Johanna Murphy: School-wide Recycling Initiative with a Pen-Pal Partnership
Component
Recycling for Our Future
Project Overview
Take a moment and reflect on this question posed by Tonia Lovejoy, a founding member
of the Beautiful Nation Project (n.d.): “Imagine you had to live with all of your trash, I
mean, you didn’t get to give it to someone else, you had to keep it, for your whole
life. How long could you stand it? Would you produce less trash?” (para. 3). Human
waste and pollution has reached unprecedented numbers worldwide. According to
Global Industry Analysts (2012), global plastic consumption in 2008 was estimated to be
260 million tons. The World Counts (2015) provides staggering statistics on their
website such as, 25% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste comes from paper.
The future of our planet is going to be directly impacted by the choices humans make
today. It is imperative to raise awareness in our students and communities on this current
threat to our environmental sustainability. The goal of this project is to educate students
about pollution and the importance of conservation. Initially, focus will be on providing
students with basic knowledge about pollution and the 3 R’s, reduce, reuse, and
recycle. Once this foundation is built, students will become innovators to create a schoolwide recycling program. The implementation stage of the recycling program will
integrate persuasive writing, slogan development, and learning about pollution beyond
our community.
At the conclusion of the two-month project, the school-wide recycling program should be
in place. Near the end of the project, students will be paired with a pen pal from an
exchange program to share their experience and knowledge. The hope is to inspire others
to identify a problem within their school or community and work toward a solution. This
project will engage students in the 4 C’s of 21st Century learning skills: communication,
creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking!
Targeted Grade Level(s)
Second grade (can be adapted for any elementary grade level)
Project Length
Ten lessons for the implementation phase of the project. The overall intention is for the
school-wide recycling program and pen-pal partnership to last the entire school year.
Project Learning Goals
Students will be able to:
 Understand what pollution is and how it affects people, other animals, and the
environment
 Understand why conservation is important and what individuals can do to reduce,
reuse, and recycle
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Learn about the history and current status of recycling in the United States
Learn about how other countries address pollution and recycling
Understand why it is important to start a recycling program at our school
Learn how to develop and plan a school-wide initiative
Create persuasive slogans and posters to spark school-wide involvement
Share their project experiences through a pen-pal partnership
Essential Questions
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What are examples and causes of pollution?
How does pollution affect people, other animals, and the environment?
What are solutions to reducing pollution in your home and community?
How can we decrease the amount of waste collected within our school?
How will a school-wide recycling program impact not only our community, but
also the world?
What might the Earth look like in 20, 50, 100, 500 years if pollution continues at
the current rate?
How can our class, and you as an individual, inspire and persuade others on the
importance of recycling?
Why is it important for us to communicate and share our project experience with
our pen pals?
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that:
 Pollution adversely impacts our world by…..
 Conservation in the form of reducing, reusing, and recycling can counteract the
impact of pollution on our world.
 Involvement in projects can inspire future action.
 Communities around the world experience pollution and finding solutions is
important for all humans.
 Individuals can persuade and advocate for change within their community
 Communication opens a dialogue to discover that humans have similarities and
also differences (pen-pal partnership).
National and State Standards
North Carolina Essential Standard - Social Studies - 2.G.2.2: Explain how people
positively and negatively affect the environment.
Common Core State Standard - English Language Arts - Literacy.W.2.1: Write opinion
pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion,
supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words to connect opinion and
reasons, and provide concluding statement or section.
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Common Core State Standard - English Language Arts - Speaking and Listening Literacy.SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about
grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Common Core State Standard - Mathematics - Math.Content.2.MD.D.10: Draw a picture
graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four
categories.
ICT Integration
Students will engage with technology throughout the duration of the project in a variety
of facets. Initially, technology will be utilized to gain knowledge through research,
videos, interactive games, and exploration of websites I provide (reference list
below). As we move through the project and a pen-pal partnership is established,
students will use technology to blog, create and send videos, and Skype with the other
class. I plan to achieve these technology goals by providing multiple opportunities for
students to use the Mac computer lab, classroom desktop computers, school iPads, and
the classroom Apple TV for whole-group time.
