PROJECT OVERVIEW
Name of Project:
Trash to Treasure
Duration: 3 weeks
Teacher (s): Cortez, Espinosa, Karseno, Merino & Tang
Subject/Course: Science
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Other subject areas to
be included, if any:
Social Studies: 2.8 C: identify ways people can conserve and replenish natural resources |ELAR 2.19C: Write brief comments on
literary or informational text
Project Idea
Students will collaborate and discover ways to use recycled items. Students will create a new product using at least 50% recycled
materials. Students will present their product and the process they used to create it though a presentation.
Summary of the issue,
challenge, investigation,
scenario, or problem:
Driving Question
What effect does reusing materials to produce another product have on the environment?
Content and Skills
Standards to be
addressed:
2.1 C: identify and demonstrate how to use, conserve and dispose natural resources and materials such as conserving water and
reuse or recycling of paper, plastic, and metal.
T+A
21st Century Skills
to be explicitly taught and
assessed (T+A) or that
will be encouraged (E) by
project work, but not
taught or assessed:
E
T+A
Collaboration
X
Other: Standards (TEKS)
X
Presentation
X
Use of technology
X
Critical Thinking:
X
E
X
X
Presentation Audience:
Group:
Culminating
Products and
Performances
The group product will be a recycled product from 50% recycled items.
The final product will be a group created oral presentation showing start to finish of the
recycled product, oral presentation no longer than 10 min.
Class:
X
School:
Community:
Individual:
Each student will complete the “Blank Puzzle Piece” activity and daily “Go Green”
journal log.
Experts:
Web:
Other:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Entry event to
launch inquiry,
engage students:
Present the entry document and watch different weather forecasts.
Assessments
Practice Presentations (by group)
x
Notes
x
Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes
Checklists
x
Rough Drafts
Concept Maps
Online Tests/Exams
Other:
Quizzes/Tests
Formative
Assessments
(During
Project)
x
Journal/Learning Log
Written Product(s), with rubric:
Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with rubric:
Summative
Assessments
__________________________________________________
Trash to Treasure Content Rubric
(End of Project)
Oral Presentation, with rubric
x
x
Peer Evaluation
x
Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test
Self-Evaluation
x
Essay Test
Other:
.
Resources
Needed
Reflection
Methods
On-site people, facilities:
None
Equipment:
Classroom computers
Materials:
Recycled materials :( Cereal boxes, containers, cans, plastic bottles, egg cartons, newspaper, cardboard,
etc.), art materials: (Scissors, glue, markers, paint, paint brushes etc.), books on recycling, websites on
recycling in our Decker 2nd Grade Wikispaces.
Community resources:
None
(Individual,
Group, and/or
Whole Class)
Journal/Learning Log
x
Focus Group
Whole-Class Discussion
x
Fishbowl Discussion
Survey
Other:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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PROJECT TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE
Project: Trash to Treasure
Course/Semester: Science / 4th NW- second week
Knowledge and Skills Needed by Students
to successfully complete culminating products and
performances, and do well on summative assessments
Scaffolding / Materials / Lessons to be Provided
by the project teacher, other teachers, experts,
mentors, community members
Ability to identify and demonstrate how to reuse or recycle
paper, plastic and metal

Ability to use the internet for research purposes (wikispaces &
links)

Teacher provides workshop opportunities to discuss the
impact that recycling has on the environment , to provide a
better understanding of the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle),
and how to properly recycle paper, plastic and metal
Provided by project teacher or technology resource.





© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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P R O J E C T
Project: Trash to Treasure
C A L E N D A R
Start Date: March 19, 2012
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK ONE
3/19
3/20
3/21
3/22
3/23
___ Teacher will
introduce the Entry
document (video/ visual
examples)
____ Teacher reviews
teamwork Anchor Chart
from previous PBL
____ Teacher and
students define team
roles
____ Create a team
name, same
team/group from
previous PBL
____ Whole group
Science lesson: What is
environmental
education? What are
the 3 R’s (Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle)?
How can you make a
difference in the
environment?
____ Teacher shares
resources that are
helpful in researching
ideas for project/
Exploration of the 2nd
Grade Wikispace & links
____ Teacher reviews
resources that are
helpful in researching
ideas for project/ 2nd
Grade Wikispace & links
___ Teacher will lead
discussion of Knows &
Needs to Know
____ Teacher will
introduce the “Go
Green” journal logstudents record
knowledge learned in
this log everyday
____ Students complete
day 1 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Complete Team
Contract, give a copy to
your teacher
____ Teacher will
introduce Content
Rubric- Trash to Treasure
content rubric, and
presentation rubric
____ Students complete
day 2 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ ”Blank Puzzle
Piece” activity: What
environmental
education means to
you?
____ Students complete
day 3 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to get
ideas for their product.
____ Students complete
a Team Rubric- for
reflection
____ Workshop 1: What
are the 3 R’s? How can
you make a difference
in the environment?
____ Students complete
day 4 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to get
ideas for their product.
___ Students brainstorm
and collaborate using
the “Trash to Treasure
Brainstorm Sheet” (what
product will be created?
What materials will they
need to make their
product? )
____ Students complete
day 5 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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PROJECT WEEK TWO
3/26
3/27
3/28
3/29
3/30
____ Students complete
“Trash to Treasure
Brainstorm Sheet” (what
product will be created?
What materials will they
need to make their
product? ), give a copy
to teacher
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to start
their product by
creating a plan and a
model of a new product
from recycle materials- a
blueprint
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to
continue their product
by creating a plan and
a model of a new
product from recycle
materials
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to
continue their product
by creating a plan and
a model of a new
product from recycle
materials
_____ Students will work
on creating their
product from recycle
materials
____ Workshop 2: How to
create a plan and
model of your product?
____ Workshop 2: How to
create a plan and
model of your product?
____ Students complete
day 6 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 7 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 8 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 9 of the “Go Green”
journal log/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 10 of the “Go
Green” journal log/
includes daily
accomplishments and
next steps
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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PROJECT WEEK THREE
4/2
4/3
4/4
4/5
4/6
_____ Students will work
on creating their
product from recycle
materials
_____ Students will
complete their product
from recycle materials
_____ Students will
complete their product
from recycle materials
____ Presentations
No school
____ Workshop 3: Oral
presentations- use as
reference Teacher Oral
Presentation Rubric
_____ Presentation
Rehearsal 1
____ Students complete
day 11 of the “Go
Green” journal log/
includes daily
accomplishments and
next steps
Critical Friends
_____Workshop 3: Oral
presentations
_____Workshop 3: Oral
presentations
_____ Presentation
Rehearsal 2
_____ Presentation
Rehearsal 3
____ Students complete
a Presentation Rubricfor reflection
____ Students complete
day 12 of the “Go
Green” journal log/
includes daily
accomplishments and
next steps
Celebrations!
____ Students complete
a Team work Rubric- for
reflection
____ Students complete
day 13 of the “Go
Green” journal log/
includes daily
accomplishments and
next steps
***Note: If students are
ready for presentations
please start presenting
on this day.
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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