BRIDGES OVER HOWARD COUNTY
21st Century Community Learning Centers
Service Learning Curriculum
Howard County Public School System
Ellicott City, Maryland 21043
SES Bridges Service Learning Project:
‘Watching Our Waste!’
Primary Subject: Science & Math
Grade Level: 3-5
Additional Subject Area Connections:
Health
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Unit Title: SES Bridges Service Learning Project:
‘Watching our Waste!’
Unit 3:
What Can We Do? (Lessons 1-7
taught first half of Quarter 3)
Students will continue to apply their
knowledge of matter to determine
factors that can influence the health of
the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Students will investigate the positive
and negative impact of human activity
on the environment.
a) Recognize and describe that
consequences may occur
when Earths natural
resources are used.
 Positive consequences
– recycling, native
plantings, good
farming practices
 Negative consequences
– damage to habitats,
air, water and land
pollution
TECHNOLOGY
Create a video based on our
outcomes.
Type(s) of Service:
 Direct - Working face-to-face with the recipient of the service to
meet his or her needs.
 Indirect - Working behind the scenes to channel resources to
meet a community need. Examples are organizing blood drives
and doing environmental service.
Unit Description:
Potential Service-Learning Action Experiences:
*Students sing the “Recycle Rap” to get them motivated
and raise their awareness about the importance of
recycling.
*Students design Bridges logos for recycling to post
around the school to promote the importance of recycling
& for student responsibility.
*Students take surveys of how many of their families
recycle at home (for their personal connection).
*Students keep track of the recycled items in our schools.
‘Watching our Waste!’ Summer 2012
5th Grade Science:
*Students record and keep track of the pollution reduction from Walking Wednesdays.
*Students keep a weekly journal of their findings.
*Students create a culminating video to capture findings.
*Public Service Announcements: Skits for recycling.
Best Practices of Service-Learning
Maryland State Department of Education
SES Bridges Service Learning Project:
‘Watching Our Waste!’
1. Meet a recognized community need
*Our world is forced to take a deeper look at preserving and protecting our environment. We need
to continue to be a Green School at SES.
Each Bridges session, we will address our school to promote being green through the previous "Light
Switch Plates" we created in Bridges last Session.
Our school is aware that we want to continue to be a Green School and this project will help promote that
by continually reminding staff and students through our assemblies and videos how we can achieve that.
2. Achieve curricular objectives through service-learning
Science--Electricity
Math--Calculating the amount of electricity used versus the amount we saved.
Technology--Create a video to describe the recycling program.
Media--Research ways to save electricity and be green!
Arts—Design a logo for our Bridges Recycling Program.
3. Reflect throughout the service-learning experience
Journaling/Drawing/Reflecting 1x/week on topics in their own small, Recycled Journals including:
1) What can you do differently at home to recycle?
2) List 3-5 things that you realized you could recycle and create into something else. Draw it!
3) Interview a person via email or phone that works in a recycling plant or with . Create a
collage of what you learned from them.
4) Write a Argumentative/Persuasion Letter to an Apartment Complex or Company that DOES
NOT recycle. (ie. 101 Wells Apartments in Baltimore, MD) Don’t forget to include important
facts!!
4. Develop student responsibility. (Students have opportunities to make
decisions about the service-learning project.)
Students will choose which part of the project they would feel most comfortable helping out
with: the (1)artistic logos, the (2) calculations for the recycled items. (3) calculations for the
Walking Wednesdays events; (4) Production of the “Recycle Rap; (5) How they would like to help
in creating the (Culmination Waste Free Video)?. Take Waste Free Wednesdays to the next level
including: How to compare the menus of a “waste free” lunch vs. a “wasteful lunch” (see resources).
‘Watching our Waste!’ Summer 2012
*Example of a Monthly Commitment to Recycling:
October—Make your Halloween costume out of recycled materials or bring in clothes to donate so
that we can use them for costumes if some children don’t celebrate Halloween.
November—Bring in cans of food that your family will not use and we will donate them to families
who can benefit them! Restaurants that use recycled materials to serve food; Stores that use bags
from recycled materials.
December—How can we save energy during these super cold months
January--? Tips from a representative from BGE or Constellation Energy can come in and talk at our
school!
February—Recycling Paper—How many pounds of paper does Swansfield Recycle? How many trees
is that?
March—MSA (Don’t waste paper; Use the front and back of your scratch paper please).
