Guided Practice/Independent Practice
Model their next steps:
Open the newspaper.
Line the soda bottle with a plastic bag. Put in a layer of dirt.
Bury the banana peel, and a piece of plastic
spoon. (Have recorder draw a diagram of what
is buried where while you create this.)
Bury fruit cup can, and a piece of newspaper. Put another layer of dirt on.
Bury a piece of juice box, along with a piece
of the raisin box. Put a final layer of dirt over the top.
Put a layer of baking soda on the top. (This
will act as a filter, just like in a real
landfill.)
Put a straw about halfway down the bottle.
(This will act as a pipe to remove built up
gases, just like in a real landfill.)
Label the outside of the bottle with the
names in your group. Put it on a sunny windowsill, and make it
rain (with a cup of water)!
Have each group perform these steps. Before next week's lesson, "water" the landfill as needed.
Weeks 2-3: Hand out landfills. Have students dig up garbage and observe and document changes. Have students rebury garbage according to original map (as best they can). Discuss changes after each week, make predictions for week to come. Water as necessary in interim.
Week 4: Hand out landfills. Have students dig up garbage, observe and document changes. Have students remove plastic bag liner. Inspect for damage.
Discuss what decomposed (banana peel and newspaper) and why (organisms in soil, plus weather). Discuss what hasn't decomposed yet.
Predict if it will. Discuss conditions of liner (at least one will probably have sustained damage). Ask what happens if a real liner gets damaged, how does it affect us (contamination of water supply). Discard ingredients.
Refer back to K-W-L chart. Answer all "W" questions possible. (If any remain, discuss where to find the answers and assign for extra credit). Complete "L" portion of chart individually.
Description
The objective of this lesson is to teach students about the importance of recycling. Initially, students have a chance to think about their impact on our planet by following the path that garbage takes. Students then learn about how landfills work, and what kind of garbage fills up our landfills, by creating their own. Ultimately, students share their knowledge by creating a recycling poster campaign for their school. This lesson takes four weeks to complete, spending one class period per week on it.
Anticipatory Set
Offer students a snack. Include four choices and makes sure all are taken: bananas, small cans of fruit (serve with a plastic spoon), box of raisins, juice box.
When students are finished, ask them where the garbage goes? Students will probably start with the trashcan, but continue to ask them, "Where does it go next?", until you get to the local landfill.
Next do a K-W-L chart about landfills.
Post this and continue to refer to this throughout this exploration.
Finally, give an explanation of how landfills are constructed (a liner is placed on the ground, soil is put down, then a layer of garbage, then a layer of soil, etc.). The elements of weather, as well as bacteria in the soil decompose the garbage.
Put student in cooperative learning groups according to snack consumed. Each group should have a banana, a fruit cup with plastic spoon, a raisin box, and a juice box.
Next have groups designate a recorder, as well as a person to get the rest of the ingredients:
a newspaper
soil
a 2-liter bottle with top cut off
a plastic shopping bag
plastic gloves
paper for the recorder
baking soda
a straw
an empty cup for water
Closure/Assessment
Assess "L" portions to make sure that students have learned about the advantages and disadvantages of landfills.
Have each group create a poster campaign for the school, telling other students about the importance of recycling.
