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Recycling Unit Plan

Dandan Recycle Works Unit Plan

Table of Contents1

Recycling Unit Plan

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Sections:

1. Our resources ……………………………………………………………………………………………………5

2. What is waste? …………………………………………………………………………………………………12

3. What is Recycling ……………………………………………………………………………………………17

4. The Process of Recycling ………………………………………………………………………………19

5. Reducing our waste …………………………………………………………………………………………24

6. Reusing and Recycling …………………………………………………………………………………….29

7. What can it be recycled to? …………………………………………………………………………31

8. Recycling Center Field Trip ………………………………………………………………………….33

9. Thanks for Recycling Letter ………………………………………………………………………..34

10. Resources ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38

DANDAN RECYCLEWORKS

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Recycling Unit PlanIntroduction

Subject: Recycling

Level/Length: This unit was written with 1st to 3rd graders in mind, but can easily be adapted for all the grades. The unit is presented in 9 sections all totaling to about 2 weeks of lessons. The lessons are based on a 45 minute class period or they can be adjusted to fit any time frame.

Unit Description: This unit covers the CNMI’s first grade benchmark 1.1.8 on investigating and understanding that natural resources are limited and that the concept of recycling will help students be proactive in their environment and to further preserve our natural resources. Unfortunately, there isn’t any other benchmark covering recycling with the other grades but that shouldn’t stop you from covering this concept, especially when covering health and environment.

Rationale: This unit was created because many of our students do not know the importance of keeping our environment clean and healthy through reusing, reducing, and recycling. The concept of recycling should always start with our children. Simply putting signs and bins for students to recycle isn’t enough. They have to know why and experience being proactive recyclers to fully grasp the importance of recycling. With this unit plan, I have created it to be, as much as possible, a “hands-on” unit”.

DANDAN RECYCLEWORKS

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Recycling Unit PlanSetting up the Room

Setting the room with recycling information such as posters, books, media, etc… will further aid in assistance to your lesson. Throughout this unit, students will be creating several things that you could post in your room.

Word Wall: Provide necessary vocabulary on the concepts of recycling. Post the vocabulary in a designated word list such as a vocabulary bulleting or wall. Add new words as you go throughout this unit. Have students define and use the vocabulary in a sentence.

Door in the classroom: On the entrance side of the door, place posters on recycling and our environment to inform students that they are entering a clean and recycling conscious environment.

Recycling Bins: Create designated bins for recycling for students to experience and practice daily. It would be inadequate to teach about recycling without actually practicing it in class and in school. Invite parents to share the same experience by informing them to do the same and start practicing recycling so it would be reinforced, not just at school but also at home as well.

Section One: Our ResourcesTime Frame: 45 Minutes

Objective: Identify natural resources, why it’s limited, and how recycling, reusing, and

reducing the consumption of natural resources can help.4

Recycling Unit Plan

Preparation: • Daily Question: Project or write the daily question on the board to begin

class.• Pictures of the types of natural resources: animals, air, water, land and soil,

minerals• Reproducible:

o Resource-Walk Activity sheeto Natural Resource Chart sheet

Daily Question: What do a plant, animal, water, air, land, minerals, forests, and soil

have in common?

Open Class: Introduction

Ask students if they think these resources will be around forever. Inform them that it is possible but at the rate the world uses them, it might not last their lifetime.

Have students brainstorm ways of how to keep these resources to lasts so we could enjoy them. Have them discuss their ideas aloud afterwards.

Inform students that they will be investigating the types of natural resources around them and around the world, and what we could all do to contribute to helping our environment.

Activity: Activity-Walk and Resource Chart

Show pictures of the natural resources: plants, animals, air, water, land and soil, minerals, etc… Provide some examples of the usage and/or materials made from the resources.

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Recycling Unit PlanSay, “Earth’s natural resources are limited and it all needs to be protected for future generations. If we continue to use these resources the way we are doing now, there will be none in the future. People need to work together to find ways to reduce the amount of resources used and to reuse and to recycle them responsibly. So for the next 9 days of class we will investigate and apply ways to help our environment by reusing, reducing, and recycling the things around us. We will begin our study by having a “resources hunt” walk around the school to help us answer our Resource-Walk Activity Sheet.”

