LITERACY
resource
Ontario
ecological
revised
2011-12
WASTE MINIMIZATION
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
BY GRADE (1-8)
ontarioecoschools.org
Acknowledgements
This guide is an adaptation of the EcoSchools Waste Minimization by Grade (1-8) produced by the Toronto District School
Board (TDSB). The TDSB has donated this resource to the Ontario EcoSchools Program as part of its in-kind contribution to
the project.
Ontario EcoSchools wishes to acknowledge Earth Day Canada
for providing materials adapted for this resource.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization by Grade (1-8)
Developers: Elise Houghton; Marsha Yamamoto, Toronto District School Board (Original TDSB version)
Reviewers: Richard Christie, Eleanor Dudar and Lynn Short, Toronto District School Board; Lewis Molot,
Faculty of Environmental Education, York University Curriculum revisions (2005): Catherine Mahler
Adaptation: Catherine Mahler,
Editor: Eleanor Dudar, Toronto District School Board
2012 edits: Ellen Field, Kaitlin Doherty, Elanor Waslander
©2004 Toronto District School Board (Revised 2008, 2012)
Ontario schools, school boards, post-secondary institutions and government agencies may reproduce and adapt this
publication in whole or in part for educational purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, as long as
acknowledgement of the source is provided. If adaptation occurs, a clear distinction must be made between the original
material and that which is added as part of the adaptation.
For more information about adapting this guide, go to www.ontarioecoschools.org.
Toronto District School Board Library and Learning Resources 3 Tippett Road Toronto, ON M3H 2V1
Tel: (416) 397-2595 Fax: (416) 395-8357 E-mail: [email protected]
Every reasonable precaution has been taken to trace the owners of copyrighted material and to make due acknowledgement.
Any omission will gladly be rectified in future printings.
Design: Comet art + design
Table of Contents
Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
2 Big Ecological Ideas for Energy Conservation and Waste Minimization
3 Paths to Developing Ecological Literacy
5 Resource Overview
10 GRADE 1: BIG ECOLOGICAL IDEA
#1: Practicing the 3Rs keeps materials useful, reduces waste, and helps the environment.
15 GRADE 2: BIG ECOLOGICAL IDEA
#1: C
lean air and clean water are very important for the health of all living things – but we can spoil
the air and water through pollution.
21 grade 3: big ecological idea
#1: Waste from a community affects that community’s natural environment.
#2: Early Canadian settler communities had a much smaller impact on the environment than
#3: Composting is a way to recycle human food waste and garden waste so it can be used to
today’s consumer society. They used less energy and generated less waste.
nourish soil (and save the energy otherwise needed to transport it to landfill).
30 grade 4: big ecological idea
#1: Materials used in the production and disposal of things we use have an impact on the
environment.
39 grade 5: big ecological idea
#1: The Earth is a closed system in terms of matter. Matter cannot be created or destroyed, it can
only be changed from one form to another. Everything we think we have thrown away is still
with us in some form or other – there is no “away”!
#2: Recycling and composting help redirect waste materials to appropriate new uses.
#3: Choosing household products with care can ensure that their use or disposal does not put toxic
ingredients into the environment.
46 grade 6: big ecological idea
#1: International trade has advantages for people, but comes with harmful environmental impacts.
52 grade 7: big ecological idea
#1: In nature, there is no waste. Composting can help us recycle our organic waste the way nature
does - and improve the health of the soil.
#2: Our production and disposal of waste materials (garbage, industrial wastes) affects the balance
of local ecosystems by affecting air, water, and land.
#3: Sustainability means living our lives within the tolerances of the Earth’s ecosystems, and
avoiding actions that create environmental problems for future generations.
#4: Sustainable development is development “that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
62 grade 8: big ecological idea
#1: Informed consumers can have a positive impact on the environment by making wise purchasing
#2: Our economy and society are dependent upon a healthy environment. This idea can prompt
choices.
changes to how we think and what we do.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
1
Big Ecological Ideas
Big Ecological Ideas for Energy Conservation and Waste Minimization by grade (1-8)
This table summarizes the Big Ecological Ideas for both Energy Conservation and Waste Minimization
learning activities by grade (1-8) ecological literacy guides. These guides offer teachers ideas for integrating
the environmental learning expectation within and across strands in the elementary curriculum. To
download pdfs of these resources, visit www.ontarioecoschools.org > curriculum resources > elementary
Grade Waste Minimization –
Big Ecological Ideas
Energy Conservation –
Big Ecological Ideas
1
IDEA 1 P
racticing the 3Rs keeps materials useful, reduces waste
and helps the environment.
IDEA 1 We rely on the constant flow of energy from the sun to live.
2
IDEA 1 C
lean air and clean water are very important for the
health of all living things – but we can spoil the air and
water through pollution.
IDEA 1 The sun is the source of wind and water energy.
IDEA 2 Adjusting the devices we use allows us to conserve energy.
IDEA 2 P
eople can harness water and wind power to produce
electricity that is non-polluting.
IDEA 3 T
here are significant advantages and challenges to using
renewable energy sources such as wind and water energy.
3
IDEA 1 W
aste from a community affects that community’s natural IDEA 1 P
lants are important not only as food and habitat. They
environment.
also perform the important “service” of moderating
outdoor temperatures. This directly affects the amount of
IDEA 2 E
arly Canadian settler communities had a much smaller
energy we use for heating and cooling!
impact on the environment than today’s consumer
society. They used less energy and generated less waste.
IDEA 3 C
omposting is a way to recycle human food waste and
garden waste so it can be used to nourish soil (and save
the energy otherwise needed to transport it to landfill).
4
5
IDEA 1 M
aterials used in the production and disposal of things
we use have an impact on the environment.
IDEA 1 T
he high consumption of energy in North America affects
plant and animal habitats and communities.
IDEA 1 T
he Earth is a closed system in terms of matter. Matter
cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed
from one form to another. Everything we think we have
thrown away is still with us in some form or other – there
is no “away”!
IDEA 1 T
he extraction, transportation, and processing of natural
resources uses a lot of energy.
IDEA 2 R
ecycling and composting help redirect waste materials
to appropriate new uses.
IDEA 3 C
hoosing household products with care can ensure that
their use or disposal does not put toxic ingredients into
the environment.
6
IDEA 1 I nternational trade has advantages for people, but comes
with harmful environmental impacts.
IDEA 2 D
ifferent energy sources have different impacts on
the environment. Learning to assess the different
environmental impacts will help our society make wise
energy choices for a healthy, sustainable future.
IDEA 3 D
evices and systems can be designed to minimize energy
use and thus reduce our impact on the environment.
IDEA 1 T
he use of electricity improves our lives, but has many
different kinds of impacts on the environment.
IDEA 2 C
onserving energy at home and in school reduces
negative impacts on the environment.
7
IDEA 1 I n nature, there is no waste. Composting can help us
recycle our organic waste the way nature does - and
improve the health of the soil.
IDEA 1 H
eat is a form of energy. This energy is becoming more
costly, both economically and environmentally.
IDEA 2 O
ur production and disposal of waste materials
(garbage, industrial wastes) affects the balance of local
ecosystems by affecting air, water, and land.
IDEA 3 S
ustainability means living our lives within the tolerances
of the Earth’s ecosystems, and avoiding actions that
create environmental problems for future generations.
IDEA 4 S
ustainable development is development “that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
8
IDEA 1 I nformed consumers can have a positive impact on the
environment by making wise purchasing choices.
IDEA 2 O
ur economy and society are dependent upon a healthy
environment. This idea can prompt changes to how we
think and what we do.
2
IDEA 1 A
utomation has the potential to increase energy efficiency,
but environmental impacts of the technology required
must be considered.
IDEA 2 E
cological/environmental factors are increasingly
included in manufacturer and consumer decisions.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
Paths to developing Ecological Literacy
Improve Student Achievement through
Ecological Literacy
Learning In, About, For the environment
Evidence is growing which supports the connection between environment-based education and
increased student achievement1. Improving student achievement through ecological literacy can be
developed in many ways. The Ontario Ministry of Education’s policy framework, Acting today, Shaping
tomorrow, links ecological literacy to environmental education and defines it as “education about the
environment, for the environment, and in the environment.” Teaching and learning in, about, and for the
environment are powerful means to develop ecological literacy both in and outside of the classroom.
(see diagram on pg. 4 for additional strategies).
Inquiry-based learning
Part of developing ecological literacy is using inquiry-based learning to reveal our dependence on
the healthy functioning of the Earth’s living systems, which give us clean air, water, soil, food, and all
the other resources we depend on. As our understanding of the inter-relatedness and complexity
of life on earth deepens, we can become increasingly literate of ways to live in consideration of
the well-being of all life on Earth. Ecological literacy allows us to understand this dependence
and interrelatedness, as well as the urgency of developing protective, sustainable, and restorative
relationships with the natural systems that are affected by our daily activities.
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is an approach to learning that encourages students to think in terms of
systems, and to recognize the world as an integrated whole with networks that define the way
the parts function. One way students can use systems thinking is by connecting the dots in their
learning, identifying interactions between the human and the natural world. Analyzing these
interactions helps students understand some of the causes and consequences of human impact
on the environment and vice versa. Through this process, students may uncover that the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts, thereby understanding how complex human and natural system
interactions are.
Tools that support systems thinking include:
 Concept mapping: visual representation of ideas where relationships are made explicit through
arrows and linking words.
 Consequence mapping: a visual tool for illustrating the many kinds of future effects related to a
real or imaginary event, issue problem, or trend.
 Scenario mapping: visual tool to help students show how an activity depends on resources from
the Earth and sun.
Glenn, 2000. National Environmental Education and Training Foundation report; Lieberman & Hoody, 1998
1
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
3
Ontario EcoSchools
The Ontario EcoSchools program (www.ontarioecoschools.org)
has many additional program resources that can support student
achievement through ecological literacy.
Strategies for developing
ecological literacy
Focus
Developing a sense
of place
IN
ABOUT
the environment
the environment
• Organize out-ofclassroom experiences
• Schedule routine
outings (e.g.,Walking
Wed., season walks)
• Engage in place-based
learning by exploring
local community
features (natural, built)
Strategies
How nature works in systems.
Discovering interdependence
• Develop systems thinking
(change one part and affect
the whole)
• Enhance curiosity through
inquiry-based, hands-on,
and critical-thinking learning
strategies
• Explore the interconnectedness
of political, economic, enviro,
and social issues
Examine human impact
and advocate for change
FOR
the environment
• Focus on local issues
and actions
• Foster hope through
positive actions
• Collaborate with
interdisciplinary
teaching strategies
• Promote active
citizenship skills
throughout student lives
Through teaching and learning in, about, and for the environment and using a systems thinking, we
can deepen students’ ecological literacy and empower them to become active, engaged citizens of
the Earth.
“When students are engaged in their learning and social environment, they are better able to
develop the skills and knowledge and grasp the opportunities that can help them reach their full
potential, pursue lifelong learning, and contribute to a prosperous, cohesive society.”
Ontario Ministry of Education, Reach Every Student: Energizing Ontario Education (2008), p. 12
4
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
resource overview
resource
overview
How to use this resource
Resource Organization
The resources for each grade have been organized into the sections listed below. Detailed descriptions of
how you can use each section follow. Each grade includes:
• Big Ecological Ideas & Learning Concepts
• Clustering of Expectations
• Learning Skills & Work Habits
• Learning Activities
• Resources
Big Ecological Ideas
This resource offers a grade-by-grade progression of ecological concepts related to waste minimization.
This resource models the Ontario Curriculum’s Fundamental Concepts and Big Ideas and identifies
broad, important understandings that students should retain in the long term. The Learning Concepts
that follow the Big Ecological Ideas provide background information for teachers and key learnings
for students in each grade. These ideas complement the revised environmental education—enriched
curriculum, helping teachers to incorporate ecological thinking into their teaching.
For example
Big Ecological Idea #1:
Practicing the 3Rs keeps materials useful, reduces waste, and helps the environment.
learning concepts
 Most of the energy on the Earth’s surface
comes from the sun: In nature, the sun’s energy
affects both living and non-living things.
