Life Cycle of a Product

Just like living organisms, inanimate products have a life cycle too.

The stages usually include:1. Design:

a) what is it to be used for?b) is it to be reused, durable, thrown out after a few uses?c) how will it be manufactured?

2. Materials acquisition: a) extraction if virgin or conversion if recycled? Ex. 1 ton of virgin wood pulp for paper vs recycled paper uses 64 % less energy in the processing, 50 % less water in the processing, decreases air pollution by 74 % in the processing and saves 17 trees.

b) where from?

3. Materials processing: making it into a product.

4. Manufacturing: a) factories consume energy and create waste.

5. Packaging: a) purpose of the packaging. Ex. stop theft, preserve the product, display the product, give information on the product etc.

b) is it excessive?

6. Distribution: a) from the factory to the store.

7. Use: a) intended duration?

8. Reuse/recycle: a) can it be reused or recycled? Recycling reduces the use of natural resources, decreases waste, decreases distances travelled, decreases the need for landfill space.

9. Disposal: a) how? Ex. landfill, burning, composting etc.

Expectations for the project:Choose a product. Verify with the teacher that the product will work for this project.Research the stages of the product using a variety of resources. A bibliography must be provided on a separate sheet of paper.Show the life cycle of the product on a large poster.The life cycle should include the stages mentioned above. Include a world map in order to show where materials are collected from, where the factory is and where the product is being distributed to.Arrows should connect and show the direction of these stages.Parts of the product should be on the poster. 6 different materials must be presented.A scale from 1-10 should be displayed on your poster indicating your opinion of the environmental impact of the chosen product. 1 is low and 10 is high.

This poster is intended to be informative and self explanatory. The posters will be placed around the room on a date set by the teacher. You will answer questions on a sheet of paper provided using the poster you feel provides the most answers to these questions in a clear and concise manner.

The poster used the most often by others in the class will receive the highest communication marks possible.

Finally, create a silly method of reusing the product. Ex. CD’s into a wind chime. Marks for creativity will be awarded.

Evaluation Rubric:

Categories Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4Knowledge/understandingThe information presented

Information is limited in detail.

Information is accurate with some detail.

Information is accurate with considerable detail

Information is accurate with a high degree of detail

What does that look like? Missing stages All stages are represented and supported with some at least one detail

All stages are represented and supported with 2-3 meaningful details

All stages are represented and supported with 3-5 meaningful details

Thinking/inquiryCalculating the environmental impact of the product

Demonstrates limited planning and organization of the details.

Demonstrates some planning and organization of the details

Demonstrates considerable planning and organization of the details

Demonstrates a high degree of planning and organization of the details

What does that look like? Difficult to connect the details with the conclusion

The details support the conclusion

Easy to understand how the details support conclusion

Very easy to understand how the details support conclusion

CommunicationCreating a cycle and showing the environmental impact of the product

Communicates information with limited clarity

Communicates information with some clarity

Communicates information with considerable clarity and some originality

Communicates information with a high degree of clarity and originality

What does that look like? Difficult to follow the cycle and parts are not used.

Able to follow the cycle. Presented using parts of the product.

Easy to follow the cycle.Shows some originality in the presentation using parts of the product.

Very easy to follow the cycle.Original presentation using parts of the product.

CommunicationGrammar and use of scientific terminology

Communicated with limited knowledge of language forms and scientific terminology

Communicated with some knowledge of language forms and scientific terminology

Communicated with considerable knowledge of language forms and scientific terminology

Communicated with a high degree of knowledge of language forms and scientific terminology

What does that look like? English used when a translation should have been researched. The spelling and grammar mistakes make it difficult to understand the information presented

Some major or too many minor spelling mistakes or grammar errors for the grade level

Minor spelling mistakes or grammar errors for the grade level

No spelling mistakes or grammar errors for the grade level

ApplicationMaking connections between the environmental impact of the product and own life

Makes connections between the environmental impact and own life with limited effectiveness

Makes connections between the environmental impact and own life with some effectiveness

Makes connections between the environmental impact and own life with considerable effectiveness

Makes connections between the environmental impact and own life with a high degree of effectiveness

What does that look like? The environmental impact of unclear

The environmental impact is largely clear

The environmental impact is clear

The environmental impact is obvious

Silly product use Demonstrated with limited effectiveness

Demonstrated with some effectiveness

Demonstrated with considerable effectiveness

Demonstrated with a high degree of effectiveness

Map Is unclear or if missing more than one of the following: where materials are initially gathered, where the product is manufactured and how distributed to a store in Ottawa

Missing one the following: where materials are initially gathered, where the product is manufactured and how distributed to a store in Ottawa

Shows where materials are initially gathered, where the product is manufactured and how distributed to a store in Ottawa

Shows clearly where materials are initially gathered, where the product is manufactured and how distributed to a store in Ottawa

Opinion scale Difficult to find but completed

Visible and completed

Clearly visible and completed

This project was inspired by the information found on the following website: www.epa.gov/epasower/osw/students/finalposter.pdf

Le cycle de vie d’un produit choisi! Date_________nom_____________Feuille de réponse basée sur l’affiche d’un projet autre que le votre.

1. Quel est le produit choisi?_______________________________________2. De quoi est-ce le produit est construit (6 choses minimum)?

# Matériel Vient d’où? Vierge ou recyclé?1

2

3

4

5

6

3. D’où vient la majorité du produit?________________________________

4. Est-ce que le produit est assemblé au même endroit que les sources des matériaux?_____________________________________________________

5. Quels en sont des produits partiels (by-products) possibles en créant ce produit?

6. Quels sont les matériels employés dans l’emballage du produit? Pourquoi?

7. Quelle est la distance à l’endroit où le matériel était manufacturé? ______km

8. Comment est-ce que c’était transporté chez nous?

9. Quels en sont les impacts à l’environnement de cette transportation?

10. Quelle est la durée de ce produit?

11. Qu’est-ce qui se passe au produit après l’usage du produit? Donner des possibilités?

12. Choose 3 other products and provide an opinion on a scale of 1-10, one being the lowest, of its environmental impact according to the information provided.

Product name Opinion scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

13. Votre opinion diffère-t-elle de celle de la personne qui présente l’information sur le produit? Si oui, indique en quelle manière.

14. Comment est-ce l’information découverte dans votre recherche ou la recherche de quelqu’un d’autre a changé votre opinion sur le produit que vous achetez lorsque vous y pensez du côté environnemental? Supportez votre commentaire avec des détails découverts des projets.

15. Changeriez-vous votre pouvoir d’achat (purchasing power) d’après l’information découverte? Expliquez.