Guiding+Activity+by+Bonny+Pitkin

__ The Essential Question: __ __ Guiding Questions: __ __ Objectives: __ __ Procedure for Activity: __
 * // How can we reduce the amount of waste we produce? //
 * How much unnecessary waste do we create from lunch?
 * How can we reduce the amount of waste we produce from the cafeteria? From home?
 * Students will know about how much lunch trash they generate at lunch on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly (modified as necessary) basis by appropriate measuring method.
 * Students will be able to identify lunch items that can be re-used, recycled, or composted and sort accordingly.
 * Students will be able to identify ways to reduce lunch trash generated.
 * Students will understand how packaging of items affects the amount of trash generated.
 * 1) K-W-W-L (**K**now, **W**ant to know, **W**here to get the information, **L**earned) Chart filled out individually, then whole class to stimulate interest, involvement, and inquiry.
 * 2) Students will watch a video following trash generated from a meal all the way to the landfill.
 * 3) Students will watch a video and read books about reducing, reusing, and recycling trash.
 * 4) They will keep a personal record of their own trash generated during their snack/lunch for 1-3 days. They will then calculate the amount of possible trash generated over the course of a: week, month, school year. (Extension: students can calculate individually, by class, by grade level, by school, or by District.)
 * 5) Students will plan, and conduct a video interview with the schools’ custodians regarding the amount of waste generated by snack and lunch. Students could get a tour of the dumpsters and track the amount of pickups necessary for our school.
 * 6) Students will research possible ways to reduce lunch trash individually or through the cafeteria. Students will consider how packaging of items individually, or in non-reusable materials, affects the overall trash production. Students will attempt to reduce their trash and keep a personal record of trash generated for 1-3 days. They will compare/contrast this record with previous record. New computations will be made.
 * 7) Students will conduct a grade-level, school wide campaign to educate, and generate an understanding and concern for lunch trash generated at our school.

__ Resources: __ [|Making Mountains out of landfills:]

[|Your Lunch to Landfill]

[|MIT Trash Track]

__ Books for Kids: __

__Let's Talk Trash: The Kids' Book About Recycling__, Kelly McQueen and David Fassler, Vt. Environmental Law Foundation Montpelier

__Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids,__ by Gail Gibbons

__50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle__ by Earthworks Press

__Beautiful Junk: Creative Classroom Uses for Recyclable Materials,__ by Karen Brackett and Rosie Manley

__Bob's Recycling Day__ (Bob the Builder Vinyl Sticker) by Annie Auerbach

__Compost! Growing Gardens from Your Garbage__, by Linda Glaser

__Crafts from Recyclables: Great Ideas from Throwaways__, by Colleen Van Blarisom

__Earth Book for Kids__, by Linda Schwartz

__ Earth-Friendly Outdoor Fun: How to Make Fabulous Games, Gardens, and Other __

__Projects from Reusable Objects__, (Earth-Friendly Series) by George Pfiffner