(Note: The Resource-Walk Activity Sheet may be modified for grades K-1. Provide assistance with the types of natural resources around and the types of materials made from the resources.)

• Hand out and explain the Resource-Walk Activity Questions prior to the activity walk.

After the activity walk, have some students share the types of materials seen and what resource was it made from. Then, provide the Natural Resource Chart sheet as an extension to the activity.

• Hand out the Natural Resource Chart sheet. Provide some example to help with the chart.

Transition: Say, “All the things we have around us are made from some type of natural resource and we take many of these things for granted. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the things we need are dependent or are made from these natural resources. So, now that we’ve covered the types of natural resources and some of the materials made from them we will explore ways to help save our resources called recycling!”

Close Class: That’s it for today class! Tomorrow we will investigate the waste we

create in our environment.

Name:

Resource-Walk Activity

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Recycling Unit Plan

Walk around the school and look for the natural resources around your environment and materials made from the resources. Answer the following.

1. What natural resources did you see around you?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

2. _________________________ is a part of nature.

3. One thing that I saw that was made by people is

_________________________________.

4. What natural resource or resources is that thing made of?

_________________________________

Name:

Natural Resource Chart

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Recycling Unit Plan

Natural Resources

Objects made by people using this resource

Plants

Animals

Air

Water

Land

Soil

Minerals

Natural Resources Pictures

Trees

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Recycling Unit Plan

Water

Air

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Recycling Unit Plan

Minerals

Land and Soil10

Recycling Unit Plan

Resources

Section Two: What is waste?11

Recycling Unit PlanTime Frame: 45 Minutes (2 days)

Objective: Recognize what waste is and why it is bad

Preparation: • Daily Question: Project or write the daily question on the board to begin the

class.

• Trash Items: books, old clothes, toys, aluminum cans, paper, candy wrappers, plastic bags, plastic bottles, other garbage and recyclables.

• 2 Bins or trash bags labeled: plastic and aluminum cans

• 2 Bins or boxes labeled: Reusable (1 for paper and other for toys, book, clothes, etc…)

• Reproducible:

o KWL chart

o Pick It Up! song

Daily Question: What is waste? (Things that we don’t use or want any more)

Open Class: What can we do in class or at home to reduce the amount of waste we

create? Discuss their responses.

After hearing their responses, act and throw away your bag of trash items onto the classroom floor for everyone to see. As you throw away the items, act as though you don’t care about littering. Make your performance lively and say things such as “that’s ok, someone will pick it up anyway!”

(Note: You will have to clean and prepare the items beforehand to ensure cleanliness)

Have the students look through the garbage. Encourage them to imagine how life would be if we all continue to throw away waste on the floor.

Ask, “Did I do anything wrong by throwing trash on the floor? Am I harming anyone or anything? What would you guys do to correct my actions?

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Recycling Unit PlanSay, “One way we could help our environment and our garbage problem is to recycle.

Activity: KWL about pollutionHand out the KWL sheet and provide assistance on the topic of pollution. Have them fill only the first two column- What I know and what I want to know. Collect afterwards.Inform students that pollution is our action of creating a dirty and harmful environment with our man-made waste.(Note: the last section of the KWL chart will be filled out at the end of the unit)

Introduce the vocabulary: environment, pollution, reduce, recycle, and reuse.

Say, “Reduce means to throw away less. Reuse means to use the item again or give it away for someone to use and recycling involves taking one product and making another from it.

Post the vocabulary and definitions on the board.

Activity: Sorting the Trash

After they have completed their KWL sheets, ask each student to separate the trash into what can be recycled and what cannot by placing them into the trash bin and the labeled recycling bins, boxes or trashbags.

Ask students if each object was placed in the correct place. Explain where each item needs to be because of its materials.

Say, “The candy wrappers and plastic bags cannot be made into something else so it needs to be placed in the trash bin, but the plastic bottles and cans could be so it needs to be placed in the appropriate recycling bin. The other items such as the toys, books, and old clothes cannot be recycled but it could all be “reused” again. They can be given to charity or someone else who might need or want them.”

Remove all the items and give other students the opportunity to try it out. Try adding various additional items for students to separate. Always provide assistance as to which material can’t be recycled such as wrappers.

