth911.com

Resources Continued Aluminum Cans http

://www.novelis.com/Recycle/EN/Educators/Educational+Materials/Recycling+Facts+and+Figures/

http://www.professorshouse.com/your-home/environmentally-friendly/recycling-aluminum-cans.aspx

http://www.container-recycling.org/publications/trashedcans/sample.htm  Light Bulbs http://www.lamprecycle.org/

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/index.htm

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_natural_homemade/article/0,,diy_13767_5109788,00.html

Resources ContinuedGlass http://www.conservation.ca.gov/dor/rre/kids/Pages/hdrc.aspx

http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Glass.htm

 Batteries http

://earth911.com/hazardous/single-use-batteries/tips-on-recycling-single-use-batteries/

 http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

Resources ContinuedTires

http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/envsrvs/solidwaste/pdf/recycle_Tires.pdf

http://www.kriyayoga.com/how_to/tire-recycling/tire-recycling.html

Electronicshttp://tab.computer.org/ehsc/page2.htm

http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/Environmental-Effects-of-E-Waste.php

http://www.ec.gc.ca/envirozine/english/issues/33/feature1_e.cfm

Resources Continued Motor Oilhttp://prose.eng.ua.edu/ed/studentguide.html

http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/oilspill.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040115074647.htm Styrofoam (Polystyrene)

http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html

http://www.ufpt.com/moldedfiber.asp?gclid=CJrRwo39jJgCFQw9GgodzR0iDA

http://www.teenink.com/Poetry/article.php?link=Past/2006/February/19888.xml

http://www.ejnet.org/plastics/polystyrene/nader.html

http://www.bcb.uwc.ac.za/envfacts/facts/ozone.htm

Resources Continued Paperhttp://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/Recycle1.htm

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Paper

http://www.designvitality.com/blog/2007/10/save-paper-and-trees-blog-action-day Plastichttp://www.ocean.udel.edu/mas/masnotes/plastic.html

http://www.algalita.org/pdf/What-you-can-do.pdf

http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/14/magazines/fortune/pluggedin_gunther_plastic.fortune/index.htm

http://www.click4carbon.com/blog/2008/08/can-you-live-for-month-without-plastic.php

EvaluationYour project will be graded on the basis of the following rubric:

0 1 2

Interesting Facts

Did not include any interesting facts about your material; did not show interest in your

topic.

Included one or two interesting facts about

your material.

 Included three or

more interesting facts about your material.

Damage to the Environment

Did not include ways that your material

affects the environment; did not

show expertise on your topic.

Included one or two ways that your

material affects the environment.

Included three or more ways that your material affects the

environment.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Did not include any ways to reduce, reuse,

or recycle your material.

Only included one or two ways to reduce,

reuse, or recycle your material.

Included how you can reduce, reuse, and

recycle your material.

Local Recycling

Did not describe any local places you can

recycle your material.

Described one or two different local places you can recycle your

material.

Described three different local places you can recycle your

material.

Looks and Conventions of

Poster

Showed little to no effort in project and

made more than three grammatical or

spelling mistakes.

Poster is pleasing to the eye and uses some

proper writing conventions with only

a few mistakes.

Poster is creative, pleasing to the eye, organized, and uses

proper writing conventions. Showed

a great amount of effort in project.

ConclusionCongratulations! You

have completed the task and have done your part

as a local environmentalist. While

your task is complete, it is important that you

keep up the good work, encourage others, and

continue to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your

community!

Sources:

All images taken from Google image search