MCPS - Global Access

Caring for the Earth

Integrated Learning Experience 3
Kindergarten

Overview
In this learning experience, children will explore their school environment to become acquainted with different kinds of trash found in school and ways people try to reduce their trash. Students will then address trash issues in their own classrooms. They will generate solutions for handling their class trash that demonstrate their awareness of how they can help care for the Earth.

Materials

MCPS Units and Objectives For Social Studies

MSPAP Outcomes For Social Studies

Geography
Examine personal environmental choices and their effects on the quality of life in the community.

Political Systems
Describe the ways in which individuals and groups bring about civic improvement.

Skills and Processes
Obtain and use relevant information by reading, asking questions, observing, and listening.

On-going Assessment

As you and your children experience these activities, please keep in mind the following questions for on-going informal assessment:

Activities One through Six

  1. Does the child use the words reuse and reduce in her/his discussion?
  2. Can the child generate solutions for reducing the amount of trash in the classroom?
  3. Is the child becoming aware of ways he/she can help care for the Earth?

Activity One

NOTE: If available, line the class trash can with a clear plastic trash bag. Make arrangements with the building services manager to leave the trash in the classroom until after the children leave for the day.

NOTE: The teacher may want to wear rubber gloves for this activity.

Toward the end of the day have the children form a circle on the floor. Put on the rubber gloves. Carry the trash can around the circle while saying to the children: Look inside our trash can. What kinds of trash did we throw away today?" (Discuss after setting the can down.)

If you lined the can with a clear plastic bag, remove the bag and tie closed. Carry the bag around the circle and again have children describe the trash they see.

Ask the children:

  1. What kinds of activities did we do today?
  2. What materials did we use?
  3. What kinds of things did we throw away? Why?
  4. Do you see anything in the bag/can that we could have reused?
  5. Why do you think I put on the rubber gloves? (Explain that the gloves are for health and safety reasons and that people in the trash disposal business would wear gloves, too.)
  6. Do you think we would have the same trash tomorrow? Why?
  7. How much do you think our trash weighs?

NOTE: Since Kindergarten math deals with nonstandard units, have the class create their own large balance scale (turn a chair upside down to create a fulcrum and use a long block for the balancing board). They can determine the weight of the trash bag by using their blocks.

Explain to the class that they will look at the trash again the next day.

Activity Two

NOTE: Make arrangements with the building services manager to speak with the class at the end of these activities.

Repeat the same process (or a modified version) that was done in Activity One. During the children's discussion, include such questions as:

  1. Did we do the same activities as yesterday?
  2. Did we have the same kinds of trash?
  3. Did we have the same amount of trash?
  4. Did you reuse something instead of throwing it away?
  5. How much do you think our trash weighs today?
  6. What do you think we could do to reduce our trash?

Use the following visualization strategy. Say to the class:

Let's imagine that our building services manager is out sick for several days. No one comes to pick up our trash.

Close your eyes and imagine what our classroom would be like. (Provide time for children to think.)

Now find a partner. Share your thoughts. (Provide time for pairs to talk.)

What would our classroom be like? (As children share, encourage them to use pantomime, facial expressions, body movements, to explore their thoughts. Have others describe their ideas by using their senses.)

Throughout the discussion, guide children to an awareness that there simply is not enough room in the class for the trash, and that trash left like this can be unsafe and unhealthy. Help them begin to see that this situation mirrors our dilemma with regard to the Earth's capacity to hold our trash. This is a perfect opportunity to broaden the children's view of trash in the classroom and to compare it to trash in our community and world.

Some of the children may ask where the trash goes when the building services manager removes the trash from the classroom. Ask this individual to talk to the students about her/him job of handling the trash. When finished, if possible arrange for him/her to remove the class trash, and have the children follow to see where it goes and how it is handled.

Activity Three

Present the following questions to the children:

  1. What kinds of trash do you think we would find in other places in our school? (Listen to their ideas.)
  2. What are some places you'd like to visit to find out? (Listen to their suggestions.)
  3. Let's vote on one place to visit. (Select one.)

Brainstorm several questions children would like to ask about trash at this site. Here are some examples of questions they could ask the workers:

  1. What type of work do you do?
  2. What kinds of trash do you make?
  3. How do you get rid of your trash?
  4. Do you do anything to reduce the amount of trash you have?

Have children predict the kinds of trash they might find at this site. Record their predictions on a graphic organizer drawn on chart paper. Use pictures from magazines or newspapers or the "Pictures of Trash" sheet provided (Resource Sheet #1) to post on the graphic organizer.

Explain to the class that you will need to make arrangements for visiting the worksite and that the in-school field trip will be held soon.

Activity Four

This is the class visit to the site. If possible, you may want to take along the class predictions on trash to tally the trash objects they see.

After the children return to the classroom, compare their findings with their predictions. Add additional trash items found. Discuss the workers' answers to the childrens' questions.

Activity Five

If you wish to have the class visit other sites, repeat the process (or a modified version) outlined in Activities Three and Four.

Activity Six

Say to the children:

  1. What are some ways that we are already recycling in our classroom? (Discuss.)
  2. Can you think of ways to reduce the trash in our room?

Create a chart like the one below on chart paper. As children brainstorm ideas record their suggestions. You may want to make sketches of the various trash, attach pictures from newspapers or magazines, or use the pictures from Resource Sheet #1.


Ways to Reduce Trash in Our Room

Kind of Trash

Way to Reduce
















As children offer ideas, encourage their use of the words reuse, recycle, and reduce. Remind them that their ideas are ways they can care for the Earth.

Activity Seven

Play the song Don't Throw It Away" from the cassette Recycled Songs by Don Cooper (borrow the cassette and songbook from the media specialist or second grade teacher). Teach the children the words to the song so they can sing along. Provide the opportunity for them to play their instruments along with the song.

Resources

Please refer to the following list of MCPS-approved materials that may be helpful in teaching this learning experience:

Cooper, Don. Recycled Songs. Random House, Inc. c1992. MCPS-approved for grades K-2. Price: 8.95 Order on MOF.

A copy of this cassette and songbook were given to each school for the media center. This cassette of familiar childhood tunes has new lyrics about the importance of recycling and environmental awareness. There is a songbook included with the words to the songs and activities to do.

Loomis, Christine. The Clean-up Surprise. Scholastic, c1993. MCPS-approved for grades K-2. Price: 4.95 Order on MOF. ISBN: 0590492926.

A copy of this book was given to every school for the media center. In this story, a class of preschoolers cleanup their playground. In the process they find enough useful junk to create a robot.


Resource Sheet #1

Pictures of Possible Trash Items*




*Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Let's Reduce and Recycle: Curriculum for Solid Waste.

Resource Sheet #2

More Pictures of Possible Trash Items*




*Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Let's Reduce and Recycle: Curriculum for Solid Waste.


© Montgomery County Public Schools, 1996.



Last updated on March 15, 1999
Maintained by John L. Day

<jday@umd5.umd.edu>