Care and Appreciation of the Earth, Day 2
The 3 R’s
Student Name: Erica Farber
Grade Level: 1st
School Name: Hopewell Elementary
Host Teacher’s Name: Ms. Delloiacono & Mrs. Joralemon
Guiding and/or Essential Questions:
● How can we reduce, reuse, and recycle?
● Why should we reduce, reuse, and recycle?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge (ex. background knowledge,
possible misconceptions, prior lesson content)
● Students learned about the 3 R’s the day prior, and know what it means to reduce and
reuse.
● The teacher discussed some ways that we can reduce and reuse products and materials
during the lesson discussion the day prior.
● Some students’ families emphasize the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling at
home.
Standards:
● 6.1.4.B.5: Describe how human interactions impacts the environment in New Jersey and
the United States.
● 1.1.1: Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and
make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
● 3.2.3: Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.
● 4.3.2: Recognize that resources are created for a variety of purposes.
● 2.3.1: Connect understanding to the real world.
● 3.1.5: Connect learning to community issues.
● 1.3.4: Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to explain the process of
reducing and recycling.
Students will record data during reducing and
recycling exploration activity.
Assessment
The teacher will assess the students’
responses and comments during the
discussion following the exploration activity
for accuracy.
The teacher will assess the students’ written
data on the worksheet filled out during the
reducing and recycling exploration activity
for accuracy.
Materials/Resources: (List materials, include any online or book references and resources)
● Where Does the Garbage Go? by Paul Showers
● Letter from the Lorax
● Laptop to play video
● “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle” Flocabulary video (https://www.flocabulary.com/reduce-reuse-recycle/)
● Colored construction paper for self-portraits (all different colors; 25 pieces)
● Cardstock paper cut like a frame for early finishers (15 pieces)
● Reusable materials (newspaper, cardboard, wrappers, etc.)
● Plates to put reusable materials on at the center of each tables
● Glue sticks and Elmer’s glue at each table
● Picture of tires in a landfill
● Tray for each pair (6)
● Cup filled with cheerios with a line where the cheerios go to for each pair (13)
● Worksheet for tire/landfill/road exploration activity (25)
● Pencils (for each student)
● Marker for each pair (6)
● Plaster of Paris
● Serving spoon/shovel to pour plaster of Paris into cups
● Water to pour into cups
● Paper plate for each student (25)
● Spoons for each student (25)
● S is for Save the Planet by Brad Herzog - R and T pages only
Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:
● Flocabulary video will already be up on the laptop and the laptop will be hooked up to
the projector prior to the lesson so the projector just needs to be turned on to play the
video.
● Cynthia will set up construction paper, reusable materials for artwork, and glue at centers
of tables.
● Students will place completed self-portraits in the classwork bin once done.
● Erica will distribute all materials for the exploration activity at the beginning of the
center.
● Students will dispose of their cups and spoons after completing the exploration activity.
● Students will place their finished roads on plates at the back table once done.
● All students will clean their desks with a wipe at the end of the day.
Step by Step plan (numbered):
★ During morning meeting, Erica will read Where Does the Garbage Go? and introduce the
concept of landfills and the process of disposing and recycling items.
1. Lesson beginning: Erica will be at the front of the room while the students are at their
desks. She will tell the students that she has a second letter from the Lorax, and she will
read the letter to the class. The letter says: “Dear 1DJ, I hope you learned a lot about
reduce, reuse, and recycle yesterday. It’s really important that we reduce, reuse, and
recycle to help the Earth! You will learn more about reducing and reusing today with
some fun activities Ms. Farber has in store for you. But first, you will watch a video my
friends made about the 3 R’s. Remember, we all have to care for the Earth! Make sure
you share your new knowledge with your friends and family so more people can reduce,
reuse, and recycle. We can save the planet together! - Lorax”
2. Erica will tell the students they will be watching a quick video to recap what they learned
about the 3 R’s yesterday. Erica will play the Flocabulary “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle”
video, and the students will silently watch from their desks.
3. After the video, Erica will explain that the students will be exploring with reducing,
reusing, and recycling in centers today. Erica will make sure all desks are cleared. Erica
will tell the class that one center will be focused on reusing, and they will be making their
own self-portrait by reusing materials like newspaper and other plastic wrappers at their
desks. She will tell the class that the materials they can reuse for their self-portraits will
be on plates in the center of the tables. Erica will show her sample self-portrait and hang
it on the whiteboard for the students to reference while they work. Erica will emphasize
that the students should be whispering while working on the craft. Erica will tell the
class that the other center will be exploring reducing and recycling at the back U-table.
4. Erica will tell the blue and green table to remain at their desks and work on their selfportraits. Cynthia will pass out construction paper and have the plates of the materials
the students can use for their self-portraits already at the centers of the tables. Cynthia
will walk around to help students and monitor behavior while the students are working on
the self-portrait crafts. Early finishers can make and decorate a picture frame however
they would like using the provided materials. Once done or after 14 minutes, the students
will put their self-portraits in the classwork bin. Any picture frames can be put in the
students’ mailboxes to take home.
