Connections
Community
Environment
Culture
Sustainability
Day 1-Intro of Climate Change
(Science)
 Attention getter “What is climate change?”
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
 Students will then get on computers and go to
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html (bodily/kinesthetic)
 Students will be numbered off 1-4. Group one students will be
assigned “Learn the Basics” from the website. Group two will be
assigned “See the Impacts”. Group three will be assigned “Think Like
a Scientist”. Group four will be assigned “Be Part of the Solution!”
(moving around in groups-bodily/kinesthetic)
Day 2- Energy Efficiency
(Math)
 Intro- Discuss electricity use in the town
 Explain rules for calculating energy usage within the school.
 Have students (in groups) go throughout the school to record
type/number of light fixtures and appliances, take note of appliance
information tags containing the voltage and other important listings
(Kinesthetic, Interpersonal)
 Go over watt meters and the calculations of energy
(Logical/Mathematical)
Day 3-Alternative Energies
(Language Arts/Reading)
 Attention Getter- Wave Energies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-
gGfUNAREI
 Alternative Energy books
 KWL chart
 Randomly assign students different alternative energies from the book. The
different groups will be biofuel, nuclear power, hydrogen fuel cells, solar power,
wind power, wave power, and geothermal power.
Day 4- The History of Trash
(Social Studies)
“A History of Trash”
 list the major events with year occurred
 “Timeline of Trash Through the Ages”.
 Ask these questions

 1.
How long has trash been around? How long has it been a
problem?
 2. What are some of the main issues with trash generation?
 3. What are some solutions to decreasing trash generation?
Day 5- How long does Trash Last
(Math)
 “Hook”- set list of materials on a table in the front
of the classroom.
 The students will complete a worksheet
 The students (in their same groups) will then complete the group
consensus column of decomposition times estimating how long
each item of trash lasts in a landfill.
 Then we will discuss each groups predictions as a whole and fill out
the rest within our groups.
Day 6- Separating Trash (Science)
Focusing Activity-categories of recyclable materials
Students will be separated into three groups
 Group 1- categorize trash in the classroom trash cans
 Group 2- will interview the head of the maintenance department
 Group 3- will determine what other wastes are generated in the
school interviewing the head of the cafeteria and the school nurse
Day 7-Recycling: Ways to Reduce
Your Carbon Footprint (Science)
 Review of the previous day
 Students will then be divided into groups.
 Each group will answer the questions… What can we do to help cut
down on garbage (using the terms reduce, reuse, and recycle)? What
could be changed in the current school policy to reduce, reuse, or
recycle more wastes?
 Each group will create a poster, rap, or an acrostic poem with the
answer to the questions to present to the class.
 Each group will present their creation to the teaming pod.
Day 8- Flush (Language
Arts/Reading)

“Hook” the target audience with a video clip or
other materials (sewage/Mt. Dew and raisins)
Pass out Flush by: Carl Hiaasen
Flush Anticipation guide
Character Report card
 courage grade
 a secretive grade
 greedy grade
Day 9-Presentations in
Pods
 Focusing Activity-The teachers of the pod will perform the
rap they created on recycling.
 Instructional Procedures
 Students will draw numbers to determine what order
they are going in.
 They will do their presentations and the teachers will
each fill out a rubric. We will average the rubric scores
to determine a grade (bodily/kinesthetic, musical,
verbal/linguistic, interpersonal).
Day 10- Field Trip to
Landfill
 The entire 7th grade will go on a field trip to the local landfill.
 Students will ride a bus to the Coles County Landfill & Compost
Disposal Site.
 Students will have a tour of the facility.
References

Cannon, P. (2010, October 6). A WebQuest about Garbage! Retrieved from
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/elementary-school-activities/90033-webquest-on-garbage-and-recycling/

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (n.d.) KWL. Retrieved from http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/kwl.pdf.

Nasso, C. (2010) . Alternative Energy. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (n.d.). Waste-Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go? Retrieved from
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/Rec_lessons/waste.html.

Renewable utilities. (2012, June 23) . Wave Energy Technologies. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygGfUNAREI. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012, October 30) . A Student’s Guide to Global Climate
Change. Retrieved from http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html.

EIA Energy Kids - Using & Saving Energy . (n.d.). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Retrieved March 10,
2013, from http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=3

Wilcox, W. (n.d.). Energy Education and Workforce Development: K-12 Lesson Plans and Activities. U.S. DOE Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Home Page. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/default.aspx

Wood, J. (n.d.). Flush. Clark Schools. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from teach.clarkschools.net/jbernhard/literacy_w