Proposed Calendar of Activities and Exchanges.
Each lesson will begin with a question that is presented to students, orally or projected in
the front of the classroom. Students will be given a sticky note to show their answer to
the question. They may choose to write words, sentences, or draw a picture. Depending
on the day, the teacher can ask students to partner share, small-group share, whole-group
share, or place in a designated area to look at after the lesson.
Week 1: What is Pollution and how does it impact our planet?
-Read “Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug” (resource list) as a class
-Using an anchor chart to record, discuss main ideas from the text, problems and
solutions, characters, etc.
-Discuss with students the question of the day and encourage sharing between
partners, small groups, or as a whole class.
-Have students work with a partner to create a superhero comic strip that teaches
about pollution and why it harmful to the environment (a problem) and how it can
be reduced (a solution). This activity captures the lesson theme of the day. It also
provides the teacher information of whether students have background knowledge
of solutions leading into the next week’s lesson.
Week 2: What can be done to reduce pollution in our home, school, and
community?
-Watch BrainPOP Jr. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle video (resource list) as a class. Have
students Think-Pair-Share the meaning of each ‘R’.
-Hang chart paper around the classroom with the words Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
on two or three (depending on your class size). Have students ‘gallery walk’ around
the classroom adding examples of things they can reduce, reuse, and recycle on the
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appropriate chart paper. Discuss as a class what children wrote and why it
accurately represents the word.
-Using iPads and earbuds, let children explore the videos on the ReCommunity
website (resource list). Give children an index card to illustrate and write onesentence that captures the main idea of each short video they watch.
Week 3: What is something ‘old’ you can make ‘new’ to reuse?
-Time for Kids (resource list) article, share and discuss. Let children share
examples of things they have made ‘new’. For instance, using paper towel tubes for
a holiday craft or an old water bottle for a bird feeder.
-Planet Ark (resource list) craft activity listed in Recycled Arts and Crafts Guide
PDF link. Make sure to select one in advance to request supplies from home to be
brought in.
Week 4: Do other countries have pollution similar to the United States? Why or why
not?
-Explore the Beautiful Nation Project and Reach the World websites as a class
(resource list). On Reach the World, Jacob’s Journey to Germany has an entire
portion devoted to pollution/waste/recycling in Germany.
-Visit the World Counts website (resource list) to get up-to-the second results on
waste and pollution occurring worldwide.
-Have students work with a partner and iPad to visit the Reach the World website to
explore a Journey of their choosing. See if they are able to find anything about
pollution, conservation, or another problem that might need a solution.
*Today you will inform students that they will partake in a pen-pal partnership with
an international school. Explore the Reach the World website as a class to find
information or a Journey from your partner school’s country. If time allows, or in
the upcoming week when there is time, share pen pal names and explain to the
students how they will be communicating and what they will be sharing with their
soon-to-be new friend!
Week 5 (2-day lesson): How can we as a class reduce our waste output during
lunch and how can we inspire our global pen pals to do the same?
Day 1
-Give each student a circle cutout to record one idea based on the question above.
Each student will tape his or her circle to a giant class brainstorm web. Discuss
with students some of the ideas that were brainstormed.
-Inform students that at lunch they will be keeping a personal tally for each item of
trash they throw away. The teacher will provide students with a sticky note and
model for them using his or her own lunch how to count and total their amount of
trash. After lunch, the class will collect and analyze the data before representing it
on a class graph. Inform students (and parents) that the goal tomorrow is to pack a
lunch that has minimal waste either through reducing, reusing, or being able to
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recycle.
Day 2
-Have students record their waste output at lunch using a tally mark system again.
After lunch, collect and analyze the data before adding it to the class graph.
-Students should notice that through conservation measures, the class was able to
accumulate less waste, i.e. pollution. Discuss with students the impact this small
change has on their community and our planet.
-Now that students have an understanding of how they can personally have an
impact on conservation, they will share the class data with their pen pal. The
options for sharing depend on your school’s resources but could be writing, videos,
blogging, or other ways to communicate through technology. Students need to
include in their sharing an idea for another way they can conserve in their everyday
life.