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Recycling Unit Plan

Activity: Singing

When all the students have already practiced separating the trash have students sing a song about picking up trash. Younger students love to sing and singing is a great way to extend on their learning.

Say, “Students have you heard of the song- “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hand”? Well, we will be singing a song with the same tune and it’ll remind us to always pick up trash when you see it.”

Pass out copies of the song and guide them through it.

Filler: If additional time is permitted, have students decorate the designated recycling

bins in your classroom.

Close Class: Close class by telling students we will expand more on the recycling the

following day.

Name: 14

Recycling Unit Plan

KWL graphic organizer

What I know What I want to know What I have learned

Pick It Up! Song

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Recycling Unit Plan

We sing this song when we learn about recycling:

(tune: If you’re happy and you know it.)

If you see a piece of trash pick it up

(Yell- Pick it Up!)


(Pick it Up!)

You will make the world look better if you pick up all the litter.


(Pick it Up!)

Section Three: What is Recycling?Time Frame: 45 Minutes

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Recycling Unit PlanObjective: Build up on the concept of recycling and how it occurs


class.• Materials: Old cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, old buttons, packaging

boxes such as toothpaste boxes, paint, wrapping paper, tissue paper, rubber bands, paper clips, bottle caps, tape sewing materials, any additional craft materials will do. Make sure there is enough materials for all students

• A pre-made mask of art made from recycled materials

Daily Question: What kind of things can you make with old materials? Is that also a

form of recycling?

Open Class:

Review the first three day’s lesson

Inform students that they will be recycling by making art from recycled materials and that recycling is not just about separating trash into different bins.

Display all the materials in front of them.

Have students brainstorm ways they could turn the materials into some form of art. Students do not have to use all materials. Display your mask to give them some ideas.

Activity: Recycling Art

Students should have a finished idea to start. Give them their materials and guide them with their creation of their ideas.

Close Class. For the closing of class have students return all unused materials and

clean-up. Also, prior to clean-up ask students how making art is recycling.

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Recycling Unit Plan

Section Four: The Process of Recycling

Time Frame: 45 Minutes

Objective: Demonstrate the process of recycling

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Recycling Unit Plan


class.• Materials: recycling bin, newspapers, play money, cardboard boxes, plastic

bottles, plastic toys, aluminum cans, aluminum toys (ex: aluminum baseball bat)

• Pictures of aluminum and paper bales

Daily Question: Was the artwork that we did a type of recycling? Why?

Open Class: Have students define and discuss what recycling means in their own

words.

Review students that recyclables are materials that can be used to make something different.

Ask students what they think will happen to all the recyclable materials once the recycling pick-up workers take the filled recycling bins of plastic, paper, and cans.

Inform students that they will find out what really happens by acting out a role-play of the process of recycling.

Activity: Recycling Role Play

Break students into 5 groups: 2 families, recycling pick-up collectors, recycling factory workers, and cashiers.

Handout materials to each group:

o Family 1: recycling bin, newspapers aluminum cans, and plastic bottles

o Family 2: money

o Factory workers: shredded paper, aluminum cans, smashed plastic bottles

o Cashiers: unopened can, unopened plastic water bottle, pizza box, plastic toys, aluminum bat

Direct students to role play the following as you explain each.

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Recycling Unit Plano Family 1 will place all their recyclable materials in the recycling bin

o Recycling pick-up collector will then come to their homes and pick up the recycling bin. They will afterwards drop the bin to the factory workers.

o Recycling factory workers will separate recyclables such as cans, bottles, and paper into different piles on the floor. Have them tear the papers and crush the bottles and cans.

At this point, show students the pictures of newspaper bales and can bales made out of the pieces of crushed materials.

Say, “Bales are piles of recycled materials. Aluminum bales are melted in the factories into sheets of aluminum and sent to different factories to be made into materials such as cans or baseball bats. The same process also happens with plastic bottles. The bottles are crushed, chopped, cleaned and melted into different shapes to be reused. Papers can also be recycled. Papers are first stacked into paper bales and brought to a paper factory where it is chopped and mixed with water to make pulp. Pulp is a muddy and slimy wet paper used to make cardboard paper. The cardboard paper is then moved to different factories where it can be cut and shaped into newspapers, pizza boxes, shoes boxes, and other materials and is then brought to stores to be sold again.”

