Go Green: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, and Re-design a Plastic Grocery Bag
Go Green!
4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Redesign Grocery Bags!
Grade: 2
Timeframe: 4 Weeks
Overview of Unit
This is a STEM unit that can be used in conjunction with ITEEA EbD TEEMS Grade 2
Our Environment, Our Health Unit. Further, teachers might want to use this STEM Unit
with environmental units and Earth Day. Students learn about their positive and
negative impact on their environment. Students learn that they can have a positive
impact on their environment when they use the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and
Redesign process.
Stage 1 - Desired Results
| Big Idea(s) |
| We can create products that can positively improve our environment and the way we live. We can create a positive impact on our environment when we use the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Redesign process. Technology can be created and/or modified using the design process. |
PA Core Standards / Next Generation Science Standards
| Science and Technology Education | Mathematics Education | Computer Science | CEW |
| 3.2.4.C. Inquiry and Design: Recognize and use the elements of scientific inquiry to solve problems. 3.2.4.C.1 Generate questions about objects, organisms and/or events that can be answered through scientific investigations. 3.2.4.C.2 Design an investigation. 3.2.4.C.3 Conduct an experiment. 3.2.4.C.4 State a conclusion that is consistent with the information. 3.2.4.D. Inquiry and Design: Recognize and use the technological design process to solve problems. 3.2.4.D.1 Recognize and explain basic problems. 3.2.4.D.2 Identify possible solutions and their course of action. 3.2.4.D3. Try a solution. 3.2.4.D.4 Describe the solution, identify its impacts and modify if necessary. 3.2.4.D.5 Show the steps taken and the results. |
CC.2.4.2. Measurement, Data, and Probability CC.2.4.2.A.1 Measure and estimate lengths in standard units using appropriate tools. |
CSTA.1B06 Collaboration, Visualization, and Computation CSTA.1B.DA.06 Organize and present collected data visually to highlight relationships and support a claim. |
13.1.3. Career Awareness and Preparation PA.CEW.13.1.3.E Describe the work done by school personnel and other individuals in the community. |
| Essential Questions |
| What impact do humans have on their environment?
How can humans positively impact our environment when we use the 4R: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Redesign? |
| Students Will Know | Students Will Be Doing |
| -Content Specific Vocab -Reduce -Reuse -Recycle -Redesign -Decompose -Biodegradable -Scientist -Natural -Landfills -Pollution -Environment -Engineer |
-Students will explore their negative and positive impact on their environments. -Students will explore ways to reduce (use less) waste overall. -Students will explore ways to reuse items that we normally throw away. -Students will explore ways to recycle items that are recyclable. -Students will explore the idea of purchasing items that were recycled. -Students will use the engineering design process to redesign reusable grocery bags. |
Stage 2 - Evidence of Understanding
| Assessments (Formative and Summative) | Performance Task(s) |
| -If the teacher uses the Our Environment or Our Health units from ITEEA EbD TEEMS, than the teacher can use the provided assessments in the unit. |
-The teacher can track students performance in their Go Green Journal. -The Teacher can use observations throughout the lesson. |
Stage 3 - Lesson Learning Targets
| Learning Activities:
I Can Statement(s): I can identify ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials. I can find solutions to current issues that are impacting my environment. |
| Throughout the process, students should take pictures. They will use their pictures in the end to create a
Keynote Presentation.
Lesson 1: Introduction to the Problem Lesson Focus: Students will experience the impact of trash on the environment. Materials: ● Virtual Reality Goggles and/or Selfie Sticks (if you have access to these resources) ○ It is recommended that students younger than 8 years of age have access to a selfie stick to view VR experiences instead of using the goggles. ○ If you do not have access to Selfie Sticks or Goggles then you lead the students through tour as a whole class on the projector. ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● In the Google Expedition App select Staten Island Expedition: https://poly.google.com/view/bJ8buN4ygEE Procedure: ● Project the PowerPoint. ● Slide 1: Explain to the students that they are starting a new STEM Unit called: Go Green! ● Slide 2: Explain to the students that they will be learning about how they can positively or negatively impact their environment. ● Slide 3: Share the I Can Statements with the students. ● Slide 4: Tell the students that they are going to work through the Engineering By Design Process. Explain to the students that they are going to identify the problem. ● Slide 5: The Google Expedition Tours have scripts with information about trash and pollution. Click on the hyperlink to view the explore the Expedition. ○ Google Expedition Tour: What happens to your trash and recyclables? ○ Students have the opportunity to look at trash in New York’s Staten Island. Students have the opportunity to see how some people do not recycle things that we could have recycled. ○ Further, students will have the opportunity to observe how different electronics could have been reused instead of being thrown away. ● Slide 6- Students turn to page 3 in their Go Green Journal. The students fill in the blanks to match the slide. Students are learning about the following problem: Plastic bags are negatively impacting our environment. |
| Lesson 2: Research the Problem
