Wasteland – Recycling and You
By Andrea Beebe López, Angela Curtis, Rob Herring
Summer Film Institute – Summer 2012
Grades 9-12
RELATED CONTENT AREAS
Spanish, Environmental Studies, Social Studies
INSTRUCTIONS
This unit is to be used with the current AP Spanish Language & Culture themes – Global Challenges
with emphasis in environmental issues. Specifically recycling.
Essential Questions:
Overview

What impact do human activities have on the environment?

How does trash affect humans and the environment?

How do you promote caring for the environment?

Where does our trash go? – read USA articles vs Latin American country

Where are our landfills? – who works in this landfills? – same as above

Why is recycling emphasized in some cities more than others? – compare with Latin
American country
Target Audience: Upper level and AP
Plans are based on AP Themes as defined by the College Board and the 5 Cs of ACTFL
Standards
-
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-spanish-language-and-culture-course-andexam-description.pdf
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5 C’s: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparison, & Communities.
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http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/world-readiness-standards-learning-languages

Students go through their kitchen garbage

and make list of all the items found.

Objectives
excerpts at the landfills
Students decide if they could recycle
some of the items and why they did not.
What kind of trash they have and what
does it say about them – consumer
The film Wasteland –

Ask student to make a
recycling PSA – video
Materials
(individual or with a partner)

habits. Students lead discussions on
Project of trash investigation
(below)

Pecha Kucha (below)
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cultural comparisons on how waste is
handled in Latin American countries
Variable
Time
Vocabulary
Recycle, environment, consumer,
public service announcement
PROCEDURE
1. Opening: Worksheet below. Students will go through their kitchen garbage and make a list of all the items
found. Students will decide if they could recycle some of the items, and/or why they did not. Students will
discuss what kind of trash they have and what it says about them (consumer habits).
2. Pecha Kucha – a series of slides of related pictures (below). Students have 20 seconds to discuss (not
describe) the pics on each slide
3. Preview questions / discussion
o
Have you ever thought where your trash goes?
o
How do people around the world recycle?
o
Where does our trash/recycle go?
o
What can you recycle?
o
How does it affect the environment?
o
What are the recycling habits of your family, community, state, country?
o
What does a person’s trash say about them?
o
How can we reduce the amount of garbage our school produces?
Break up students into pairs – Think / Pair / Share
4. Brainstorm vocabulary words that you may need to talk about waste removal.
5. Teacher will also provide a list of vocabulary from the film and related topics
6. Students will watch the film – Wasteland. Viewing of the film will be up to the teacher and depending on the
time available at each school. Teacher can assign the film outside of the class or excerpts in class.
7. Student led discussions on comparisons between the U.S. and Latin American countries of recycling, trash
collection, and landfills. How are they similar? How are they different? What conclusions can be drawn about
each culture based on how they handle their garbage?
EVALUATION
1. Ask student to make a recycling PSA – video (individual or with a partner)
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2. With a classmate, do a two minute oral presentation about what steps will you take to help the environment with
respect to waste removal? Present the problem that you want to resolve and the possible solutions. Both
students have to speak the same amount of time. Use learned and relevant vocabulary.
3. Write a persuasive essay to a Latin American government (assigned country) giving reasons why it is
necessary to improve the recycling program in that country.
ADAPTATIONS
Other contexts in which this film can be used:
Population and Demographics –overpopulation, Favelas. Living conditions, and slums,
Las Favelas en Brasil Parte 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0waRDDFLbXo
Las Favelas en Brasil Parte 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkITrqtPd3w
Economic issues – poverty, and the need to work in the landfill
Social welfare – lack basic necessities (running water, sanitation, eduaction), societal value
Health Care and Medicine – lack of health care
Visual Arts – drawings made out of trash
Resources Below:
Mini proyecto: ¿Qué revela tu basura de tu vida?
Pecha Kucha Slides and images
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Cine Hispano
Nombre: _______________________________________________
Mini proyecto: ¿Qué revela tu basura de tu vida?
Van a hacer una investigación de la basura en su casa. Deben sacar la basura de la cocina e investigarla.
1. Hagan una lista (en español) de todas las cosas en la basurero de su cocina.
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2. ¿Qué revela la basura de ti y de tu familia? ¿Gastan ustedes mucho? ¿De qué? ¿Hay mucho de un tipo de basura?
¿Por qué? Hay poco de un tipo de basura? ¿Qué indica la presencia o ausencia de algo en la basura? ¿Hay basura
que puedes reciclar? ¿Hay cosas en la basura que puedes usar más de una vez?
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3. ¿Qué puedes hacer para reducir la cantidad de basura en tu casa? Piensa en tres cosas.
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Pecha Kucha
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