 Reducing means paying attention to the
Reusing reminds us that things can be used
over and over again; doing this means we
make less waste. If we reuse half-used paper,
we save trees and forests (and animals’
things we buy – careful shopping is one
homes). When we pack our lunch in reusable
avoid things we will want to throw away later
can reuse toys and books by giving them
way to reduce waste. It also means trying to
containers, we save wrapping materials. We
(like packaging).
away when we no longer need them, so they
don’t have to be thrown into the garbage.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
5
resource overview
Clustering of Expectations
Expectations have been selected and clustered to highlight the potential in the curriculum for
teaching with the environment in mind. This shift in thinking is the long-term goal of the EcoSchools
program. The Big Ecological Ideas offer a means for classroom programs to achieve this goal.
Each Big Ecological Idea is linked to a cluster of Ontario learning expectations suited to exploring
the environmental issue of waste minimization. These concepts have been organized to demonstrate
how an ecological perspective can be incorporated into existing classroom activities and units.
For example
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental education opportunities in Grade 1 curriculum on pages 15-20.
science & technology: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms - Materials, Objects, & Everyday
Structures (2007)
1.1 identify the kinds of waste produced in the classroom. Plan and carry out a classroom course of action
for minimizing waste, explaining why each action is important.
ee scope & sequence
Environmental Education: Scope and Sequence of Expectations (2011 Edition) is referenced in each
Clustering of Expectations section. It is a resource document compiled by the Ministry of Education
to help teachers identify environmental education opportunities in the existing K-8 curriculum. In
the elementary curriculum, the majority of expectations connected
to ecological literacy are found in the science and technology, social
studies, history, and geography curriculum. In other subject areas,
connections can be made to environmental topics and teachers can
use the environment as the context for learning in a variety of ways.
Some suggestions for using the environment as the context for
learning are provided in this document.
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/environ18curr.pdf
broken link? Google search “Ministry
of Education, Ontario”> elementary >
other policies and documents > Environmental
Education: Scope and Sequence of Expectations
6
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
resource overview
learning skills & work habits
outdoor experiential learning extensions
Throughout the guide, connections
Wherever possible, outdoor learning
and the Learning Skills & Work Habits
(identified by the footprint graphic).
are made between Learning Activities
of Ontario Report Cards.
opportunities are outlined for each grade
Outdoor learning can help students
develop a sense of place and stewardship by allowing
them to explore their regional environment.
Learning Activities
To complement each Big Ecological Idea, Learning Activities have been provided. Each Learning
Activity outlines, in a lesson plan format, background facts and topic-specific student engagement
activities. The Learning Activities are intended to support environmental classroom learning and are
connected to the Ontario curriculum.
For example
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Mr. Collinson’s Grade 1 class,
Materials, Structures, and Everyday Objects, Lesson 21,
Halton District School Board
reduce, reuse, recycle: the lives of
everyday objects
This Grade 1 science lesson introduces students
Learning Skills & Work Habits
Independent work, responsibility,
organization
Teaching/Learning Strategies
1.Hold up a single-use water bottle and invite
to the concept of the 3Rs and invites them to
students to explore the topic of waste by
everyday objects.
bottle comes from and where it ends up.
Materials
is it used for? What material is it made
consider the waste and potential reuses of
ingle-use plastic water bottle
 S
 F ive objects (e.g. newspaper, shoe, book,
apple, battery, Kool-Aid Jammer, granola-
bar wrappers, zip-lock bags, paper used on
one side, Lunchables container)
asking questions about where the water
For example: What is this object and what
from? Where does the material come from?
What do we do with this object when we
have finished using it? Why is it important
to avoid creating garbage?
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
7
resource overview
Resources
To help teachers find additional information or lesson plan ideas, each Big Ecological Idea lists
relevant resources with website links. If a link is broken, instructions are provided for how to find
the resource via a web search.
For example
Resources
morphie’s great water ride adventure
This story is designed to increase student understanding and appreciation of the many
ways that water is used, and encourage the responsible care of fresh water. The resource
consists of a story, and set of hands-on activities that aim to generate awareness of
water use in the student’s school and community. (Source: Environment Canada)
www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakeskids/docs/morphie-storybook-e.pdf
broken link? Google search
“Morphie’s Great Water Ride Adventure”
This recycling symbol identifies
helpful resources for each
Big Ecological Idea.
8
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
Learning Activities
by Grade (1-8)
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
9
grade 1
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Idea #1:
Practicing the 3Rs keeps materials useful, reduces waste, and helps the
environment.
learning concepts
 Most of the energy on the Earth’s surface
comes from the sun: In nature, the sun’s energy
affects both living and non-living things.
 Reducing means paying attention to the
things we buy – careful shopping is one
way to reduce waste. It also means trying to
avoid things we will want to throw away later
(like packaging).
Reusing reminds us that things can be used
over and over again; doing this means we
make less waste. If we reuse half-used paper,
we save trees and forests (and animals’
homes). When we pack our lunch in reusable
containers, we save wrapping materials. We
10
can reuse toys and books by giving them
away when we no longer need them, so they
don’t have to be thrown into the garbage.
Recycling is a way to sort paper, cardboard,
and newspaper, and packaging made of
glass, plastic, or aluminum so that it can be
manufactured into new things. Recycling
saves materials from being wasted, but
remaking items for us to use again uses lots
of energy.
Good for the Earth: Whenever we save
materials from going to waste, it is good for
the environment.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 1
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental education opportunities in Grade 1 curriculum on pages 15-20.
science & technology: Understanding Structures & Mechanisms - Materials, Objects, & Everyday
Structures (2007)
1.1 identify the kinds of waste produced in the classroom. Plan and carry out a classroom course of action
for minimizing waste, explaining why each action is important
1.2 assess objects in their environment that are constructed for similar purposes in terms of the type of
materials they are made from, the source of these materials, and what happens to these objects when
they are worn out or no longer needed
2.3 investigate, through experimentation, the properties of various materials (e.g., the best materials for
absorbing or repelling water)
3.5 identify the materials that make up objects and structures (e.g., wood, plastic, steel, paper, polystyrene
foam, cloth)
3.7 describe the properties of materials that enable the objects and structures made from them to perform
their intended function
3.9 identify the sources in nature of some common materials that are used in making structures
(e.g., paper and rubber come from trees)
health & physical education: Acting Living - Active Participation (2010)
A1.1actively participate in a wide variety of program activities. Teacher prompt: “ In our school, we show
that we respect the environment by recycling and cleaning up”
social studies: Heritage & Citizenship: Relationships, Rules, & Responsibilities (2005)
1z5 explain why rules and responsibilities have been established (e.g., for protection and safety, for fair
division of work)
1z6 identify important relationships in their lives (e.g., with family members, friends, pets, teachers) and
name some responsibilities that are part of these relationships
1z7 describe significant people and places in their lives and the rules associated with them
1z9 describe how they follow the rules about using the shared environment responsibly (e.g., by sharing,
being courteous, cooperating, not littering)
1z16identify an area of concern (e.g., littering, sharing, conflicts), and suggest changes in rules or
responsibilities to provide possible solutions
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Mr. Collinson’s Grade 1 class, Materials, Structures, and Everyday Objects, Lesson 21,
Halton District School Board
reduce, reuse, recycle: the lives of everyday objects
This Grade 1 science lesson introduces students to the concept of the 3Rs and invites them to consider
the waste and potential reuses of everyday objects.
Materials
ingle-use plastic water bottle
 S
ingle-use plastic water bottle
 S
 F ive objects (e.g. newspaper, shoe, book, apple, battery, Kool-Aid Jammer, granola-bar wrappers,
zip-lock bags, paper used on one side, Lunchables container)
ecording sheet (one per small group)
 R
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
11
GRADE 1
Learning Skills & Work Habits
 Independent work, responsibility, organization
Teaching/Learning Strategies
1.Hold up a single-use water bottle and invite
students to explore the topic of waste by
asking questions about where the water
bottle comes from and where it ends up. For
example: What is this object and what is it
used for? What material is it made from?
Where does the material come from? What
do we do with this object when we have
finished using it? Why is it important to
avoid creating garbage?
2.Use a concept map to draw this relationship
for students to visualize. Place the item
“water bottle” in the middle and draw
connections (plastic, petroleum, Earth, landfill,
waste) to inputs and outputs on either side.
Use arrows to show the relationship between
the water bottle and the inputs/outputs. This
can be repeated with other items if desired.
3.Connect the discussion to the 3Rs: Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle. For reduce, highlight
the amount of energy required to recycle
the water bottle, which we could conserve
by not purchasing it. For reuse, brainstorm
additional uses for the water bottle (e.g.,
holding paint in art class). Consider ways
to reduce our use of disposable objects
(e.g., using reusable water bottles).
4.Divide students into small groups and give
each group a recording sheet and an object.
Ask students to discuss possible uses for the
object after its original use has expired. After
a few minutes, rotate the object so each group
has the opportunity to look at all five objects.
(Hint: any objects could be used – however,
consider using object that the students
regularly use in school. This will help support
your waste minimization strategies in your
school.) Some suggestions are: yogurt cup,
pop can, egg carton, tissue box, disposable
cup, envelope, juice box, old clothing, old toys.
5.B
ring the class back together and discuss
the potential uses for each object. Reiterate
the importance of reducing waste whenever
possible, and reusing and recycling
everyday objects.
Extension
Connect this lesson to your school’s existing waste minimization strategies. Invite a student from
your school’s EcoTeam to your class to review proper sorting protocol.
Conduct a classroom waste audit, evaluate the results, and design a classroom waste action plan
to minimize waste.
12
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
13
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Object #5:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Ways to reuse this object:__________________________________
Object #4:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Ways to reuse this object: _________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Ways to reuse this object:____________________________________
Object #3:
Ways to reuse this object: _________________________________
Object #2:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Ways to reuse this object: _________________________________
Object #1:
Look at the objects with your group. Write down your
ideas of what we can do with these objects if we do not
need them anymore.
When you are done with something you are told to put
it in the garbage, so it does not make a mess. Well, all
that garbage makes quite a mess of its own. When we
throw items in the garbage, they end up in landfill and
pollute. We need to think a little more before we use the
garbage can.
What Do We Do Now?
GRADE 1
Resources
the trash basher’s handbook
boxes, bags, & bottles
A series of twelve experiments on recycling for
In this experiment, students count of the number
Grade 1 students, with teacher notes, suggested
of boxes, bags, and bottles that are non-reuseable
materials, and references. (Hands-on Technology
and reuseable. Students then discuss reuseable
Program) www.galaxy.net/~k12/recycle
objects they could use instead. (Source: Trash
Basher’s Handbook)
overpackaging
http://galaxy.net/~k12/recycle/boxes.shtml
In this experiment, students learn to think
critically about packaging. (Source: Trash
biodegradable
Basher’s Handbook)
In this experiment, students see what happens
http://galaxy.net/~k12/recycle/overpack.shtml
to buried garbage compared to buried compost.
(Source: Trash Basher’s Handbook)
http://galaxy.net/~k12/recycle/biodegr.shtml
broken link? Google Search “Handson Technology” > Subject > Recycling
14
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
grade 2
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Idea #1:
Clean air and clean water are very important for the health of all living things –
but we can spoil the air and water through pollution.
learning concepts
The water we use every day comes from (and
eventually returns to) our local watershed
(e.g., lakes, rivers, groundwater, etc.).
