Lesson 1
Environmental Impact on Littering
Abstract:
This lesson is designed to raise awareness on the impact waste
products can bring to the environment. By the end of the lesson,
we will be able to sequence trash in order of the time it takes for
material decomposition, and thus be aware of the negative impact
it brings about on Earth. We will look closely especially on the
most commonly littered brands, and investigate how Starbucks in
particular handles the issue on littering.
Key Questions:
How long does it take for littered materials to decompose naturally?
What are some negative effects trashes can bring about to the nature?
Which brands’ products are most commonly collected?
Brain Warm-up:
Before reading, brainstorm as a class what why trash could be bad for the environment.
Generate a list of trashes that students think are most commonly trashed, and what
they think happens to them after disposal. As a class, review the website
http://www.eschooltoday.com/waste-recycling/waste-management-tips-for-kids.html
and learn about the kind and amount of pollution trash disposal brings. After reading,
re-construct the list most commonly disposed trash and the aftermath.
Before Reading
After Reading
What Kind?
What kinds of trashes are
most commonly littered?
What Happens?
What happens to the
trashes after it is thrown
away?
What does it do to Earth?
Activity:
Have students sit in groups and distribute sets of photographs of the most commonly
littered materials. Ask each group to work together to discuss and align the images in
order based on the time it takes for each material to decompose. Have one student
take record of their agreed list of trashes. When everyone is finished, have each
group talk briefly about their sequence and reason why they thought so. Then,
distribute the resource sheet – “How Long Does Decomposition Take?”
Adopted from: http://www.thatdanny.com/2008/06/06/how-long-does-it-take-a-plastic-bag-or-a-glassbottle-to-decompose/
How long does it take a plastic bag to break down or a glass bottle to decompose? What
about a milk carton or a Styrofoam cup? Sources for rates of decomposition of litter on
the web give you different rates. Once you've done quite a few of these searches, you
realize that it boils down to about three different lists, all repeatedly quoted (but not
always mentioned as the source):
After an overview of the resource sheet, introduce the idea of investigating the
products of Starbucks, one of today’s most well known franchise brands. Discuss with
the students what how they think Starbucks is handling waste materials from their
product. As a class, use the overhead to show the pictures of Starbucks packaging
products such as cups, straws, etc. if necessary. By the end of class, assign homework
to research about what Starbucks is doing to “be green,” and be ready to share next
class.
Lesson 2
Environmental Impact on Littering
Abstract:
This lesson will help us understand the process of recycling
trash for the benefit of the environment. The class will
investigate on Starbucks and their action to go “green.”
Students will practice critical thinking skills by brainstorming
ideas to help Starbucks reduce trash products. Along with the
materials learned from Language Arts class, we will create an
advertisement advocating Starbuck’s environmentally friendly
approach.
Key Questions:
What kinds of materials get recycled and how?
What are some things we can do to help recycling trash?
How is Starbucks recycling their products?
What can we do to help Starbucks promote more recycling from the customers?
Brain Warm-up:
Have a class discussion about what we are consciously doing to recycle our products. Do
we have recycling trash bins at school? What kind of materials are we recycling? What
happens to the papers/plastic wastes after it gets trashed?
Activity:
Visit the website “Recycle City”(http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity). As a class, tour
around the virtual city together while taking note of different locations and ways
trash is being recycled today.
Play the “Dump Down” game (http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/gameintro.htm) and
design a program that would encourage the citizens of Dumptown recycle wastes.
Final Project:
Break down the article “Cups and Materials” written by Starbucks company into
small sections, and have groups of students take responsibility in summarizing
key points. Then, share all together on what Starbucks is promoting to become
more eco-friendly. Point out the role that customers can do to help improve the
recycling process. Then, brainstorm what can be advertised to help promote
more engagement. Fill the “Brainblizzard” resource paper to aid organization.
Brain Blizzard:
Starbucks Going “Green"
What can we do?
What are they doing?
