Recycling
Project Overview
You will investigate several aspects of recycling
The project
PART 1: Introduction
What`s recycling?
What are the benefits of recycling?
“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”—New England proverb
PART 2: Trash problems
A) The Garbage Graveyard is an online interactive activity hosted by the Virtual
Courthouse, the official Web site of Larimer County, Colorado, found at
www.co.larimer.co.us/solidwaste/kidspages/gravyd.htm Predict how long various items
take to decompose
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Recycling – Vicky Saumell
B) Where is “Away”?
What happens to trash when you’re finished with it? Where does it go?
In other words, when you throw trash away, where is “away”?
Read the information in this website to extend your knowledge of the waste problem by
researching the pros and cons of using landfills to deal with non-recycled waste at
www.howstuffworks.com/landfill.htm
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Recycling – Vicky Saumell
PART 3: 3Rs
A) Reduce the Trash
1. Is any trash unnecessary?
2. Are there ways we can reduce the amount of trash we throw away every day?
3. Is all the packaging necessary?
Packaging
Good
Bad
4. What`s junk mail?
5. How can we reduce junk mail?
B) Reuse the Trash
1. Give an example of how you might reuse something you’d normally throw away.
2. Brainstorm together as many ways as possible to reuse a “disposable” item.
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Recycling – Vicky Saumell
C) Recycle the Trash
1. Explain the difference between recycling and reusing materials.
2. List items that can be recycled instead of reused or thrown away.
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Recycling – Vicky Saumell
Part 4: Vocabulary
Nouns
pollution
energy
resources
landfill
dump
solid waste
e-waste
Adjectives
biodegradable
reusable
recyclable
Verbs
decompose
recycle
degrade
reduce
reuse
dump
waste
Part 5: Research and product
In groups of no more than 4, choose one material that can be recycled and research:



statistics
how long it takes to degrade
how it is recycled (graph and explanation)
Choose a way to present your research and discuss it with your teacher
Other resources
U.S.Government’s Energy Information Administration’s Energy Kid’s Page, found at
www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/primer.html, provides
trivia, a timeline of waste collection, and graphs and charts illustrating the problem of
trash in this country.
Georgia Recycles
http://www.georgiarecycles.org/
Recyclable materials > do a Google search to find more resources
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Recycling – Vicky Saumell
Evaluation “Recycling”
Name:
Process Assessment
Aspects to be evaluated
Date
Date
Date
Final Mark
Speaks English in class
/30
Speaks fluently
/10
Integrates structures
/15
Uses new vocabulary
/15
Participates actively and
collaborates with group
/10
Uses dictionary efficiently
/10
Uses chosen tools
effectively
/10
Total
/100
Product assessment
General oral language use
/35 Presentation
/10
General written language use
/35 Deadline
/10
Creativity
/10 TOTAL
Final comment
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Recycling – Vicky Saumell
/100