-Encourage your partner school to do the same activity so that the classes can
compare data. Also, a great discussion could be on the different ways students
decided to reduce, reuse, or recycle within their lunchbox!
Week 6: How can you persuade others that conservation is important?
-ReadWriteThink can you convince me? Lesson (resource list)
-Use Session 1 to get students thinking about opinions and persuasion. Come up
with a topic that is not about the project (i.e. uniforms vs. no uniforms, longer recess
vs. shorter recess, homework vs. no homework). Spend time discussing fact versus
opinion, why you might persuade people, other examples of persuasion they are
familiar with...
-Break students into partners or small groups to create a writing piece persuading
somebody to conserve through recycling, reducing, and reusing. Make sure teams
have time to share with the class.
Week 7: What is a slogan you have seen telling you about something?
-Logos and Slogans Activity from Keep America Beautiful: Recycle Bowl
Competition website (resource list).
-Students will work with a partner to come up with as many logos or slogans they
can think of in 2 minutes. Make sure to provide the students with an example prior
to starting. Have students share with another group or as a whole class.
-Introduce common conservation symbols or sayings (‘Don’t Be a Litterbug’) with a
PowerPoint presentation of images.
-Discuss with students why slogans and logos are important to a brand or service
and what value they bring to that product or idea.
-Students will work independently to create a slogan or logo that represents who
they are. The teacher should model one that he/she created to show how it captures
them as an individual.
Week 8: What should our school-wide recycling program be called?
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-Start with the Reading Rainbow short video (resource list) to get students engaged
and refamiliarized with the topic of conservation.
-Students will work in small groups to brainstorm a creative name and slogan for the
school-wide recycling program. The will create a poster to showcase in a
classroom, grade-level, or school-wide voting competition (decide based on your
school).
-Provide poster board and a variety of art supplies to encourage creativity and
uniqueness.
Week 9: What is one important thing you would like to share with your pen pal
about our project?
-Brainstorm as a class what information students will share with their pen pal about
pollution, conservation, and the school-wide recycling program project.
-Depending on your school’s resources, have students create a blog, video, e-mail,
handwritten letter, or other means of communication to share their knowledge.
Make sure they are full of information, actual pictures, and/or drawings.
*If you have additional time during any of the lessons or during the week, visit the
Resource List for literature, videos, articles, websites, and other activities to engage
students in the project.
Project Assessment with Scoring Rubric
Students will be assessed formally and informally throughout the entirety of the
project. Assessment is important in order to measure what students have learned and if
project objectives have been met. Informal assessment will occur continuously during
each lesson through observation and questioning. It is imperative to have discussions and
scaffold questioning from all levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Students will be
collaborating with their peers at different times and listening to their conversations is
another means of assessment. Although the majority of assessment will be informal,
student rubrics and teacher rubrics are included.
Student RubricI could explain to a friend what it means to pollute and why it is harmful to our
environment
 Still learning
 Sometimes
 Almost always
I understand what it means to reduce, reuse, and recycle and can provide an example of
each one
I can ask questions about the project and get information from different sources.
 Still learning
 Sometimes
 Almost always
I can explain why we are doing the project.
 Still learning
 Sometimes
I helped my classmates come up with ideas.
 Almost always
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 Still learning
 Sometimes
 Almost always
I treated my classmates with respect when working in a group.
 Still learning
 Sometimes
 Almost always
I was able to share with my pen pal about our project.
 Still learning
 Sometimes
 Almost always
Adapted from the Buck Institute for Education (BIE)
Teacher Rubric1
Needs
Improvement
2
Developing
3
Proficient
Student Exhibits
Knowledge
-Standards addressed
-Technology
-Basic content
-Global competence
Teacher
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
Student Exhibits Skills
-Critical thinking
-Problem solving
-Communication
-Collaboration
-Innovation
-Metacognition
Teacher
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
Student Exhibits
Dispositions
-Empathy
-Social awareness
-Initiative
-Leadership
-Self-efficacy
-Adaptability
-Resilience
Teacher
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
Adapted from the Council of Chief State School Officers
Resource/Reference Compilation
Literature and Articles:
Bethel, E. (2009). Michael Recycle meets Litterbug Doug. Worthwhile Books
Publishing.