Water flows all through our communities,
around our homes, businesses, farms, and
recreation areas. Sometimes we swim and
fish in the same water that is cleaned to
become our drinking water and used to
dispose of our human waste. The plants
and animals that live in and around our
watersheds help to keep them clean. Water
treatment plants purify our water so that
it is safe to drink. Pollution also affects
the air we breathe. Whatever we put into
our air and water affects people, plants,
and animals.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental education opportunities in Grade 2 curriculum on pages 21 - 27.
science & technology: Understanding Matter & Energy - Properties of Liquids & Solids (2007)
1.1 assess the ways in which liquids and solids in the home are used, stored, and disposed of in terms of
the effect on personal safety and health of the environment, and suggest responsible actions to replace
inappropriate practices
science & technology: Understanding Earth & Space Systems - Air & Water in the Environment (2007)
1.1 assess the impact of human activities on air and water in the environment, taking different points
of view into consideration, and plan a course of action to help keep the air and water in the local
community clean
1.2 assess personal/family uses of water as responsible/efficient or wasteful, and create a plan to reduce
the amount of water used
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
15
GRADE 2
2.2 investigate, through experimentation, the characteristics of air and its uses (e.g., living things breathe
air to stay alive)
2.3 investigate through experimentation, the characteristics of water and its uses (e.g., living things need
water to stay alive)
2.5 investigate water in the natural environment
3.3 describe ways in which living things, including humans, depend on air/water (e.g., most animals,
including humans breathe air to stay alive)
drama: Creating & Presenting (2009)
B1.2 demonstrate an understanding of the element of role by communicating thoughts, feelings, and
perspectives appropriate to the role being played. Teacher prompts: “How would you change your
gestures and movement if you were portraying wind or water as a character from the story?”
social studies: Canada & World Connections – Features of Communities around the World (2004)
explain how the environment affects people’s lives and the ways in which their needs are met
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Air and Water in the Environment, EcoMentors, Earth Day Canada. For additional free resources,
visit www.ecomentors.ca or www.earthday.ca.
air and water in the environment
In this lesson, students explore the properties of air and water and how both air and water are
polluted by humans. Students then brainstorm how we waste water and how we can conserve water.
Background Information: Vocabulary
nvironment – the things around us that help us live
 E
 Conserve – to protect from loss or harm, to keep, save, or reduce
 Evaporate – when water changes from liquid to gas
Materials & Equipment
 two clear glasses, one filled with water
 old cotton cloth from your kitchen
 a bit of plant soil from the classroom
Learning Skills & Work Habits
 Collaboration, initiative
Time Allotment
 Introduction/Demonstration: 5-10 minutes
 Brainstorming/assessing knowledge: 10-20 minutes
 Activity: 10-30 minutes
 Review/steps towards action: 5-10 minutes
16
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 2
Teaching/Learning Strategies
Introduction/demonstration: 5-10 minutes
1.Begin the session by asking students to share
how people use air or water.
2.Demonstration: Take the glass of water over
3.Discussion: How can we see water in the
air? (Rain, steam, fog) Is there air in this
classroom? Where is it? Is there air outside?
How do we know there is air? Ask students
to a sunny or warm spot in the classroom.
to stand up and take a deep breath of air.
and use it to put a drop of water on the warm
the mouth. Ask students what happens when
little drop of water? Where does the water go?
vapour that we see in winter to clouds in
into the air? Write down a tally of how many
sky? Are they moving? Take some time to
15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour.
or looking out the classroom window. An
the drop of water every 15 minutes.
what students observe.
Dip your finger in the water, with your finger
Breathe in through the nose and out through
surface. “Ask students:” What will happen to the
you take a deep breath in winter? Link the
How long will it take the water to disappear
the sky. Ask: Can you see any clouds in the
students say the water will disappear in
observe the outdoors by either going outside
Remember to check or ask students to check
extension could be to draw or write about
Brainstorming: 10-20 minutes
1.Ask students to find words that describe
different temperatures. Group the words
into categories to create a range of
temperatures (possibilities include: freezing
cold, cold, cool, room temperature, warm, hot,
boiling hot).
2.Ask students: What do you do when it is
Game of Hot and Cold: 10 minutes
1.Play a game of Hot and Cold, Ask: Would
one student like to go outside to become
the water detective while we hide the glass
of water?
2.Hide the glass of water somewhere in the
freezing cold, cold, cool, room temperature,
warm, hot, boiling hot(e.g., what do you
wear, eat, do, drink)? What do animals and
plants do when it is freezing cold, cold, cool,
room temperature, warm, hot, boiling hot.
(migration, food storage, changing colour,
burrow in ground, hibernation)?
3.Use this game to discuss/demonstrate the
fact that even though we cannot see it, water
is actually all around us. Water is also used to
make the things around us in the classroom,
and to help keep the things we see outside
class (can be out of sight). Ask the water
alive. Ask the students: Can you look around
walk around the room ask the rest of the class
made with water or needs water to keep it
detective to return to the class and as they
the classroom and find an object that was
to call out “cold,” “warm,” “warmer,” and “hot”
clean? Generate a list.
as the detective gets closer to the hidden
glass. Repeat as necessary.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
17
GRADE 2
Activity: Clean Air and Water: 10-30 minutes
How do water and air get dirty? (How do humans make water and air dirty?)
1.Ask a student to come up to the board and
draw out a way people make water and air
dirty. The other students will guess what it
is. If guesses right, they can come up and
draw. If you wish to involve more students,
have students conduct this activity in pairs
or small groups on a scrap piece of paper.
2.Ask students: Why do plants, animals, and
people need clean water? What happens if
the water we use is dirty? Do you know of
any plants, animals, or people that got sick
because of dirty air or water?
3.Ask students if they know how we make clean
drinking water?
4.Put a small amount of soil in the glass of
water. Stir the soil into the water. Making sure
the water looks nice and dirty. Ask the class:
Can we drink this water? Explain that this is
Water Conservation Exercise: 10 minutes
Brainstorm as a group ways that we use
water every day (at home, at school, on the
weekend, when playing, to keep things clean).
(For example, at home for tooth brushing,
showering, face washing, gardening,
watering lawn, washing dishes, car, bike, etc.)
Before the activity, write the ways we
use water every day on different pieces
of scrap paper and put them in a bowl.
Divide the class in half. Explain to the class
that the bowl contains ways that we use
polluted water, and that you want to make it
clean and drinkable. Ask: What should you do
first. A possible extension would be to have
the students design an experiment to clean
the water and have them conduct it; this will
depend on the amount of time you have.
5.Demonstrate filtration by putting the cloth
over the empty glass. Ensure the cloth dips
into the glass so no water spills out. Slowly
pour the “polluted” water into the cloth and
show the results of the glass. The water may
be murky. Ask students: What else could be
done to clean the water. Do you think we can
drink the water now? Do we need to clean
the water more? How do we do this? Share
that our drinking water is filtered by different
types of filters that separate the pollution
from the water.
Start with one team and ask a team member
to pull out a piece of paper and read how we
use water. Give that team 30 seconds to come
up with a way to conserve. If they cannot
come up with an answer, give the other team
a chance to answer the question. For every
right answer the groups get a point. Keep
track of the score on the board! Encourage
the students to come up with creative
answers. More than one answer could be
possible for each use of water.
water, and that as a team, they need to come
up with a solution to conserve water.
18
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 2
Optional Extension: 5-10 minutes
Water cycle:
1.Ask students to draw a picture of what
happens with a drop of water. You have to
draw everything that happens with this
drop. Students can give their drop of water
a name too! Ask students to think of the
drop of water in the classroom: Where does
it go? How are clouds formed? Where does
the water go after it has rained? Write these
questions on the board to help them focus!
2.Afterwards, discuss the drawings and
Review/steps towards action: 5-10 minutes
1.Ask students: What happened to our drop
of water? How long did it take to evaporate?
Where did it go?
2.Make two columns on the board, one with
the title “Wasted Water,” and the other
with “Water Conservation.” Ask the class:
How is water wasted every day? How can
we conserve water? Which of the “Water
Conservation” solutions is reasonable? Why
or why not? Discuss. Ask students: How many
summarize a simple water cycle. If you
of you from now on will exercise …(name the
terms “evaporation,” “condensation,” and
blackboard and ask students to raise their
think the class is up to it, explain the
solutions that students came up with on the
“precipitation.”
hands or act out the solutions).
Read out the following poem:
There are two things that we all must get:
Air that’s pure and water that’s wet.
They help us to live every day
But there’s a problem in the way.
Pollution gives me quite a scare,
If it gets in the water or in the air.
Smog, oil spills, garbage too,
But there are things that you can do.
Change your habits, use your wit,
And our environment will benefit.
So make a plan and stick to it
Because every step helps a little bit.1
1
From Teaching Green: The Elementary Years, edited by Tim Grant and Gail Littlejohn.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
19
GRADE 2
Resources
region of peel water story
www.peelregion.ca/pw/waterstory
solution to pollution
Students become water droplets, plants, and rocks
in order to simulate the role that plants have
just a drop in the bucket
in preventing erosion and watershed pollution.
Through hands-on measuring, students learn that
(Source: Region of Peel Water Story)
despite planet Earth being covered mostly with
www.peelregion.ca/pw/waterstory/pdf/activities/
water, accessible fresh water is a very limited
solution-pollution.pdf
resource. (Source: Region of Peel Water Story)
www.peelregion.ca/pw/waterstory/pdf/
broken link? Google search “Region
of Peel” > Education & Outreach >
Resources for Teachers > The Peel Water
Story Curriculum Resource
activities/bucket.pdf
no water off a duck’s back
Students pretend to be wildlife biologists in this
activity as they observe the devastating effects of
an oil spill and attempt to clean feathers of a
marine bird contaminated in oil. (Source: Region
of Peel Water Story)
morphie’s great water ride
adventure
This story is designed to increase student
understanding and appreciation of the many ways
that water is used, and encourage the responsible
www.peelregion.ca/pw/waterstory/pdf/
activities/duck.pdf
care of fresh water. The resource consists of a story
which one of these things doesn’t belong
awareness of water use in the student’s school and
and a set of hands-on activities that aim to generate
Students help sort items found in Lake Ontario to
determine which ones belong in a healthy water
body and which ones should be recycled or disposed
of properly. (Source: Region of Peel Water Story)
www.peelregion.ca/pw/waterstory/pdf/activities/
which-belong.pdf
20
community. (Source: Environment Canada)
www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakeskids/docs/morphiestorybook-e.pdf
broken link? Google search
“Morphie’s Great Water Ride Adventure”
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
grade 3
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Ideas for Grade 3
1. Waste from a community affects
that community’s natural environment.
2. Early Canadian settler communities had a much
smaller impact on the environment than today’s consumer
society. They used less energy and generated less waste.
3. Composting is a way to recycle human food waste and
garden waste so it can be used to nourish soil (and save
the energy otherwise needed to transport it to landfill).
Big Ecological Idea #1:
Waste from a community affects that community’s natural environment.
learning concepts
eep waste out of landfill by recycling or
 K
composting! Communities are learning that
it is healthier for the environment if they
find other ways of disposing of waste so
that that it doesn’t go to landfill. Recycling
and composting allow people to separate
materials from their household waste so they
can be used again in as soil or new products.
ecycling provides raw materials for
 R
manufacturing (e.g., aluminum, glass, paper)
for new products, which means that less has
to be mined from the Earth.
omposting creates nutrient-rich soil that
 C
can fertilize gardens and, if available on a
larger scale, fields for growing crops.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental education opportunities in Grade 3 curriculum on pages 28 - 34.
science & technology: Understanding Life Systems - Growth & Changes in Plants (2007)
social studies: Canada & World Connections: Urban & Rural Communities (2004)
3z25 explain how communities interact with each other and the environment to meet human needs
3z41describe ways in which they and their families use the natural environment (e.g., playing in the park,
growing food, drawing on nature for water and energy [as a place to put their waste])
3z42compare the characteristics of their community to those of a different community (e.g., with respect
to population density, services, recreation, modes of travel to isolated northern and First Nation
communities [recycling services])
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
21
GRADE 3
visual arts: Creating & Presenting (2009)
D1.1 create two- and three-dimensional works of art that express personal feelings and ideas inspired by
the environment or that have the community as their subject. Teacher prompt: “Let’s look at how artist
Andy Goldsworthy uses natural materials in his art. How can you use the textures and shapes of sticks,
leaves, or stones to express your ideas about the natural environment?”
science & technology: Earth & Space Systems – Soils in the Environment (2007)
1.1 assess the impact of soils on society and the environment, and suggest ways in which humans can
enhance positive effects and/or lessen or prevent harmful effects
1.2 assess the impact of human action on soils, and suggest ways in which humans can affect soils
positively and/or lessen or prevent harmful effects on soils
2.4 investigate the process of composting, and explain some advantages and disadvantages of composting
(e.g., set up a pop-bottle composter in the classroom, and observe what happens over time)
3.2 identify additives that might be in soil but that cannot always be seen (e.g., pesticides, fertilizers, salt)
math: Data Management & Probability – Collection & Organization of Data (2005)
• collect data by conducting a simple survey about themselves, their environment, issues in their school
or community, or content from another subject
math: Data Management & Probability – Data Relationships (2005)
• Read, interpret, draw conclusions from primary data
Resources
let’s plant some garbage
(Source: TDSB EcoSchools)
Students will experience first-hand the
http://ontarioecoschools.org/curriculum_
biodegradability rates of various materials
resources/making_connections.html
by planting various types of garbage in their
schoolyard and then digging it up several
months later and reflecting on the results.