At this point direct attention to family 2 and the cashiers

o Family 2 will walk pretend they are in a store shopping. They will pick up the things such as cans, bottles, and pizza boxes around the store and purchase them from the cashier.

o Cashier will pretend to scan or calculate the shopping goods from the family.

Ensure that students understood the process by reviewing and shuffling groups to remodel the role play.

Close Class: Close class by telling student that they will visit the local recycling

transfer station to see the process at the end of the unit.

Aluminum Bales

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Recycling Unit Plan

Plastic Bales

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Recycling Unit Plan

Paper Bales

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Recycling Unit Plan

Section Five: Reducing our wasteTime Frame: 45 Minutes

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Recycling Unit PlanObjective: Devise ways to reducing our waste


class.• Reproducible: Ways to Reduce worksheet

Daily Question: What does “reduce” mean in the 3R’s of recycling?

Open Class: Have the students discuss what “reduce” means in the recycling and why

it’s important to saving our planet and our island.

After discussion, inform students that waste reduction means reducing the amount of waste that we all generate on a daily basis. By using less we conserve many of our resources. Using less is the first thing we could all do in recycling to prevent large wastes in our community and the most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place.

Ask, “What are some ways we could do to reduce our consumption of resources?”

List down students responses on the board. Guide students and give examples such as asking students if they leave the water running when they brush their teeth. Ask what they can do in that scenario.

Activity: Ways to Reduce

Hand out the “Ways to Reduce” worksheet.

Explain the pictures of the worksheet and what can they do to produce less waste with each situation.

Close Class: Close class by reviewing all the ways of reducing waste discussed on

this lesson. Inform students to think of ways to reuse recyclable materials.

Name:

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Recycling Unit Plan

Ways to Reduce

How could we produce less waste?

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Recycling Unit Plan

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Recycling Unit Plan

ANSWER SHEET

Ways to Reduce

What can you do to reduce?

Switch off outlets when not in use

Don’t let the water run when brushing teeth

Use less water when showering

Take a walk or use a bicycle

Use less paper. Use both sides of the paper

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Recycling Unit Plan

Use refillable cups

Buy large boxes of cereal

Use shopping bags and less plastic bags

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Recycling Unit Plan

Section Six: Reusing and recyclingTime Frame: 45 Minutes

Objective: Analyze the difference between recycling and reusing


class.• Materials: paper, old clothes, belt, school bag, scissors, plastic bottle,

books, coke can, ball, ruler, and a glass jar• Reproducible: None

Daily Question: When you give your toys or old clothes to charity, is that a form of

reusing?

Open Class: Have the students discuss the daily question and what “reusing” means

in recycling and why it’s also important to saving our planet.

Say, “We can do more with our waste than just throwing them away. Many of the things we throw away can be reused again or for another purpose. For example, we could use old shoe boxes for storage bins or even cutting plastic bottles to be used as plant vases old t-shirts could be used as rags for cleaning and old toys could be new toys for someone else. Recycling, on the other hand, is the process of converting waste into new materials. For example, old paper could be turned into new paper such as cardboards or newspapers and even aluminum cans can be recycled into new metals for cans and other metal containers and products.”

Inform students that their will play a group game to determine what products could be reused, recycled, and not recycled but first show 2 objects to the class. One object is recyclable and the other is reusable. Ask students if the two objects are recyclable.

Activity: Reusing and Recycling Game

Place all the objects in front of the class for all to see and have them think of at least 5 objects that are reusable.

• Break students into 4 groups

• Label 3 tables with recycle, non-recyclable, and reusable. 29

Recycling Unit Plan• Have the first 2 groups come up to the table and give each student an object.

• Give them about a minute to put the correct objects at the tables- recycle and non-recyclable.

• Take a note of where the items were placed.

• Then have groups 3 and 4 come up front and hand each student an item.

• Give them a minute to put the correct objects at the tables- Reuse and non-recyclable.


• Switch the groups and have them try the game again


Review where each item was placed and correct students with the wrong placements of the items and where the items should have been placed.

Filler: If additional time permits, have students look around the classroom to find

random materials for the game. Guide them to see if those materials are reusable, recyclable, or non-recyclable.