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Lovejoy, T. (n.d.). If plastic were diamonds. Beautiful Nation Project. Retrieved July 8,
2015 from http://www.beautifulnationproject.org/channels/marine-debris/field-notes/ifplastic-were-diamonds
Lytle, C. (n.d.). When the mermaids cry: The great plastic tide. Retrieved July 10, 2015
from http://plastic-pollution.org
TFK Staff. (2013). Green tips: Here are 10 things you can do to help stop global
warming. Time for Kids. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.timeforkids.com/news/green-tips/87041
Scholastic. (2015). Recycling. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/search/teacher?query=recycling&as_values_09564=&
channelOnly=true
Websites:
Buck Institute for Education. (2015). Rubrics. Retrieved July 10, 2015 from
http://bie.org/objects/cat/rubrics
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2015). English Language Arts/Literacy
Standards. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013). Knowledge, skills, and dispositions: The
innovation lab network state framework for college, career, citizenship readiness, and
implications for state policy. Retrieved July 10, 2015 from
http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/ILN%20Knowledge%20Skills%20and%20Dispositions
%20CCR%20Framework%20February%202013.pdf
Department of Public Instruction. (2015). North Carolina Essential Standards: Social
Studies. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/acre/standards/new-standards/social-studies/k-2.pdf
Facing the Future. (2015). Global sustainability curriculum and teacher professional
development. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from https://www.facingthefuture.org
Keep America Beautiful. (2015). Recycle Bowl Competition educational
resources. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from http://recycle-bowl.org/playbook/educationalresources/
Kid World Citizen. (2015). Retrieved July 8, 2015 from http://kidworldcitizen.org
National Geographic Kids. (2015). Recycling. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/search-results/?q=recycling
PBS Learning Media. (2015). Recycling. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/search/?q=recycling&order=&selected_facets=&select
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ed_facets=grades_exact:K&selected_facets=grades_exact:1&selected_facets=grades_exa
ct:2&selected_facets=grades_exact:3&selected_facets=grades_exact:4&selected_facets=
grades_exact:5
Planet Ark. (2015). National recycling week: Kid’s activities. Retrieved July 8, 2015
from http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/kids-teachers/kids.cfm
Reach the World. (2015). Current journeys. Retrieved July 8, 2015
from https://sites.google.com/site/reachtheworldclassroom/focus-group/reach-the-weo
ReCommunity. (2015). Education Station. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.recommunity.com/education/
The World Counts. (2015). Paper comes from trees… Retrieved July 10, 2015 from
http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Paper-Waste-Facts
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2015). Wastes - Educational materials:
Teachers. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/teachers.htm
Videos:
BrainPOP Junior. (2015). Recycle. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
https://jr.brainpop.com/search/?keyword=recycle
Explore the Cycle. (2008). The cycle: Chapter 1. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkQvN2ExjUY
Keep America Beautiful. (2013). I want to be recycled- Journey: 60. Retrieved July 8,
2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kVkfBHAWM4
Reading Rainbow. (2014). How trash is recycled with LeVar Burton. Retrieved July 8,
2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1l8HXa3HLk
Pen Pals:
Edutopia. (2015). Pen pals. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.edutopia.org/search-results?search=pen+pals
ePals. (2015). Retrieved July 8, 2015 from http://www.epals.com/#!/main
Manning, E. (n.d.). Can you convince me? Developing persuasive
writing. ReadWriteThink. Retrieved July 8, 2015 from
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/convince-developingpersuasive-writing-56.html?tab=4
Perfect Rubber Mulch Blog. (2014). How does U.S. recycling compare to the rest of the
world? Retrieved July 8, 2015 from http://perfectrubbermulch.com/blog/u-s-recyclingcompare-rest-world-infographic-2/
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Technology tools:
Cool Tools for Schools. (2015). Retrieved July 8, 2015 from WIKI:
http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Collaborative+Tools
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