(Source: Evergreen)
www.evergreen.ca/en/lg/lessons/garbage.html
broken link? Google search Ontario
EcoSchools > Curriculum Resources
> Elementary Curriculum: Making Connections:
Elementary learning activities in and about, for the
environment > Connecting with Our Actions:
A Million Year Picnic, page 7
broken link? Google search Evergreen.ca >
School Ground Greening > Teacher’s Corner >
Lesson Plans > Grade 4 > Let’s plant some garbage
sort it out and save our resources
tally charts
connecting with our actions:
a million year picnic
Students can use these tally charts to monitor and
Students go on a million year picnic. The lesson
stream (Sort It Out) and recyclables in the garbage
uses the text “Just a Dream” to introduce young
stream (Save Our Resources). This is also part of
children to the concept of waste minimization.
the waste minimization section of the Ontario
Students examine how long it takes certain items
EcoSchools program.
to decompose and, based on that information, they
Download these forms for free at www.ontario
have an opportunity to make their own choices
ecoschools.org > forms & resources > waste
about what is best to take on a picnic.
minimization.
22
track contamination of garbage in the recycling
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 3
Big Ecological Idea #2:
Early Canadian settler communities had a much smaller impact on the environment
than today’s consumer society. They used less energy and generated less waste.
learning concepts
ioneers grew their own food: In the days of
 P
the early settlers, there were few stores in the
large new province of Upper Canada. Pioneers
worked hard to grow most of their own food
and could not afford to waste anything.
 T hings were made by hand: Many of
the things that people owned – clothes,
tools, furniture – had to be made by hand
(electricity had not yet been invented).
 T ransportation was very slow and unreliable
so people made and grew what they needed,
and gasoline) and we rely on them to supply
energy for manufacturing and to transport
goods all around the world. Plentiful resources
and energy make it possible for Canadians
to be part of a global “consumer society” –
buying goods from around the world.
 I nexpensive goods, a growing population,
and the disposable nature of products have
contributed to increased waste production
in Canada: When goods are inexpensive, it
is easy for people to use them for a while,
and traded locally: If people wished to order
then throw them out and replace them with
long time for them to come. Poor road or
population and the increased availability of
market was not always easy. Early Ontario
has made Canada one of the world’s highest
manufactured goods, they had to wait a very
new ones. The combination of a growing
weather conditions meant that travelling to
affordable (and eventually disposable) goods
communities worked to be as self-sufficient
producers of waste.
aste impacts the water, land, forests,
 W
animals, air, and climate: Waste in our
needed, and traded locally as much as possible.
as possible; people made and grew what they
 T here were few machines, therefore most
of the energy used was human and animal
society has affected our water (e.g., originally
water from lakes and rivers could be
energy: Despite the fact that people had only
consumed without first being treated); our
Ontario were cleared within 100 years to
our forests (e.g., cut down to make paper);
hand axes, most of the forests of southern
land (e.g., huge landfills have been created);
make room for farms.
the creatures that live in and on our land and
 T oday, fossil fuels are used to run machines
that support a consumer society: Today,
Ontario has more than 13 million people.
water; the air we breathe (e.g., smog); and our
atmosphere (e.g., greenhouse gases from our
cars that contribute to climate change).
We have easy access to fossil fuels (coal, oil,
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
23
GRADE 3
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 3 on pages 28 - 34.
social studies: Heritage & Citizenship - Early Settlements in Upper Canada (2004)
3z3 compare aspects of life in early settler communities and present-day communities
3z18 compare and contrast aspects of daily life for early settler and/or First Nation children in Upper
Canada and children in present-day Ontario (e.g., food, education, work and play)
3z19 compare and contrast aspects of life in early settler and/or First Nation communities in Upper Canada
and in their own community today (e.g., services, jobs, schools, stores, use and management of
natural resources)
3z20 compare and contrast buildings/dwellings in early settler and/or First Nation communities in Upper
Canada with buildings and dwellings in present-day Ontario
3z21 compare and contrast tools and technologies used by early settlers and/or First Nation peoples with
present-day tools and technologies (e.g., quill/word processor; sickle/combine harvester; methods of
processing lumber, grain, and other products)
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Pioneer Life, Earth Day Canada’s EcoKids Program. For additional free resources, visit www.ecokids.ca
or www.earthday.ca.
pioneer/settler life
Students describe changes that have occurred in their communities since the time of early settlers.
Through various exercises and discussions, students compare and contrast the lives of pioneer and
present-day children; life in a pioneer settlement with that in their own community; the effects of
modern life and pioneer life on the environment (Source: EcoMentors, Earth Day Canada).
www.ecomentors.ca/pub/assets/pdfs/pioneer_life.pdf.
Readiness: Prior Knowledge & Skills
Background Information: Vocabulary
 Pioneer – a plant, animal, or human that inhabits a new area for the first time
 Natural resource – something that comes from nature that can help us live
Materials
paper, pencils, crayons
globe or world map if available
Prior Knowledge
Understand the life of a pioneer in Canada. How they lived, worked, used resources, travelled, etc.
Learning Skills & Work Habits
Collaboration, independent work, organization
24
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 3
Teaching/Learning Strategies
Introduction: 5-10 minutes
1.Ask the students: What can you tell me about
pioneers (what activities they did, where they
lived, what resources they used, how they
travelled, etc.)? What would you like or dislike
about being a pioneer?
2. Ask the students: What is the “environment”?
Can someone spell it? (Sample answer:
Everything around us that helps us live)
Brainstorming: What is a Pioneer? 10-20 minutes
As students generate information about pioneers, use their answers to create a list or concept
map to summarize the brainstorming session. Some questions/prompts you can use are:
• What is a pioneer?
pi·o·neer - noun
to enter
who is among the first
1. Geography: a person
n and
opening it for occupatio
or settle a region, thus
development by others.
est in any
first or among the earli
2. Research: one who is
neers in
ise, or progress (e.g., pio
field of inquiry, enterpr
cancer research).
shes itself
that successfully establi
m
nis
ga
or
an
y:
log
co
E
3.
of life.
rting an ecological cycle
sta
us
th
,
ea
ar
n
rre
ba
a
in
Can you name a famous explorer or inventor? What did that person discover? We also call the first
people who went to the moon pioneers!
We have been talking about pioneers as being human. Do we call anything in the natural world a
pioneer? In nature, we use the word “pioneer” for plants and animals that go somewhere for the
first time.
The first plants that grow in an area are called pioneers. Can someone give an example of a
situation where pioneer plants would grow? (Dunes, ditches, clear-cuts, land where there has been
a forest fires, and other empty areas.) These pioneer plants make the soil better, so after the pioneer
plants grow other plants can live there as well.
Of course you have been learning about special pioneers–the people who came to Canada several
hundred years ago. Were these pioneers really the first people to live in Canada?
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
25
GRADE 3
Activity: How is pioneer life different from our lives today? 10-30 minutes
1.In preparation for the second activity during
which students will work in small groups
identifying how their lives would be different if
they were transported back in time to colonial
Canada, write down the following titles in a
table (represented below). Water, Food, Homes,
Family, Jobs, Transportation, Pollution. You can
brainstorm headings with your class. You may
need more headings as the students come up
with new ideas for comparison.
Human
resources/
impact
Pioneers
Today
Water
Well water, bucket…
Tap water in all bathrooms, kitchens,
workshops, gardens…
Food
Locally produced…
Globally produced and shipped, grocery stores…
Family
Jobs
Transportation
Pollution
2.Fill in the table with your class’ ideas. Let
the students describe how each resource or
impact was different in pioneer times than
it is to today. Let your students be creative
and jot down all their comparative thoughts.
3. Ask students: What is a “natural resource”?
Tell the students some things they do every
day that use energy. Ask the students how they
would do these things if they were living like
pioneers. What did pioneers use for energy?
• cooking dinner (fire instead of gas)
How do we use natural resources? How did
• reading a book when it is dark outside
difference?
• going to a movie (tell stories)
pioneers use natural resources? What is the
4. Ask students: What are the most striking
differences that you see on the blackboard?
Note that in the pioneer’s time there was
no electricity, no cars, no industry, and little
pollution. People had to work for their own
food and water. How was the environment
(candles)
• writing an e-mail to your friend (pony
express/ carrier pigeon)
• keeping your food cold (water or deep hole
in the ground)
• Think of more scenarios with your class.
6. If available, grab a globe or go to the world
different in the pioneer days? No cities or
map. Ask the students, where did pioneers
of wilderness.
Europe on the map. Ask students: How
buildings and very few roads. There was a lot
5.Describe several “modern” situations in which
we use energy. Ask the students to come up
with a similar scenario in pioneer times
26
(e.g., watching television – playing outside).
come from and have a student point out
did they travel to North America? Where
did they come first in Canada? When the
pioneers first landed, what did they eat?
What did they do to survive?
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 3
Exercise: How is your life different from that of pioneer children?
You have been transported back in time to colonial America. You are one of eight children in your
family. Your task is to compare your life in this time to your life in the twentieth century.
1.Read A Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a
Canadian Family in 1840, by Heather Collins
and Barbara Greenwood, or another book
that depicts life as a pioneer/settler.
2.Ask students to picture themselves as pioneer
children and write answers to the following
questions. Divide the class into groups, and
every group should write down the answers
to these questions for a pioneer child.
• What do you wear every day?
• W
hat might you have for dinner tonight?
• How do you spend your free time?
• Where do you go to school?
• What job will you have when you grow up?
• Do you receive an allowance?
• Do you pollute the environment? How?
3.Discuss the answers of the groups in the
class. Compare the answers for pioneer
children and modern children.
4.Extension: Have students create an art
project with their answers; for example,
a pamphlet, poster, drama skit, or photo
gallery to depict their findings.
Pioneer Diary
 L et the students write a diary entry from the perspective of a pioneer child. (maximum one page).
Tell the students: You are a pioneer child. You are traveling to the west with your parents. You
are keeping a diary about your adventures. Write a diary entry, pretending to be that child. What
hardships do you face? What are the fun things about being a pioneer? Let students illustrate
their stories with fun pictures. If time permits, ask them to share their pictures.
Pioneer Charades
Play charades with the class. Let the students write down a pioneer action on a piece of paper
and have them act them out; for example, fishing, ploughing, riding a horse, cutting down a tree,
hunting, feeding the animals, driving a wagon, sewing clothes, chopping wood, fetching water,
building a house, putting a horseshoe on a horse. Think of some more…
Extensions
Ask students: What do you think the world will be like in the future? One hundred years from now?
How will people take care of the environment? Have students draw pictures and write a few sentences.
BBC – Victorian Farm Christmas - www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p71fz
Victorian Farm Christmas looks into the lives of nineteenth-century farmers and shows you how
to make traditional gifts, food, games, and decorations. The site offers many clips for viewing.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
27
GRADE 3
Review/steps towards action: 5-10 minutes
Use the following questions for review: Was a colonial child’s life much different from your own?