Close Class: Close class by reviewing some examples of how to reuse, reduce, and

recycle to connect tomorrow’s activity.

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Recycling Unit Plan

Section Seven: What can it be recycled to?Time Frame: 45 Minutes

Objective: Discover ways we could use objects for different purposes


class.• Materials: Plastic jug, shoebox, newspapers, juice can, index cards, an

crayons.• Reproducible: None

Daily Question: What are your responsibilities with helping your environment?

Open Class: Have the students discuss their responsibilities with helping their

environment.

Ask, “Can your responsibilities help to protect the resources for the future?”

Show students the recyclable items- plastic jug, shoebox, newspapers, and juice can, etc…

Explain to students that all these recyclable items can of course be reused into something else. Have them think of some creative ways they can be used for.

Activity: Recycling Presentation

Have the students break into 3- 4 per group.

o Hand each group an item and have them think of new and creative ways to reuse the item.

o Give each member of the groups an index card.

o Each student will illustrate how the item will be used in a new way.

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Recycling Unit Plano Groups will also need to plan and act out a short skit by pretending they are the

new item and describe ways that the items can be recycled. For example: I am a juicecan, you can put coins in me and use me as a piggybank.

Have the students share their skit and illustrations within their groups or with the whole class.

Close Class: Close class by informing students that the following day will be a field trip

to the local recycling center.

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Recycling Unit Plan

Section Eight: Recycling Center Field TripTime Frame: About 1-2 Hours

Objective: Examine how objects are recycled at a recycling facility.


class.• Contact your local recycling centers at least one week in advance for a

class visit. For the CNMI, contact Saipan’s Lower Base Refuse Transfer Station at (670) 322-2745.

• Inform parents of the field trip in advance by writing a letter with a permission slip for students to participate in.

Daily Question: None

Open Class: Have students think of questions to ask during the field trip. Also, review

the rules of the bus and rules of behavior during the trip at the recycling center.

Activity: Recycling Center Observation and Write-up

Have the students get into groups with an assigned teacher or chaperone.

• Ask students to observe how objects are separated, sorted, and recycled.

• Once students have returned, reinforce what they’ve observed by asking students to write about their experience at the recycling center.

Close Class: Close class by reviewing what was seen during the fieldtrip and discuss

if recycling means a lot more to them now that they’ve seen the recycling process.

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Recycling Unit Plan

Section Nine: “Thanks for Recycling” letterTime Frame: 45 Minutes

Objective: Create a letter of thanks for helping the environment


class.• Materials: KWL chart and blank art paper• Reproducible: Recycling certificates and Letter templates

Daily Question: What was your most favorite activity during the course of this

recycling unit?

Open Class: Discuss their responses and why they liked that particular activity.

Have students complete the last section of the KWL chart they first filled out during the first day of the recycling unit.

Inform students that they will be writing a letter of appreciation to the officials running the recycling center they visited the day before.

Activity: Letter of Appreciation

Hand students the letter templates

• Students should write about why they should continue with the recycling program and what they like or found interesting during their visit.

• If time permits, have students also illustrate a their experiences to attach with their letters.

Close Class: As a surprise, call each student out in front of class and give a certificate

of completion with recycling

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Recycling Unit Plan

Congratulations!Super Recycler

Name: ___________________ Date: __________

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Recycling Unit Plan

Stay Green and always keep the environment clean.

Letter of Appreciation

Dear _________________,

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

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Recycling Unit Plan

Sincerely,

______________________

Resources

• Teacher support pack. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.schoolsagainstwaste.co.uk

• William, E. (2000). A hands on recycling curriculum

• Harcourt social studies. (2007). Harcourt.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Learning for life and work. (2010). Northern ireland

curriculum. A CCEA Publication.

• Burried treasure. (2009). Retrieved from www.thinkgreen.com/classroom

• Recycling. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.k6edu.com/2ndgrade/social_studies/recycling.html

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http://www.schoolsagainstwaste.co.uk/

http://www.k6edu.com/2ndgrade/social_studies/recycling.html

http://www.thinkgreen.com/classroom

Recycling Unit Plan• Community and environmental health. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.education.wichita.edu/m3/tips/health/first/environment/lesson

1env.htm

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