Have the students divide into groups and create either a pamphlet or a brochure to
promote Starbucks customers to recycle their wastes. The content must include
creative images and literary devices learned from Language Arts lesson regarding
propaganda. The prompt will be:
You have now mastered the process of recycling and are aware of the benefit
recycling brings to Earth! As a “green” citizen, help Starbucks promote their
“green” movement by creating a persuasive brochure/pamphlet using the
literary devices found in propaganda. Refer back to the resource paper from
Language Arts lesson for reference. The final product must inform the audience
about:
 The benefit of recycling their Starbucks cups
 The actions Starbucks is taking to promote eco-friendly movement
 What customers can do to recycle
Detailed rubric is as below:
4
Organization
The brochure has
excellent
formatting and
3
The brochure has
appropriate
formatting and
2
The brochure has
some organized
information with
1
The brochure’s
format and
organization of
very well
organized
information
The brochure
communicates
relevant
information
relating to more
than two literary
devices and
effectively to the
intended audience
well-organized
information
material are
confusing o the
reader
The brochure
communicates
irrelevant
information with
no reference to
literary devices,
and communicates
inappropriately to
the audience
The brochure
communicates
irrelevant
information
relating to one
literary device, or
communicates
inappropriately to
the intended
audience
All
of
the
writing
is
Most
of
the
Some of the
Most of the
Conventions
done in complete
writing is done in
wrings are done in writing is not
sentences.
complete
complete
complete
Grammar and
sentences. Most of sentences. There
sentences.
punctuation are
the grammar and
are several
Grammar and
correct throughout punctuation are
grammar and
punctuation error
the brochure
correct
punctuation errors are very frequent
The graphics go
The graphics go
The graphics go
The graphics do
Graphics
well with the text,
well with the text,
somewhat in
not go with the
and there is a
but there are
relation with the
accompanying text
good mix of text
many that digress
text, but are too
or appear to be
and graphics.
from the text.
few in number or
randomly chosen.
Visually appealing. Visually appealing. visually
Visually
disorganized.
disorganized.
Adopted and modified from: http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/rubric_travel_brochure.php
Ideas
The brochure
communicates
some relevant
information
relating to two
literary devices
appropriately to
the intended
audience
random
formatting
Lesson 3
Environmental Impact on Littering
Abstract:
This lesson will engage the students in a hands-on experimental
lab in which the students will test decomposable/recyclable
resources to come up with innovative packaging materials for
Starbucks Company. Students will learn to design a hypothesis,
procedure, experiment, and final informative report based on the
analysis. The end goal of this lesson is to increase problemsolving skills by challenging a real-world issue.
Key Questions:
What does “biodegradable” mean?
How could we design a biodegradable packaging material?
How do you design a lab with a hypothesis, procedure, data collection, and
conclusion?
What are some alternative materials Starbucks can use to reduce trash?
Brain Warm-up:
Practice students’ knowledge on biodegradable materials by filling in the
following chart:
Adopted from: guampedia.com
Activity:
Sample prompt:
o We want to help the Starbucks Company be even more environmentally
friendly by designing packaging materials that are more easily
biodegradable. What are some materials we may be able to use?
Brainstorm the list of materials we could possibly use, and research
approximately how long it takes for each material to decompose.
Read the following article: (http://www.cocacolacompany.com/sustainabilityreport/world/sustainablepackaging.html#section-managing-packaging-to-manage-risk) and point out how
the Coca-Cola Company is challenging their materials to become more
environmentally friendly.
Explore the website: (http://www.moldedpulp.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7
D&utm_campaign=biodegradable) to learn what kind of decomposable
packaging materials are already available
Final Project: We will design a lab that experiments with one particular
biodegradable material that could be used as packaging material (ex: Banana
leaves). Students must have the following criteria:
o Title – A brief, concise explanatory title
o Abstract – What is the objective of this lab? Include observations or
background information necessary about the topic
o Hypothesis – A possible solution for the problem. Identify the problem
within the hypothesis. Must be written in “if...then…” format.
o Materials – List of all the items used in the lab
o Procedure – List the process of the experiment detailed enough so that
anyone else could repeat the experiment by reading it. Use measureable
verbs.
o Results – This is the product/observation from the experiment. It should
include data tables, descriptions, graphs, and sketches. All materials
should be labeled appropriately
o Conclusion – Explain why you would accept or reject your proposed
hypothesis. Interpret your data and summarize it in words. You may
include charts/diagrams. Discuss what errors were made throughout the
process and why. Explain how the experiment could have been carried out
better.