Was the family an important part of colonial life? What are some things that pioneers did that
used no electricity or energy? Can we do some of these things so that we can live more like
pioneers? If people, 100 years from now, look back at us, what are some new things they will see
we did we did to help the environment? How can we be pioneers in protecting the environment?
Big Ecological Idea #3:
Composting is a way to recycle human food waste and garden waste so it can be used
to nourish soil (and save the energy otherwise needed to transport it to landfill).
learning concepts
lants and animals depend on their habitats
 P
Humans depend on healthy soil to grow
and combining this food waste with garden
Healthy soil depends on the presence and
cycling of organic materials.
nourishing (free!) soil additive.
their food.
Organic (plant and animal) materials are
those that can be recycled by nature’s living
systems (e.g., materials that soil, water, or
organisms can break down or decompose).
Composting organic waste is better for the
environment than sending it to a landfill
where, starved of oxygen, the waste decays
and produces methane (a greenhouse gas
that contributes to climate change.)
Composting involves separating our organic
food waste (sometimes called “wet waste”)
28
waste. These two organic materials react
with the air to form compost: a valuable,
There are different ways to compost: in
your backyard, using worms, or via your
community. Some people compost their food
and garden wastes in their backyards. Some
have worm composters (vermicomposter) the worms work to help make compost
faster! Some schools collect their food waste
and make compost for their school grounds
and gardens. Some communities collect food
waste for community gardens. And some
cities (e.g., Guelph, Toronto) have separate
curbside organic waste collection programs.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 3
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence: lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 3 on pages 28 - 34.
science & technology: Understanding Earth & Space Systems - Soils in the Environment (2007)
1.1 assess the impact of soils on society and the environment, and suggest ways in which humans can
enhance positive effects and/or lessen or prevent harmful effects
1.2 assess the impact of human action on soils, and suggest ways in which humans can affect soils
positively and/or lessen or prevent harmful effects on soil
2.4 investigate the process of composting and explain some advantages and disadvantages of composting
3.1 identify and describe the different types of soils
Resources
soils - the living world below
other living things on soil.
Students discover soil is not just dirt but a
(Source: EcoMentors, Earth Day Canada)
rich source of life and nourishment for many
www.ecomentors.ca/pub/assets/pdfs/soils_the_
organisms. Students investigate the components
world_below.pdf
of soils and explore the dependence of humans and
broken link? Google search “EcoMentors.ca”
> Resources > Lesson Plans > Grade 3 >
Soils-The Living World Below
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
29
grade 4
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Idea #1:
Materials used in the production and disposal of the things we use have an
impact on the environment.
learning concepts
anada is among the world’s highest waste
 C
waste-generating nations! Waste affects
the local environment of a community in a
variety of ways (landfill sites, litter, air quality,
water quality, transportation).
Products are made from “inputs” or
ingredients that come from natural resources
(e.g., trees from forests, minerals from mines,
oil from oil field).
Products are “outputs” of the manufacturing
process. This process can create waste (e.g.,
away.” Transporting raw materials and
finished products requires natural resource
inputs (e.g., oil for fuel) and creates outputs
(e.g., carbon emissions).
Communities can reduce the need for landfill
space by encouraging people to reuse, recycle,
and compost food and garden waste (e.g.,
recycling programs for paper and cardboard,
aluminum, plastic, glass, and milk cartons;
some communities also collect garden and
food waste for composting).
scrap wood). Products themselves become
waste once the consumer “throws them
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental education opportunities in Grade 4 curriculum on pages 35 – 39.
science & technology: Understanding Earth & Space Systems - Rocks & Minerals (2007)
1.1 assess the social/environmental costs/benefits of using objects in the built environment made from
rocks and minerals
1.2 analyse the impact on society and the environment of extracting and refining rocks and minerals for
human use, taking different perspectives into account
science & technology: Understanding Life Systems – Habitats & Communities (2007)
1.1 analyse the positive and negative impacts of human interactions with natural habitats and communities
(e.g., human dependence on natural materials), taking different perspectives into account (e.g., the
perspectives of a housing developer, a family in need of housing, an ecologist), and evaluate ways of
minimizing the negative impacts
30
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 4
1.2 identify reasons for the depletion or extinction of a plant or animal species (e.g., hunting, disease,
invasive species, changes in or destruction of its habitat), evaluate the impacts on the rest of the
natural community, and propose possible actions for preventing such depletions or extinctions
social studies: Canada & World Connections – Canada’s Provinces, Territories, & Regions (2004)
name and locate the various physical regions, provinces, and territories of Canada and identify the chief
natural resources of each
learning activities
Source: Solid Waste, written by Paula Tullio and Wes Vickers, Greater Essex County District School Board
what a waste!
Packaging is both useful and necessary for several reasons. Packaging is also a major component of
solid waste. This lesson will help students understand that excessive packaging and processing can
waste natural resources and increase the amount of solid waste that will require disposal.
Time Allotment
 two classes
Materials
Class 1
 cardboard box
overhead transparency –
“Energy for Making a Cardboard Box”
(see page 36)
 chart paper/marker
 parent/guardian letter
Class 2
 packaging (students bring from home)
 student worksheet (see page 37)
 food items from five categories
1. natural
2. reusable
3. recyclable
4. non-recyclable
5. recycled
Learning Skills & Work Habits
 Collaboration, independent work, responsibility
Teaching/Learning Strategies
Packaging: What A Waste!–Class 1
Review with students the fact that human interactions often affect habitats in adverse ways. When
humans change the landscape (create landfill sites) habitats are destroyed.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
31
GRADE 4
cardboard box
Show the class the cardboard box and ask what impact it might have on the environment.
Brainstorm whole class:
• What are cardboard boxes used for?
• How are they made?
Show overhead transparency: “Energy for Making
a Cardboard Box” (See page 36)
• Ask students to point out all the ways
making cardboard has an impact on the
environment – trees are used and habitats
are destroyed and energy is consumed.
ask students
What is a food package?
Discuss terms to know (make a list on chart paper):
• nature’s package (bananas, oranges)
• reusable packages (cream cheese containers,
paper bags, etc.)
• recyclable packages (aluminum cans)
• non-recyclable - excessive packaging/
difficult to recycle (individually wrapped,
packaging combining metal and paper)
•recycled - packages made from recycled
materials
in groups of two to four
Working in groups, have students brainstorm as many different products as they can for each
category of packaging. Discuss with the whole class. Record on chart paper.
letter for home
Ask students to bring in samples from home of each of the package categories (one item each may
be sufficient). Make sure to emphasize that they are to be rinsed and cleaned. Send parent/guardian
letter home to explain.
Packaging: What A Waste!–Class 2
worksheet: purpose or function of packaging (Appendix D) (See page 37)
Make one copy of “Purpose or Function of Packaging” for each group of two or four students.
product samples
Purchase five food items packaged in the following ways and label them A, B, C, D, and E.
A. product in a plastic container (e.g., yogurt)
B.product packaged with recycled material
(cereal in a box)
C. an apple, banana, or other fruit
E.product with eye-catching/excessive
packaging wrapped in more than one layer
(e.g., fancy cookies or candy, or a toy)
D.product in aluminum can (e.g., juice or pop)
32
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 4
pre-activity discussion questions
• What products usually come in packages?
(cosmetics, toys)
• What products do not come in packages?
(clothing, books)
• What types of foods come in packages?
(canned foods, frozen foods, drinks, snack
foods
• What types of foods usually do not come in
packages? (fresh produce, items sold in bulk)
identify types of packaging
Brainstorm kinds of packaging (paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, glass, mixed materials).
Discuss categories of natural resources used to produce the packaging:
• p
aper/cardboard - trees
• p
lastic - fossil fuels
• mixed
materials–more than one natural
resource
• a
luminum, steel/tin, glass–minerals
whole class - show and share package samples
• Students show and share package samples
brought from home.
• Ask students to identify the purpose or
function of the food packaging.
group work
• D
ivide the class into five groups.
• P
ass out worksheet, “Purpose or Function of
Packaging,” and one food item supplied by
the teacher to each group.
whole class discussion questions
• Develop a class list.
• Collect the packaging that the students
shared.
• As groups complete their chart (Part 1), pass
packages around to the other groups so that
each group analyzes a package from each of
the 5 categories.
• What materials were used to make the
• How could the packaging have been made in
• Which packaging was necessary/most
• Where does the packaging go when it is
• Which product has the most packaging?
• Why is excessive packaging a problem?
packages? (plastic, paper, etc.)
important?
• Did some packaging seem unnecessary/
excessive?
order to conserve natural resources?
thrown in the garbage?
(garbage is placed in landfill after one use)
conclusion
Ask students to complete Part 2 of worksheet. Discuss with students:
• C
ould something be done with the
packaging (perhaps recycled or reused)?
• How can we reuse the packaging?
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
33
GRADE 4
EXTENSIONS
A. Language/Media: Market the product they have redesigned (they could also choose a non-foodrelated item to redesign such as a toy that has excessive packaging). Write an advertisement (it
can be designed as a poster, or it could be an advertisement in a magazine or flyer).
B. Oral Communication: Sell the redesigned product to the class.
Outdoor experiential extension
Contact your local waste authority:
• Guest Speaker: Arrange for a guest speaker to come in to discuss how waste is
disposed of in your community. Write a report.
• Field Trip: Arrange for a field trip to learn about how waste disposal
operations work in your community.
Background Information for Instruction
For the Educator
Packaging serves many purposes. It protects
the contents from physical damage, prevents
spoilage, and keeps the contents sanitary. Labels
identify contents and provide directions for use.
Packaging also serves as a way for retailers to
advertise, track sales, and discourage theft. One of
the most important purposes of packaging is to
provide consumer convenience.
ultimately, increases the cost of a product. Some
packaging contributes to non-biodegradable or
toxic materials in the environment, and some
becomes litter that can adversely affect tourism
or harm wildlife.
Excessive packaging increases the cost of
products. If consumers are aware of this fact they
can save money by purchasing products with less
packaging or buying products in bulk. Although
By reducing spoilage, damage, and dividing
retail processes generally fail to account for
can actually reduce the volume of solid waste
these costs in the form of higher fees for garbage
packaging also contributes to the volume of
the clean up of litter. We are all too aware that
resources, adds to litter and pollution, and
packaging are buried in landfills.
products into individualized portions, packaging
package disposal, consumers eventually pay for
because less food is thrown away. Unfortunately,
collection, landfill/incinerator operations, and
solid waste needing disposal, depletes natural
the energy and natural resources that go into
34
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 4
For the Student
If students are to become responsible consumers
that when they buy something they are not
the following:
At an early age, students need to understand
only buying the product, but its packaging as
well. As educators, we can teach children to be
responsible citizens by considering packaging
when shopping.
Students are influenced by many factors when
buying products:
•family buying practices (buying fast foods,
processed foods, frozen, or fresh foods)
• advertising
• package design
• socio-economic factors
• convenience
• education
when they shop, they can be taught to consider
1. What kind of packaging does the food have? Is
it necessary? Is it reusable? Is it recyclable?
2. What types of natural resources are being
used to make the packaging? Can these
resources be recovered through reuse and
recycling?
3. What are the differences in the overall cost
of foods? Considerations when pricing food
include the amount of food in each package,
the amount of packaging, and costs of
disposing of waste versus reusing or recycling
the package.
• belief and values
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
35
GRADE 4
Energy for Making a Cardboard Box
Lumber
Mill
Paper Mill
Manufacturing
Plant
Box Packaging
Store
36
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
37
Thank you.
Please be sure to clean and rinse any items your
child brings to class. Your cooperation is greatly
appreciated.
Each student is being asked to bring in the following:
•Nature’s packaging (e.g., = banana, orange,
grapes, etc.)
•Packaging that can be reused (e.g., yogurt
container, plastic bag, paper bag, etc.)
•Packaging that can be recycled (e.g., cans, foil
wrap, etc.)
•Excessive packaging or packaging that is
difficult to recycle (e.g., indiv. wrapped items,
combined paper + plastic packaging, etc.)