5. The red and yellow table will go to the back U-table for the exploration. Erica will
explain to the class that she will be giving them a cup of cheerios. She will show the cup,
and discuss with the students that the cup represents a landfill and the cheerios are tires in
the landfill. Erica will show a picture of tires in a landfill to the students to show them
what a real landfill looks like.
6. Erica will pass out a worksheet to each student.
7. After writing their names on the worksheet, the students will fill in the first thing on the
worksheet by drawing tires in the drawing box with the question “What do the cups of
cheerios represent?” and writing “the cheerios are tires” on the lines next to the drawing
box.
8. Erica will tell the class that they will be working with our own landfills to see how we
can reduce and recycle.
9. Erica will distribute a plastic cup with cheerios in them to each pair sitting next to each
other with a tray under it and a marker.
10. Erica will have the students draw what the cup of cheerios looks like with the line in cup
1 under step 1 on the worksheet. Now, the teacher will tell the students that it is our job
to reduce the tires so they do not take up as much space. The teacher will model how the
students will reduce the tires by having the students watch her use the back of the marker
to crush the cheerios. One partner will take 2 minutes to crush the tires in their landfills.
During this time, the other partner is observing and picking up and cheerios that fly out of
the cup. Then, the students will switch roles and the second partner will take 2 minutes
to finish crushing the cheerios with the marker, and then one partner will use a marker to
draw a line where the cheerios now go to on the cup. The group will draw what the cup
looks like on their papers now in cup 2 under step 1 on the worksheet. Next to the
drawing box, the students will write their observation on the lines (i.e.“It is smaller”, “We
made it smaller,” “We crushed the tires to make them smaller”).
11. Erica will model putting plaster of Paris and water in her cup and mixing it gently with a
spoon, and then spooning the mixture onto a plate to make a road.
12. Erica will put plaster of Paris and then water in each pair’s cup, and she will pass out a
plate for each student to be placed on the trays. Students will be told to put their name on
the top of the paper plate as soon as they get it. Each student will get a spoon and create
roads on their plates sharing the cup they used with their partner before.
13. Once done, the students will put their plates on the back table, dispose of their cups, and
wash their hands.
14. The groups will switch centers. Steps 4-9 will be repeated with the other half of the
class.
15. Closure: Erica will call the students to the carpet and tell them to sit in rows. She will tell
the students that she will be reading a couple of pages out of the book called S is for Save
the Planet as she shows them the book.
16. Erica will read the pages for R and T in S is for Save the Planet out loud to the class.
17. After reading these pages, Erica will lead a brief discussion and synopsis of what was
read. The students will contribute to the discussion by sharing what they learned from
the activities they did at the centers during class. Erica will conclude by emphasizing the
need to reduce and reuse products and materials as often as possible.
18. Erica will call the students by table to return to their desks and pass out wipes for the
students to clean their desks. At this time, students will also pick up anything that fell to
the floor during the activities and clean their surrounding areas.
Key Questions (that you will ask):
● What do the cheerios in the cup represent?
● How did we make the tires take up less space?
● Are the tires in our cup smaller or bigger than before?
● How did we make our road?
● What did you learn about reducing, reusing, and recycling from today’s activities?
● How can you reduce, reuse, and recycle at home?
Logistics:
Timing: 51 minutes
● Lorax letter: 2 minutes
● Flocabulary video: 4 minutes
● Explanation of center activities: 3 minutes
● Center 1: 15 minutes
● Transition: 2 minutes
● Center 2: 15 minutes
● Transition: 2 minutes
● Reading/discussion: 6 minutes
● Clean up desks: 2 minutes
Transitions:
● Students will have 15 minutes at each center. When there are 1-2 minutes left before
switching to the next center, the teachers will have the students at the centers clean up.
Once both centers are about cleaned up, all students will stand up together and rotate to
the other center.
● Students will be called by table to return to their desks after the reading and discussion.
Classroom Management:
● The class will be working in centers so both teachers can supervise and monitor half of
the class at a time.
● Only half the class will be doing the exploration activity at a time to better monitor the
students and allow the students to more easily see the teacher model procedures.
● The teachers will be walking around to assist students and monitor behavior in each
center.
● The students will be working with a partner at the exploration activity for the first part to
avoid too much mess and save time.
● The teacher will pay close attention to and stay near F, O, S, and J to make sure they are
using the materials properly and following the correct procedures while at the exploration
activity.
● The teachers will pay close attention to and stay near O and F to make sure they are on
task.
● The teachers will watch K and O to remind them not to sing and to use their inside
voices.
Differentiation
● Students will watch the Flocabulary video at the beginning of the lesson to recap what
they learned and talked about the day before.
● Early finishers at the crafting self-portrait center can make a picture frame.
● The teachers will model a completed self-portrait that the students can reference while
working.
● The teacher will model how procedures should be done for the exploration activity before
the students do them.
● The teacher will lead the whole group in completing the exploration activity worksheet
for guidance.
● Students will collaborate with a partner to mash the cheerios in the cup.
● The teachers will closely monitor F, O, S, J, and K while they work, especially at the
exploration activity center.