LAB REPORT ITEMS
Points
PROBLEM
10
HYPOTHESIS
(Independent & dependent variables included)
MATERIALS & PROCEDURE
10
15
Points
Received
(All steps clearly stated)
OBSERVATIONS AND DATA
(Measurement units identified)
GRAPHS AND/OR DIAGRAMS
(Title, axes labeled, data points plotted)
CONCLUSION
(Answers the problem, explains results)
NEATNESS
TOTAL GRADE
20
20
15
10
100
Students will individually write a final reflection paper on what they have learned
about decomposable materials and the importance of implementing
biodegradable packaging in business.
Lesson 4
Environmental Impact on Littering
Abstract:
In this lesson, students will analyze a letter from an anonymous
Starbucks worker and investigate on its reliability. Then, we will
explore how to compose a proper persuasive letter, and write an
objective letter to the Starbucks Company regarding the issue.
Key Questions:
Why is it important to be aware of what is actually happening to our
environment instead of what is proposed to happen?
How do we compose a proper persuasive business letter?
Activity:
Beginning prompt:
o We have received a letter from a Starbucks manager few days ago,
reporting about an email he had received from a new Starbucks
employee who was shocked by the amount of waste she sees at the store
everyday. The letter is as follow:
“Hi, my name is Eric Smith, and I am an environmentalist seeking for your
help. Last week, I received an email from a new Starbucks employee who was
shocked by the amount of waste she sees at the store everyday. Many of us do
our individual part by bringing our reusable mugs for coffee, but it turns out
that, according to this employee (who wants to remain anonymous to keep her
job), the waste goes much deeper. I asked if I could share her rant here with
you all. I’m not sure how to get Starbucks to clean up its act, but maybe you
guys have some suggestions. Her email is as following:
May 1st (5 days ago)
To: Dr. Eric Smith
From: [name withheld]
Message:
I recently started working at Starbucks, which sells itself as an eco-friendly, green
company to the general public. Since I began work there, I have been disgusted every day
with the amount of waste, not only of cups, lids, straws, and hot drink sleeves, but also by
the packaging of many things that are used in the store every day. Many things that we
sell come packaged individually wrapped, in a box of five (like our VIA drinks, which
are meant to be used as a shake-in flavor for your basic plastic water bottle). By the time
this VIA drink reaches you (only to be poured into a plastic water bottle) it has been
individually wrapped and packaged into THREE separate boxes like a set of nesting
dolls.
Another thing I want to bring to the attention of the public is the fact that while,
yes, our cups are recyclable, the percentage of cups that actually get recycled is
disgustingly low. While one may assume that anyone can and will take their cup with
them and choose to recycle it at another location, how about the large amount of cups that
are thrown out right in our own store? Through any given day we will have thousands
upon thousands of cups used and thrown out IN-STORE across the country. Does
Starbucks offer any sort of on-site recycling though? Not to my knowledge, not [in my
state].
Then you might consider how many cups go to waste in the store before they even
meet a customer’s mouth. Any time a new barista is being trained, they will go through
countless cups (and even drinks-how much milk can we pour down the drain before we
stop to think about the starving people around the world) to learn the new drinks. Any
time a drink is made, you can bet that a new cup is being used to measure out the
ingredients (those lines on the sides of the cups aren’t there for looks) and any time a
drink is mis-made, the whole thing is tossed, including the cup. Any time something
splashes up on a stack of cups (like mocha syrup or coffee) the entire stack is tossed out,
and the same goes for lids.