•Recycled (packages made from recycled
materials)
Our class is studying packaging, solid waste, and
the use of landfills. Your child will learn about why
products are packaged and which products appear
to be overpackaged (therefore creating more solid
waste). This is where we need your help.
Packaging made from recycled materials?
Nonrecyclable packaging?
Recyclable packaging (packaging that can
be recycled)?
Reusable packaging?
Natural packaging (no paper, plastic,
or other human-made materials)?
Advertising
Makes product easy to use
Instructions on how to use product
Identifies product
Government laws
Safety
Keep contents sanitary
Protect from damage
Purpose or Function of Packaging
Theft protection
Which of the items (listed beside A, B, C, D, and E above) are packaged in:
Part 2
A
B
C
D
E
NAME OF ITEM
Prevent product from spilling
Choose five items you would like to examine. Write the name of each Item in the Name of Item column.
Read the Purpose or Function of Packaging list and check off the ones you think relate to the product.
Then check off either Amount of packaging seems necessary or Appears to be overpackaged.
Part 1
Other _____________________
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Packaging: What a Waste!
Amount of packaging seems necessary
Letter To Parent/Guardian
Appears to be overpackaged
GRADE 4
Resources
rocks, minerals, and erosion
the 3rs
In this lesson, students learn to identify natural
In this lesson, students learn to identify ways to
changes in the landscape. Students determine
also learn to think critically about the amount of
of the landscape and ways in which soil erosion
about the different materials that are disposed of
Canada).
Earth Day Canada)
minerals_erosion.pdf
grades_3-4.pdf
and human-caused phenomena that cause rapid
reduce, reuse, and recycle different objects. They
positive and negative effects of human alteration
packaging used in commercial products, and learn
can be minimized. (Source: EcoMentors, Earth Day
in a typical garbage dump. (Source: EcoMentors,
www.ecomentors.ca/pub/assets/pdfs/rocks_
www.ecomentors.ca/pub/assets/pdfs/3Rs_
broken link? Google search
broken link? Google search
“EcoMentors.ca” > Resources >
Lesson Plans > Topic Linked Lesson Plans
> Grade 3-4, The 3Rs.
“EcoMentors.ca” > Resources >
Lesson Plans > Grade 4 > Rocks, Minerals,
and Erosion
waste-free lunches
Article with tips and suggestions for starting a
waste-free lunch program at your school. (Source:
written by Amy Hemmert, in Teaching Green: The
Elementary Years, p. 172)
38
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
grade 5
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Ideas for Grade 5
1. The Earth is a closed system in terms of
matter. Matter cannot be created or destroyed–
it can only be changed from one form to another.
Everything we think we have thrown away is still
with us in some form or other – there is no “away”!
2. Recycling and composting help redirect waste
materials to appropriate new uses.
3. Choosing household products with care can ensure
that their use or disposal does not put toxic ingredients
into the environment.
Big Ecological Idea #1:
The Earth is a closed system in terms of matter. Matter cannot be created or
destroyed– it can only be changed from one form to another. Everything we think
we have thrown away is still with us in some form or other – there is no “away”!
learning concepts
or wastes that can be reused or
 Products
recycled should not be diluted, dispersed,
mixed, burned, or buried.
Saving materials from being wasted benefits
the environment by reducing the need for
extraction of new resources (from forests and
mines), and energy use for their extraction
and transportation.
Reducing the need for new resources
preserves forests, habitat.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 5 on pages 40 – 44.
science & technology: Understanding Matter & Energy - Properties of & Changes in Matter (2007)
1.1 evaluate the environmental impacts of processes that change one product into another through
physical or chemical changes
1.2 assess the social and environmental impact of using processes that rely on chemical changes to
produce consumer products, taking different perspectives into account (e.g., the perspectives of food
manufacturers, consumers, landfill operators, people concerned about the environment), and make a
case for maintaining the current level of use of the product or for reducing it
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
39
GRADE 5
3.2 identify properties of solids, liquids, and gasses, and state examples of each
3.3 explain changes of state in matter and give examples
3.5 describe chemical changes in matter as irreversible changes
3.6 explain how changes of state involve the release of heat
3.7 identify indicators of a chemical change
3.8 distinguish between a physical change and chemical change
arts: drama - Creating & Presenting (2009)
B1.1 engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on examining issues and themes
in fiction and non-fiction sources from diverse communities, times, and places. Teacher prompts:
“What drama strategy or convention can your group use to present solutions to the audience for your
environmental issue?”
social studies: Heritage & Citizenship – Early Civilizations (2004)
• identify and compare the ways in which people in various early civilizations met their physical and
social needs, including how they interacted with and used the natural environment
learning activities
Source: Adapted from The 3Rs, Earth Day Canada’s EcoKids Program. For additional free resources, visit www.ecokids.ca or
www.earthday.ca.
the 3rs
Students learn to identify the amount of packaging used in commercial products and understand
the different materials that are disposed of in a typical garbage dump.
Prior Knowledge & Skills
 Reduce – to use less or make less, decrease
 Reuse – to use again
 Recycle – to change and use again in a different form
Materials
Make two sets of eight cards: Make four sets
of eight cards, each with one of the following
words on it, and four sets of eight cards, each
with one of the following percentages: Paper
- 30%, Yard Waste - 7%, Metal - 7%, Wood - 7%,
Glass - 6%, Food Waste - 18%, Plastics - 16%,
Other -9%.
Bring in a number of different grocery store
flyers. Make sure you have at least one flyer
for every two students.
Bring cards with different types of waste and
sticky tape for compost game
 Some sort of reusable container
Find out where your garbage goes (where
your dump/landfill site is located)
Learning Skills & Work Habits
 Collaboration, initiative
40
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 5
Teaching/Learning Strategies
Introduction: 5-10 minutes
 Guiding questions:
• What kind of garbage did you or your parents throw away this morning?
• What was the last thing you threw away?
Discussion: 10-20 minutes
1.Ask students:Does anyone know what we
mean when we say “the 3Rs”? Let the class
come up with the definitions of reduce, reuse,
and recycle. (If they are very familiar with
3Rs, challenge them with two additional Rs
– refuse and rethink. Ask how these actions
would impact the waste created in their
lives.) How are the 3Rs different? Which one of
the Rs, makes the biggest difference? Can you
describe the steps of a recycling cycle? (Buy
item, use, place in recycling bin, transport
Activity: What’s in Landfill? 10-30 minutes
to sorting station, sorted, transport to plant
to make new product, process to make new
product, new product sold to user.)
2.Make two columns on the board, one with
the title, “Reasons people don’t do the 3Rs,”
and the other, “Solutions.” Ask the students:
What stops people from doing each of the
3Rs? What are some ways we can encourage
people to recycle, reuse, and reduce? Let your
students be creative and think big to come up
with solutions (system changes).
Ask students: Is there a dump/landfill site in your
$1 (10%) goes to packaging that is thrown
household trash.
area? Share some fun facts.
a. Landfill fun facts:
• The first real recycling (blue box) program
was introduced in Kitchener in 1983.
• About one-third of an average dump is
made up of packaging material.
• Roughly 90% of landfill contents are
recyclable.
• Out of every $10 spent buying things,
Explain instructions before you play.
• There are eight general categories in a
dump–what do you think they are? Ask
students to brainstorm the eight groups
(tell them that one of the groups is “Other”).
• Divide the class into 4 groups. Give each
group a set of the cards (prepared ahead
of time).
away. Packaging represents about 65% of
• On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle
trash, $50 to send it to landfill, and $65 to
$75 to incinerate it.
• Canadians produced 366 kilograms per
person of residential waste in 2000;
by 2004, this figure had increased to
418 kilograms per person.
• Tell them they must match up the
correct percentage to the garbage
category, discuss which categories are
the most prominent, and reason why.
Give them 2 minutes.
• Fun competition: Have students place
percentages to the items in a landfill and
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
41
GRADE 5
raise their hand when they think they
can we reduce, reuse, and recycle to
each team and check, move correct pairs
category in dumps? Write down all
have the correct matches. Go around to
to the side, and ask students to continue
until each match is correct.
• The first team to properly match all
garbage categories and percentages wins!
•Reflection questions: What statistics
are the most surprising? Why? How
Good Things Come with No Packaging
1.Ask students to go through the flyers and
find two or three items that have one layer of
packaging. Why does this product have this
layer of packaging? Is it necessary? How can
this be reduced?
2.Ask students to go through the flyers and
find two or three items that have two or
three layers of packaging. Why does this
product have these layers of packaging?
Recycling Trivia
• Have the students form groups of four and
write down the numbers 1-6 on a piece of
(recycled) paper.
• Ask the students the following questions.
Ask students to trade sheets afterwards for
marking.
1. Recycling one aluminum can save
enough energy to run a TV for a). 3 mins,
b) 30 mins, c) 3 hrs, d) 10 hrs
2. This animal helps organic matter like
vegetables turn into soil: a) caterpillars,
b) worms, c) beetles, d) slugs
42
decrease the amount from garbage
answers in table on the blackboard.
(Fun fact: North Americans use
2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour!
Breakdown: Plastic bags – 20-1,000
years; plastic bottles –indefinitely.)
Are they necessary? How can this be reduced?
3.Ask students to go through the flyers and find
products with the least and most packaging.
4.Why do products have so much packaging?
How can we reduce this amount?
5.Reuse it! Circulate a reusable container, and
ask each student to come up with a new way
to reuse it.
3. The amount of food wasted in North
America is: a) 17%, b) 27%, c) 37%, d) 55%
4. If you put cardboard out to be recycled,
it must first be: a) soaked in water,
b) shredded, c) tied in bundles, d) crushed
5. Which of the following products cannot
be put into the blue bin for recycling?
a) empty paint cans, b) motor oil jugs,
c) paper, d) yogurt containers
6. In 2006, the percentage of Canadians
households that recycled was: a) 20%,
b) 40%, c) 60%, d) 80%
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 5
Outdoor Experiential Extension:
Recycling Relay
•Go to your local municipal waste manager
make four teams and repeat the game).
or board website and write down/print the
The first student in line reaches in the bag
items that are recyclable at your school.
and pulls out an item. They then run down
Review this list with your students. Collect
and put it in the correct bin. They run back
these items or have your class collect
to tag the next student, who pulls out and
them and wash them or put them in plastic
item and continues the game.
bags for the activity. Include about 50%
•At the end, review the items in each bin
extra items that cannot be recycled. Place
for each team and count the number of
all items in a bag (you should have about
correct items. For each incorrect item
one or two items per student in total).
add some time (10 seconds) to the team’s
•Go outside and place two garbage pails
time. The team with the fastest time and
and two recycling bin, about 50 metres
the most correct items wins. You may
away from the start line (one set of bins
repeat the activity a couple of times and
per team). Have students line up in two
mix up the groups as desired.
teams (if you have fewer items you can
Resources
debris dilemmas
Students explore why huge amounts of garbage end
up on the most remote islands in the world. Includes
questions that accompany Jean-Michel Cousteau’s
video, “Trash on the Spin Cycle.” (Source: PBS)
www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/
Nature Recycles, and Making Choices. Based
on American history and facts, but with much
interest and insight that is applicable to Canada.
(Association of Science-Technology Centres Inc.
and the Smithsonian Institution Travelling
Exhibition Service)
www.astc.org/exhibitions/rotten/rthome.htm
kure/debris.html
broken link? Google search “PBS”
> Teachers > Grades 3-5, Science and
Technology > Topic: Oceanography > Trash
on the Spin Cycle
the rotten truth…about garbage
An on-line, in-depth look at how North Americans
produce garbage…and what they do with it. Divided
into four major sections, this fascinating tour
recycling in canada
Statistics Canada offers teachers different
lesson plans that examine recycling statistics
in Canada. The lessons can be adapted to the
Science and Technology or Math curriculum.
www19.statcan.ca/02/02_051-eng.htm#tphp
broken link? Google search
“Recycling in Canada” > Recycling in
Canada - Statistics Canada, Nov. 7, 2008.
offers illustrated fact- and activity-filled resources
including, What Is Garbage?, There is no “Away,”
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
43
GRADE 5
Big Ecological Idea #2:
Recycling and composting help redirect waste materials to appropriate new uses.
learning concepts
 We can make sure that everyday waste
materials are recycled by putting them
in the appropriate recycling box. Most
communities separate their recyclables
for pickup: paper, containers, organic
waste, and garden waste are collected in
different boxes. At school, we can protect
the environment by recycling everything
possible through the municipality’s services,
and composting food waste.