April—Plant something
May/June—Culminating Activity/Video for the whole School; Play about Recycling 
**Recycling store—Students can bring in or make items and create their own store.
5. Establish community partnerships
*Community partnerships between Green Beans with our GT teacher Tara Diventi; Our PTA with
Walking Wednesdays; Eileen Clegg (our 2nd Grade I.A. who runs our recycling department; Janice
Ford, our Art Teacher about using recycled materials for art projects; KIDZART staff-how can we
use recycled items for the students projects.; Howard County Recycling Department through
Howard County Public Works; the Bureau of Environmental Services
6. Plan ahead for service-learning
*Continue to make Swansfield a “Green Awarded School”. Ask students how we can better our
school and overall environment and maintain a plan with our community to meet further needs.
7. Equip students with knowledge and skills needed for service
I contacted Alan Wilcom, Chief
6751 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
410313-6444, the representative from the Howard County Government (Public Works/Recycling
Dept.), to set up a presentation for our staff and students.
Want to know more about recycling? Howard County has a detailed and very informative website,
www.howardcountyrecycles.org which provides information about recycling items that you might
not have known were recyclable. The Specialty Recycling page highlights reuse and recycling
programs including what to do with baby items, candles, CDs, electronics, medical equipment, yoga
mats and much more. There are links to websites for recycling items such as batteries, electronics
and CFLs.
Do you want to schedule a recycling presentation? Recycling Coordinators are available to attend
community meetings, religious groups, businesses, schools, etc. to spread the word about Howard
County recycling. Maybe you want some help starting a recycling program or improving an existing
‘Watching our Waste!’ Summer 2012
program? The Recycling Division is here to help. Don’t hesitate to call (410−313−6444), send an
email at help@howardcountyrecycles.org or visit our website if you come across an item you aren’t
sure about, think of a question, or have something you want to share. If you would like to know
more about America Recycles Day (ARD), please visit www.americarecyclesday.org.
RESOURCES
SES Bridges Service Learning Project: ‘Watching Our Waste’
WEBSITES
MSDE SERVICE LEARNING SITE:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/servicelearning/
Recycle Rap Power Point Link:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFQQFjAA&url=ht
tp%3A%2F%2Fwww.musicbulletinboards.net%2Fmk8downloads%2Foct%25202007%2FRECYC
LERAPbySusanWill.ppt&ei=F3EhUNSsD-S16AHmyoHIBw&usg=AFQjCNEdngUStmjM0riOfU_8ioTEY3Tbw&sig2=Ksew5iBvRL-ZsmdHMHqxYA
Community Recycling Programs:
www.howardcountyrecycles.org
http://www.howardcountymd.gov/RobinsonNatureCenter.htm
For more information on easy ways to recycle and how to incorporate math into Waste Free
Wednesdays, visit:
http://www.howardcountymd.gov/DisplayPrimary.aspx?id=6442462193
Want a recycling presentation for students and staff? These informative FREE presentations
challenge and engage children and adults to learn about trash, recycling and other easy
things we can do to help the environment.
A handy chart of what can and can't be recycled.
Print a lunchroom poster of what can and can't be recycled (or contact us
for a copy).
Print school recycling brochures and look at HCPS recycling website,
www.hcpss.org/parents/recycle.shtml
‘Watching our Waste!’ Summer 2012
Neat Resources!
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Zero Waste Lunches (cost n to single-serve packages)
Kids Ecological Footprint
Rot Not Landfills Experiment (an experiment to see what 'breaks down' in a landfill)
Nature's Recyclers Compost Coloring Book
How many recycled cans power an air conditioner for 2 hours? Find out using the EPA's iWARM
calculator.
Recycling/Fundraising Ideas:
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Elmer's Glue Crew
Terracycle
Office Depot Recycling Rules
EcoPhones
Cartridges for Kids
Funding Factory
Just for Kids:
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www.kidsrecycle.org/
www.kidsrecyclingzone.com/superhero-training.html
www.kid-at-art.com/
www.epa.gov/students/index.html
Recycling Websites for Adults:
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http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/03/environmental-websites-for-kids/
http://ncseonline.org/environmentors/
www.facingthefuture.org/
www.wastefreelunches.org/
www.timeforkids.com/TFK/
www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/free-lesson-plans
Environmental Services:
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Site Map
Environmental Services RSS
TOOLS:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/servicelearning/training_tools.htm
EVALUATION:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/servicelearning/docs/best_practices.ht
m
‘Watching our Waste!’ Summer 2012