Think Earth 2014/15
Middle School
Topic: Trash
Lesson Plan
Class 1
1. Introduction
Learning Objectives:
- landfills and what
goes in them
- why it’s important
to recycle
-calculating a real
life scenario (waste
audit)
Utah Core
Objectives:
6th Grade: Science,
Standard V
7th grade: Biology,
Standard 1
Time:
2 – 45/50 minute
classes
Materials Needed:
- Powerpoint
presentation
- worksheet
- tarp, gloves, bags
- scale
Spare time
Activities:
- Posters
Handouts:
- RU HazWaste
- RU tri-fold
Key Concepts:
2. Powerpoint presentation on Trash
 Reduce/reuse/recycle review
 Review of recyclables
 Introduction to composting
 Where Summit County trash & recycling go
 Visuals of landfills
 Methane connection to landfills
3. Waste Audit
 Select classroom/cafeteria/staff lounge/offices
 Notify custodians to not collect in certain areas
 Have bags/bins prepared for trash & recycling
collection
 Designated time period to collect for
 Collect information for final # preparation (total # of
students at school, total # of classrooms, staff lounges,
offices, lunch periods, etc…. based on where audit is
done)
Class 2
1. Arrange students in groups of 3 or 4 and do waste audit.
Spread tarp and sort materials based on worksheet
categories. Give each group a category and measure each by
weight and volume and record all.
2. Now provide the school information and start manipulating
#’s based on # of classrooms (or classes taught), or lbs/person,
etc… Now think about the cafeteria, staff areas, offices, etc…
Make an estimate for the whole school trash & recycling
(including what Could have been recycled).
3. Discuss weight vs. volume.
4. Discussion/review. How can you reduce NSMS waste?
We have too much trash in our world. 80% of what’s in landfills does not need to go there. 30
% is compostable. Methane from landfills contributes to our climate change problem. Humans
need to make changes. There’s still a lot of work to be done and we can start at our schools!
This lesson plan is
made possible by a
grant from Summit
County
Recycle Utah, 1951 Woodbine Way / PO Box 682998, Park
City, UT 84068.
PH: 435.649.9698. Recycling drop open 24/7.
Visit us at www.recycleutah.org
AUDIT DETAILS:
1. Teacher needs to contact custodian about the waste audit, to cover 5 designated
school days. Custodian can NOT collect trash OR recycling from Mr.West’s room for
these 5 days.
2. All trash needs to be collected as usual, each day, in the classroom trash can but then
dumped into the orange bag from Recycle Utah at the end of each day.
3. Recycle Utah will bring for Week #2: 5 buckets for sorting, plastic gloves, a scale and
tarp.
(Need to know this info before Class #2)
How many classrooms are there (that are used at least ½ the day with at least 15
students/class)? Better yet, how many total classes/wk are taught?
How many students are there at N.Summit?
How many school days/year?
What is the size of Trash & Recycle dumpsters currently at N.Summit? How often do they
get picked up? What is the cost difference to haul trash vs. recycle? (Recycle Utah
will get this info)
Once you've transferred all of the garbage to your sorting site, calculate the
total weight and volume collected from each region before you begin
sorting. Remember to weigh the sorting containers. Carefully sort each
bag of garbage into categories. Once you've completed the sorting for
one region, weigh your containers of material (subtracting the actual
weight of the container itself) and note the figures. The volume (V) can
be measured using the height (H) and radius (R) of the waste in the
container (V=2RH). It is important to use both weight and volume
figures because weight figures can be misleading. For example, spilled
liquids can make paper, particularly newspapers, weigh significantly
more than normal.
Handy Conversions
1 cubic yard of:
uncompacted but flattened cardboard =
office paper =
aluminum cans =
mixed plastic bottles =
glass bottles and jars =
food waste =
1 Kilogram =
1 cubic yard =
Helpful website for conversions: www.convert-me.com
The audit:
1. Using the waste audit form, record where the waste was
collected from. (classrooms, cafeteria, etc.) 2. Put on gloves and estimate the
total volume and weight of the waste to be audited. Record on form.
Weight: Weigh the unopened bags of garbage. (with a bathroom-type scale,
have a student hold the bag while standing on the scale, then subtract the
student’s weight)
Volume: Compare volume to the 5-gallon buckets
3. Empty the contents of the bag on tarp and sort into waste categories listed
on the form. 4. Record the weight and estimate the volume for each of the
categories.
Weight: put in buckets and weigh, subtract weight of bucket.
Volume: estimate volume by measuring how much of the bucket is full
5.
Make notes about items that you find a lot of in the trash – types of food, pop
cans, etc., or other interesting things you observe.
6. Clean up!
Return non-recyclables to garbage cans and sort recyclables into recycling
bins Wash tarp and buckets, sweep floor
Post-audit activities
1. Complete calculations on the waste audit form. Use these numbers to chart
or graph your school’s waste by weight and volume.
2. Create a plan to reduce waste based on your findings. Questions to think
about:
• What were the main components of the school’s waste?
• Would
the results be different if the sort was done at a different time in the school
year? • What were some of the items that could have been reused instead of
thrown away?
• How could students reduce how much was thrown away of
some of the items?
3. Share the results and the plan with the rest of the school. 4. Put your plan
into action!