 Materials that we recycle are sorted and
sent to factories to be processed into new
products. Materials that can be recycled in
local programs should not be put into the
garbage! Much of what we used to throw
away contains valuable resources. For
example, when recycled aluminum is melted
down to make new cans, it saves 75% of the
energy it would take to make aluminum
from new materials.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 5 on pages 40 – 44.
science & technology: Understanding Matter & Energy - Properties of & Changes in Matter (2007)
1.1 evaluate the environmental impacts of processes that change one product into another product through
physical or chemical changes
1.2 assess the social and environmental impact of using processes that rely on chemical changes to
produce consumer products, taking different perspectives into account (e.g., the perspectives of food
manufacturers, consumers, landfill operators, people concerned about the environment), and make a
case for maintaining the current level of use of the product or for reducing it
Resources
one person’s garbage, another person’s…? (grade 5 activity)
This lesson will ask students to consider the issue of solid waste recycling alternatives. They will be asked to transform
discarded solid waste from home into a usable item. (Source: Solid Waste, written by Paula Tullio and Wes Vickers,
Greater Essex County District School Board)
www.gecdsb.on.ca/staff/teachers/ecoSchools/Curriculum/SolidWaste/SolidWaste-Jun.pdf
broken link? Google search
GECDSB > Staff > Teachers >
EcoSchools Resources > Curriculum
Page > Solid Waste: Junior - English
44
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 5
Big Ecological Idea #3:
Choosing household products with care can ensure that their use or disposal does not
put toxic ingredients into the environment.
learning concepts
 Products that are labeled with danger
symbols - explosive, corrosive, flammable, or
poisonous - can contain ingredients that are
harmful to the environment. These harmful
ingredients may be dispersed or diluted, but
remain harmful as they evaporate into the
air we breathe or make their way into our
watersheds.
 Whenever possible, it is environmentally
preferable to purchase household products
that are non-toxic (many previously toxic
products have new “green” formulations
made without harmful ingredients).
products that are hazardous should
 Household
be disposed of properly: Paints, batteries,
solvents, caustic cleaners and fluorescent
lights should be collected and brought to
a hazardous waste drop site for disposal
separate from other waste. (Check your
municipal website to see if this service exists.)
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 5 on pages 40 – 44.
science & technology: Understanding Matter and Energy–Properties of & Changes in Matter (2007)
1.2 assess the social and environmental impact of using processes that rely on chemical changes to
produce consumer products, taking different perspectives into account (e.g., the perspectives of food
manufacturers, consumers, landfill operators, people concerned about the environment), and make a
case for maintaining the current level of use of the product or for reducing it
Resources
investigating ocean pollution
Experiments demonstrating why plastics and petroleum are two of the worst pollutants of the world’s oceans.
(Source: Teaching Green: The Elementary Years, pages 148-150.)
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/toxic-technology
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
45
grade 6
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Idea #1:
International trade has advantages for people, but comes with harmful
environmental impacts.
learning concepts
 A lot of energy is used to transport goods
when they are imported from, or exported
to, far–away markets (particularly when they
are transported in trucks, which contribute to
pollution and climate change).
We can reduce our environmental impact
by buying locally (e.g., we can buy potatoes
grown in Ontario rather than PEI).
We can lessen our environmental impact by
reducing the amount of garbage that needs
to be transported. In 2008, Canadians sent
777 kilograms of waste per capita for disposal.
(Statistics Canada).
Some communities in Ontario export waste
to the United States (Michigan) because their
local landfill sites are full. Dozens of trucks
are hauling garbage hundreds of kilometres,
creating tonnes of greenhouse gases that
pollute the air.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 6 on pages 45 – 49.
social studies: Canada & World Connections–Canada’s Links to the World (2004)
6z24 identify and describe Canada’s economic, political, social, and physical links with the United States
and other regions of the world
6z29 identify products that Canada imports and exports
6z33 identify Canada’s connections with the United States through the media, trade, immigration, culture,
technology, tourism, history, and geography
46
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 6
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Compost Family Feud: Building a Worm Compost Challenge by Foodshare (www.kidsgrowing.ca)
compost family feud: building a worm compost challenge
In this fun lesson, students participate in a worm compost challenge and build a worm bin home.
www.foodshare.net/download/Gr6-Compost-Family-Feud.pdf
Materials needed
 Buzzers: two bicycle bells
 Worm bin challenge questions sheet
 Worm bin containers: two empty bins
Worm bin covers: two worm bin lids with
holes, two worm bin lids without holes
edding: burlap, tarp, shredded paper,
 B
shredded cardboard and/or egg cartons, dried
leaves, wood chips, straw, etc.
Multiple laminated compost bin & food
cards:
• two of each of the following items: worms,
banana peels, apple cores, bacon, mango
peels, rotting lettuce, orange peels, buttered
toast, pasta with sauce, plain rice, chicken
bones, plastic wrap, steak, eggs, eggshells,
chips, coffee grounds, garlic, onions, tea
bags, potato peelings, hot peppers, sweet
peppers, cheese and crackers
• four of each of the following items: water
drops, air cards
ptional: two real worm bins with red
 O
wigglers & other compost creatures. Cover
with a blanket to hide from participants until
the final portion of the workshop.
Worm bin materials: Spray bottles with
water, shredded paper, trowels, and real food
waste in containers to feed worms (e.g., prechopped apples, banana peels)
 F inished compost to take home
Compost cycle poster or diagram: visuals of
inputs and outputs from worms to food
Prior Knowledge & skills
Key terms
Compost–nutrient-rich soil resulting from
the process of composting, that is, the process
of decomposition (food waste rotting and
breaking down, and turning into soil.
Discussion: Why do we want to compost?
Ask students why we would want to compost.
What benefits might be derived from
engaging in this action?
(e.g., food for plants, organic matter derived
from plant and animal waste). You can use
the compost cycle poster as a visual aid, if
you’d like!
texture, drainage, and fertility of the soil
so that plants can grow well (producing
healthier food plants. It is the most nutritious
organic plant food!
Information: Compost is like healthy food and
vitamins for plants. It increases the organic
Compost is beneficial to the land and
environment (ecosystems, e.g., rainforest,
and nutrient content of soil, improving the
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
47
GRADE 6
arctic, our urban setting, etc). An ecosystem
improved, it provides a healthy habitat where
animals, and micro-organisms in an area
animals, and plants) can thrive. This increases
“is a natural unit consisting of all plants,
many different life forms (a variety of insects,
functioning or interacting together with
biodiversity , or the variety of living things in
all of the non-living physical factors of the
an area.
environment.” In other words, an ecosystem is Compost diverts garbage away from landfills.
This is important because we’re running out
a community of living and non-living things.
of space to dump our garbage!
When the soil conditions in an ecosystem are
How to make compost
1. To make compost, you need a combination
do not have access to a backyard. Red
materials that are high in nitrogen or
that are native here that dig deep into
of “greens” and “browns.” Greens are
wigglers are not like the earthworms
protein, e.g.,vegetables, coffee, fruits. Browns
the ground. They come from a warmer
are materials that are high in carbon and
climate than Ontario, and actually live in
carbohydrates e.g., shredded paper, dry leaves,
the layer between the soil and leaf matter,
newspapers, wood chips, dry grass clippings.
which is why they can’t survive Ontario
When composting you need a BALANCED
winters. Red wiggler worms speed up the
ratio of 1:1 greens and browns.
process of decomposition or composting.
2. You can make compost in various ways:
They actually eat the bacteria that are
or bedding (“browns”). There are other
breaking down the food scraps (“greens”)
a. Outdoor composting – large bins outside.
b. I ndoor composting – vermicomposting
with red wigglers in relatively small
decomposers such as pill bugs, micro-
even if you live in an apartment and
pot worms, millipedes, etc. They are part of
organisms such as microbes, centipedes,
contained bins so that you can compost
the worm bin ecosystem community.
Set-up
Cover the laminated cards until Part Two and the real worm bins (optional) until Part Three
part one
Introduction & Know Your Worms Challenge (15 minutes)
Welcome students to the Worm Bin Compost Challenge. You are the worm host and the following
co-facilitators are the judges. Tell the class you will be splitting the group into two teams and that
they will be competing with each other in three sections. Teams will accumulate points by correctly
answering questions about composting.
•Before launching into the game discuss the
48
following:
1 . What is compost?
2 . Why do we want to make compost?
3 . How do you make compost?
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 6
Know Your Worms Challenge!
Split the group into two teams – the Greens and the Browns. Give each team a bicycle bell to use as
a buzzer. Teams are only allowed to ring the bell once the whole question is read out loud. When a
team rings the bell, they have 5 seconds to discuss with their teammates the answer. If the first team
gets the question wrong, the question automatically goes to the other team. Tally the votes. See list of
Know Your Worms Challenge questions on page 50.
part two
Build a Worm Bin Home & Presentation to Judges (5 minutes)
Explain that both teams have to build a worm bin with the materials that are displayed in the middle
of the room (it is ideal to hide these items until you get to this portion of the game). Let them know
that they should think about how they will use the items before choosing them. Brief on the key
concepts below that they should take into consideration. They will be given 4-5 minutes to work
together to build an indoor vermicomposter. When they hear the bike bell, they must drop everything.
Key concepts to consider when building a worm bin home:
•
Darkness/lightness
•How food is presented (e.g., whole, chopped,
•
Humidity level
•Ratio of greens (food waste) and browns
•
•
Ventilation/air flow
Types of food
minced)
(to cover food waste)
Each team will designate a leader or explain as a team why they designed and built their worm bin
as such; for example, why did they pick apple cores? They will be given 30 seconds to a minute to
promote their worm bin home as the best. For every valid point a group makes, they score a point.
part three
Interact with the Worm Bin (5 minutes)
•Students will have a chance to look and
interact with a real worm bin. Provide food
scraps in a container (with trowels for
students who do not want to touch worms
with bare hands), a spray bottle filled with
water, and shredded paper so that students
can feed the worms, hold them in their hands,
and provide them with some bedding.
•You might have to remind students that
worms are living creatures and that we
should be gentle when handling them.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
49
GRADE 6
Know Your Worms Compost Challenge Questions
1. A worm bin is a:
6. Worms eat:
a. home for worms
a. bananas
b. compost producer
b. bacteria
c. living ecosystem
c. cardboard
d. all of the above
Answer: b
Answer: d
7. Foods that worms like are… Name as many as
2. W
hat do we call the types of materials
that go in the worm bin?
you can:
Answer: fruits and vegetables (apple cores,
mangoes, banana peels), grains, eggshells, coffee
a. greens and browns
grounds, plain bread, plain rice, etc.
b. blacks and whites
c. yellows, oranges, and greens
8. Worms don’t like certain conditions or foods…
Answer: a
Name as many as you can:
Answer: light, cold weather, onions, garlic, lemon
3. T he main ingredients needed to make
compost are:
and orange peels, oily foods, hot peppers, etc.
9. What are castings?
a. water, greens, and browns
b. greens and browns
a. fishing pole and hook you attach worms to
d. green, browns, and air
b. worm poo
c. air, water, greens, and browns
use as bait
Answer: c
c. auditions for actors in a film or TV show
Answer: b
4. W
hat are other creatures that might
10. Worm bins require a green and brown
live in an indoor worm bin?
layering ratio of:
a. beetles and snails
b. caterpillars and bees
a. 1:1
d. micro-organisms, pill bugs, and mites
c. 4:1
c. ants
b. 2:1
Answer: d
d. 6:1
5. Worms have teeth. Yes or No?
Answer: No
Answer: a
11. Worms breathe through their skin.
True or False?