Lesson Focus: Students will research the problem. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint: ● Projector and Screen Procedure: ● Slide 7: Show the students Slide 7. Tell the students that they are going to research the problem. ● Slides 8-12: Read the slides to the students. The students will fill in the blanks in their Go Green Journals pages 3-4 to match the slides. |
| Lesson 3: Vocabulary
Lesson Focus: Students will experience the impact of trash on the environment. Materials: ● iPads or Tablets ● Quizlet App ● Quizlet Address: https://quizlet.com/_5q7sjc Procedure: ● Students should review the vocabulary using Quizlet. ● Create a live session that allows the students to compete in teams to review their words |
| Lesson 4: Develop Possible Solutions (Make Your Own Paper)
Lesson Focus: Students will explore possible solutions to the problem. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● Cake Pan ● Newspaper ● Blender ● Water ● Rolling Pin ● Seeds Procedure: ● Slide 13: Demonstrate possible solutions. Grocery bags can be created out of recycled paper. ● Students can create their own recycled paper. ● Teachers might consider adding seeds to the the recycled paper so the students are able to plant the recycled paper later. ● Lesson Plan and Directions for Making Paper are available at the following link: https://www.oercommons.org/courses/make-your-own-recycled-paper-2/view ● On page 5 in Go Green Journal students should sketch some possible solutions to the problem. |
| Lesson 5: Develop Possible Solutions (Re-Use a T-Shirt)
Lesson Focus: Students will explore possible solutions to the problem. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● Old T-Shirt ● Scissors Procedure: ● Slide 13: Demonstrate possible solutions. Grocery bags can be created out of old t-shirts. ● Students can create their own bag by re-using an old t-shirt. ● Directions for Making the Bag are available at the following link: https://www.mommypotamus.com/no-sew-t-shirt-tote-bag-tutorial/ ● On page 5 in Go Green Journal students should sketch some possible solutions to the problem. |
| Lesson 6: STEM Challenge (Select the Best Possible Option)
Lesson Focus: Students will meet together in teams to select their favorite option for the challenge. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint: ● Projector and Screen Procedure: ● Slide 14: Present the STEM Challenge to the students. ● Students will meet together in small groups. Students will share their sketches from page 4 in their Go Green Journal. ● The students will talk about the pros and the cons of the different designs. ● The group will select the design that they think will work the best for the challenge. |
| Lesson 7: STEM Challenge (Create a Prototype)
Lesson Focus: Students will meet together in teams to select their favorite option for the challenge. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● STEM Building Supplies (Newspapers, Old T-Shirts, Seeds, Water, Blender, Scissors, Ruler, etc) Procedure: ● Slide 17: Talk about how students will work together with their partners to plan out their prototype. ● Students will work with their partners to create a prototype. |
| Lesson 8: STEM Challenge (Test Prototype)
Lesson Focus: Students will meet together in teams to select their favorite option for the challenge. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● 2 Pounds ● Timer Procedure: ● Slide 18: Tell the students that they will be testing their design. ● One member of the group will hold the bag for one minute by the handles after placing two pounds of weight inside the bag. ● Students will make notes in their on page 7 in their notebooks. |
| Lesson 9: STEM Challenge (Redesign)
Lesson Focus: Students will meet together in teams to redesign their prototype based-on the results of their test. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● STEM Building Supplies (Newspapers, Old T-Shirts, Seeds, Water, Blender, Scissors, Ruler, etc) Procedure: ● Slide 18: Talk about the redesign process. ● On page 8, students will sketch a picture of possible ways to redesign their prototype. If everyone in the group agrees then they will re-design the prototype. ● Students work together with their teams to redesign their prototype. |
| Lesson 10: STEM Challenge (Re-Test)
Lesson Focus: Students will meet re-test their new designs. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● 2 Pounds ● Timer Procedure: ● One member of the group will hold the bag for one minute by the handles after placing two pounds of weight inside the bag. ● Students will reflect on the retest on page 8 in their Go Green Notebook. |
| Lessons 11-13: STEM Challenge (Prepare to Share Your Ideas)
Lesson Focus: Students will prepare a Keynote to share what they learned throughout the Design Process. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● Keynote and ipads/Computers ● STEM Keynote Template: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_JfqHcYcoblPjvOsYUOIjSvFHXQ6xdUE ● Pictures in Camera Roll that students were taking throughout the process Procedure: ● Slide 19: Talk about how it is important to communicate and share your findings with others. ● The students will create a Keynote presentation by inserting pictures into the template. Also, students will type answers into the pre-created text-boxes. |
| Lesson 14: STEM Challenge (Presentations)
Lesson Focus: Students will present their Keynotes to the class. Materials: ● STEM Go Green Student Notebook ● Go Green PowerPoint ● Projector and Screen ● Keynote Presentations Procedure: ● Students will present what they learned to the class using their Keynote presentation. |
RESOURCES / LINKS
Accessibility
- Provide written instructions along with verbal instructions
- Provide examples of possible solutions for page 5 of the Go Green Journal
- Clarify the meaning of the word "prototype" and provide examples
- Have extra old t-shirts on hand for students who may not be able to provide on themselves
- Allow students to use speech-to-text tools to enter text into keynote presentation