Another waste of cups, and this one ESPECIALLY gets me, is when a customer
believes that they ARE being green, using a reusable cup, and they are still wasting the
disposable cup. The fact is, if you order it through the drive through, they are going to
make the drink LONG before your precious plastic tumbler gets to the barista, they
simply take your cup and throw the drink into it from the plastic cup it was made in, and
toss that. If you come inside with your reusable cup, you might have a better chance of
being green, but still probably not. Only if you order a tea or a coffee with this stop your
barista from using the disposable cups to measure out the ingredients for your drink. The
fact is, even if they wanted to, only half of the Starbucks produced reusable cups they
market as “green” will even FIT under the espresso spout.
This list only skims the surface of waste that Starbucks creates each day. My goal
in writing this to you is to get the picture across to a much larger pool of people how ungreen the company is. I hope that if we draw enough attention to it, then maybe we can
get the company to install recycling bins at each store to at least REDUCE the amount of
waste that created each day. A larger response from the public concerning the huge
amount of waste created is definitely something that the Starbucks Company will at least
want to APPEAR to care about, and I am confident that we would see a change.
Thank you for your time and your commitment to educating people about our earths
needs.
[Starbucks employee]
One of my pet peeves with Starbucks is that they don’t even offer durable
cups for people who are drinking their coffee in the store. Other cafes do.
Peet’s, for example, has reusable mugs for patrons who ask for them. And if
the reusable mugs that Starbucks sells won’t even fit under the espresso
spout, then Starbucks is obviously not even trying to reduce disposable cup
waste.
Here’s what Starbucks says about its waste reduction efforts
(http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/environment/recycling): “Customers
enjoying their beverage in-store can also request that it be served in a ceramic
mug where available.” I haven’t seen ceramic mugs at Starbucks (besides
those offered for sale.) Have you?Here’s a link to write the company if you
feel inspired: http://www.starbucks.com/customer-service/contact/companyinformation-form
What do you think is the best way to get their attention? (Boycotting won’t
help if you are not a Starbucks customer in the first place. The purpose of my
email to you all is in hope to increase awareness of this serious situation, and
hoping to see you students take action that are necessary. Perhaps if Starbucks
realizes how much future customers are unhappy with them, they will
implement their business. Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Eric Smith
The letter adopted and modified from: (http://myplasticfreelife.com/2012/07/starbucks-trash-behind-thescenes/)
Final Project: The goal of the lesson is to come up with a good list of points students
wish to complain to about Starbucks, and compose a letter to Starbucks about the
thoughts and feelings through the link Dr. Eric Smith had provided. Students will be
exposed to the techniques used in persuasive arguments and apply them to
independent persuasive letter writing activities.
Students will:
1. Work in small groups to brainstorm ideas collected from reading the letter and
organize them into a cohesive arguments to be presented to the class
2. Understand the concept of persuasion and how it becomes a strategy to produce
a desired argument
3. Review the “powerful words” or terms used for persuading the audience learned
from previous Language Arts class.
4. Identify the parts of a business letter
5. Write a persuasive business letter to the Starbucks Company.
Students must use the following format in composing the letter:
Each letter will be assessed according to the following rubric:
4
Persuasiveness
The letter includes
three or more
3
The letter
includes two
2
The letter includes
one poorly
1
The letter does
not include any
Organization
Content
strongly
advocated
reasons to
support the
proposed
argument
The letter meets
all the
expectations as a
proper business
letter. No or very
few error can be
found in spelling
or grammar
The letter
proposes a clear,
well worded
central argument
that remains as
the focus of the
letter throughout
explained reasons
with evidence to
support the
argument.
explained/supported
reasons to support
the argument
reasons to
support the
argument
The letter meets
most of the
expectations as a
proper business
letter. Not more
than two
grammatical
errors can be
found
The letter
includes a clear
argumentative
thesis, and
remains as the
focus throughout
the letter
The letter meets
about half of the
expectations as a
proper letter, with
more than two
grammatical errors
The letter does
not meet any
expectations as a
proper letter.
Poor sentence
structure with
common errors
The letter has more
than one vaguely
stated thesis that
remains as the
center of the letter
The letter has no
or poorly stated
thesis