Answer: True
50
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 6
Resources
recreate and bash the trash!
reducing global consumption
The students will incorporate the important
Students will demonstrate an understanding
concepts of rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle and
of consumption patterns and link consumption
engage in a new notion of recreating. They will be
patterns to environmental degradation and
able to identify materials that can be recreated
diminishing biodiversity. They will explain the
rather than simply disposed of for recycling or
importance of biodiversity and gain insight into
waste. Students will learn to build instruments
why society should reduce consumption. (Source:
using the materials they have brought in over the
EcoKids, Earth Day Canada)
course of the week, and write an extension to Jack
www.ecokids.ca/pub/teachers/resources/lesson_
Johnson’s song, “The Three Rs” to include recreate
plans/reducing_global_consumption/reducing_
in order to broaden ideas of what can be reused
global_consumption.pdf
through recreating. (Source: EcoKids, Earth
Day Canada)
www.ecokids.ca/pub/teachers/resources/lesson_
plans/bash_trash.cfm
broken link? Google search
“EcoKids” > Sign-up: It’s free >
Lesson Plans > Grade 6 > Reducing Global
Consumption
broken link? Google search
“EcoKids” > Sign-up: It’s free >
Lesson Plans > Grade 6 > Recreate and
Bash the Trash!
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
51
grade 7
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Ideas for Grade 7
1. In nature there is no waste. Composting can help
us recycle our organic waste the way nature does and improve the health of the soil.
2. Our production and disposal of waste materials (garbage,
industrial wastes) affects the balance of local ecosystems
by affecting air, water, and land.
3. Sustainability means living our lives within the tolerances
of the Earth’s ecosystems, and avoiding actions that
create environmental problems for future generations.
4. Sustainable development is development “that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
Big Ecological Idea #1:
In nature there is no waste. Composting can help us recycle our organic waste the
way nature does - and improve the health of the soil.
learning concepts
othing is wasted in nature’s living
 N
processes: All organic material is recycled to
provide nutrients for other living things.
he concept of the “web of life” helps us to
 T
understand the many connections among
animals, fungi, and micro-organisms in
ecosystems.
omposting turns organic waste into
 C
nutrient-rich soils: When we compost our
organic wastes, natural processes turn waste
materials into a nutrient-rich, soil-enhancing
52
substance called compost.
omposting and vermicomposting (with
 C
worms) are excellent ways to observe some
interactions of plants (decaying material),
animals (worms and small soil insects), and
micro-organisms (invisible but busy!), as food
and garden waste is transformed into a soilenhancing substance.
omposting lets humans cooperate with
 C
ecosystems rather than disrupt them when
disposing of waste.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 7
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 7 on pages 50 – 56.
science & technology: Understanding Life Systems - Interactions in the Environment (2007)
3.1 demonstrate an understanding of an ecosystem as a system of interactions between living organisms
and their environment
3.3 describe the roles and interactions of producers, consumers, and decomposers within an ecosystem
3.4 describe the transfer of energy in a food chain and explain the effects of the elimination of any part of
the chain
3.8 describe ways in which human activities and technologies alter balances and interactions in the
environment
geography: Natural Resources (2004)
• describe positive and negative ways in which human activity can affect resource sustainability and the
health of the environment
Resources
composting
how do landfills work?
Students track various attributes of a miniature
Students learn how a landfill is made and operates
compost heap over a five-week period and discover
and explore some of the associated pollution
what kinds of materials easily decompose and
problems. (Source: Cornell Waste Management
which do not. (Source: Recycle Saskatchewan)
Institute)
www.recyclesaskatchewan.ca/for-sk-schools/
http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/
compost-complete.pdf
HowDoLandfills.html
broken link? Google search
broken link? Google search “Cornell
Waste Management Institute” > Resources
“Recycle Saskatchewan” > For
Teachers > Composting > Grade 7 Physical
Science: Interactions with the Environment
composting: a great, rotten idea
Students investigate the pros and cons of
composting with the understanding that about
30% of solid waste is valuable biodegradable
material that can be used to improve soil. (Source:
Cornell Waste Management Institute)
http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/
Composting.html
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
53
GRADE 7
Big Ecological Idea #2:
Our production and disposal of waste materials (garbage, industrial wastes) affect
the balance of local ecosystems by affecting air, water, and land.
learning concepts
ll of the stages of production and disposal
 A
related to manufacturing have effects
on the balance of ecosystems (mining for
resources - clearing habitat; refining of
fuels - gas emissions; production of metals
- heat, gas, tailings; product and packaging
production - cutting of forests, pulp and
paper manufacturing- water pollution; roadbuilding, land-clearing - intrusion into wild
spaces; oil distribution - pipe leaks, tanker
accidents).
n example of changing the balance in
 A
ecosystems is our addition of enormous
loads of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
when we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural
gas, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, etc.),
which contributes to climate change.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 7 on pages 50 – 56.
science & technology: Understanding Life Systems - Interactions in the Environment (2007)
1.1 assess the impact of selected technologies on the environment
1.2 analyse the costs and benefits of selected strategies for protecting the environment
3.1 demonstrate and understanding of an ecosystem (e.g., a log, a pond, a forest) as a system of
interactions between living organisms and their environment
3.8 describe ways in which human activities and technologies alter balances and interactions in the
environment
science & technology: Understanding Earth & Space Systems–Heat in the Environment (2007)
3.8 identify common sources of greenhouse gases
geography: Natural Resources (2004)
• describe how humans acquire, manage, and use natural resources, and identify factors that affect the
importance of those resources
• use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process, and communicate geographic information about
the distribution, use, and importance of natural resources
• describe positive and negative ways in which human activity can affect resource sustainability and the
health of the environment
54
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 7
Resources
debris dilemmas
yellow fish road
Students explore why huge amounts of garbage
In this project, students (with adult supervision),
end up on the most remote islands in the world.
paint yellow fish on storm drains in the school’s
Includes questions that accompany Jean-Michel
neighbourhood and distribute fish hangers to help
Cousteau’s video “Trash on the Spin Cycle.”
educate the community about how to preserve
(Source: PBS)
water supplies by teaching about the impacts of
www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/
pollution entering urban storm drains. (Source:
kure/debris.html
Yellow Fish Road)
broken link? Google search “PBS”
www.yellowfishroad.org/
broken link? Google search “Yellow Fish
> Teachers > Grades 6-8 > Science &
Technology - Topic Oceanography > Search
“Debris Dilemmas”
Road”> Yellow Fish Road > Resources
Big Ecological Idea #3:
Sustainability means living our lives within the tolerances of the Earth’s ecosystems,
and avoiding actions that create environmental problems for future generations.
learning concepts
ur ecological footprint is a way to measure
 O
our impact on ecosystems: This includes the
impact of technology and the generation
and disposal of waste.
aste generation and disposal is a big part
 W
of our ecological footprint. Reducing waste to
a minimum and disposing of it responsibly
are critical to learning to live sustainably.
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 7 on pages 50 – 56.
science & technology: Understanding Life Systems - Interactions in the Environment (2007)
1.1 assess the impact of selected technologies on the environment
1.2 analyse the costs and benefits of selected strategies for protecting the environment
science and technology: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms - Form and Function (2007)
1.1 evaluate the importance for individuals, society, the economy, and the environment of factors that
should be considered in designing and building structures and devices to meet specific needs
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
55
GRADE 7
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Ecological Footprint: How can we tread a little lighter on the planet? Earth Day Canada’s EcoKids
Program. For additional free resources, visit www.ecokids.ca or www.earthday.ca.
ecological footprint: how can we tread a little lighter on the planet?
Students will learn about the ecological footprint concept and complete the ecological footprint
calculator. Students will also have the opportunity to explain to their families the urgency of the
issue of consumption, and utilize problem-solving skills to discover ways in which to reduce their
ecological footprints together.
Learning Skills & Work Habits
 Responsibility, independent work, initiative, self-regulation
Materials
 Ecological Footprint Activity
• footprints (couple of photocopies)
• Meter Stick (to measure Earth shapes)
• chalk/chalkboard
• tape (to stick the feet to the Earth)
Waste and Consumption Discussion (20 minutes)
1.Come up with working definitions of
consumption and waste as a class and have
students take notes.
•What is consumption? To consume is to
expend, to use up, to purchase, to waste, to
absorb, or to destroy. Consumption is the
act of consuming.
•What is waste? An unusable or unwanted
substance or material; to use, consume,
or expend thoughtlessly or carelessly; to
lose energy, strength, weight, or vigor, to
become weak.
2.Discuss the order of importance (of reduce(1),
reuse(2), recycle(3).
•Eco-Fact: Recycling one metric ton of paper
saves seventeen trees. It takes 40-95% less
energy to produce goods with recycled
56
 Ecological Footprint Calculator
•computer for each student or two
students to one computer
• one worksheet per student
aluminum, glass, plastic, or paper than
it does to manufacture them with raw
materials.
3.Considering the above, why is recycling still
a last resort?
•Reducing and reusing gets to the root
of the problems with consumption.
Ultimately, recycling is still consuming,
where as reducing entails the least
amount of consumption and reusing
reduces consumption. Recycling should
always be the last option, but it is a good
one nonetheless.
4. What are some problems with recycling?
•Energy-intensive process, there isn’t
a strong enough market for recycled
products, still consuming, etc
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 7
Activity: The Ecological Footprint Activity: 15 minutes (led by teacher)
1.Draw three Earths on the chalkboard (46 cm x
46 cm for each Earth circle)
2.Ask students to make a list of what they need
to live their daily lives (e.g., air, wood, water,
food–meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, soil,
nutrients, and minerals), shelter, clothes)
3.Explain that when we use some of these
resources a portion of them is wasted.
4.Explain that for every five resource footprints,
two waste footprints need to be added to the
Earth.
5.Ask students to count the number of waste
footprints they each should get (e.g., a
student with ten items/resources from his/
her list of what he/she needs to live, should
Define Ecological Footprint: 5 minutes
•An ecological footprint measures the amount
of the Earth’s surface necessary to produce
all the energy and resources that each of
us requires to live (food, clothing, housing,
transportation) and to absorb all the (indirect
Calculate Ecological Footprints: 25 minutes
•Have the students calculate their own
ecological footprints.
•Find www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.
php/GFN/page/calgary_footprint_calculator.
broken link? Google search
“footprint network” > Footprint basics
> Personal footprint > take the quiz >
Calgary > kids’ version
get four waste footprint cards).
6.Ask the students to stick their resource and
waste footprint cards onto the Earth.
7.The first Earth should fill up until eventually
you have moved on to the second and third
Earth.
8.This should simulate the fact that if we
continue consuming the way the average
North American does, our Earth will not be
able to sustain us and we would actually
need three Earths.
After completing the game, move on to teaching
the students what an ecological footprint is, and
have them calculate their own.
and direct) wastes we produce. In other
words, the ecological footprint is a measure
of our resource use and waste production
and its effect on the planet.
•Depending on learning levels, decide which
calculator they should complete (adult
version or detailed kid version).
•If students have trouble completing parts
of the quiz because they do not know the
information, have them complete it at home
(when they do their assignment), so that their
parents can help answer some of the more
difficult questions. They can still play around
with the calculator during the class session,
they just won’t be able to get correct results.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
57
GRADE 7
Assignment: 5 minutes (explained by teacher)
Extension - Consumption and Consumerism
•If the Ecological Footprint Activity is too basic
for the students, watching “The Story of Stuff”
on YouTube, provides a good introduction to
the concept of consumption.
•To add to the discussion on consumption and
•Discuss the inequity in the consumption of
world resources. The richest 20% consume
76% of the world’s goods, which has a large
impact on the environment (shipping
foods/goods from overseas, using more
waste, have students research the following
water than necessary, wearing t-shirts
•Consumption and consumerism:
warm, etc). Then have them compare North
on the Internet in partners:
in the winter because our houses are so
American habits to the habits of people
www.globalissues.org/issue/235/
around the world. Discuss as a class.
consumption-and-consumerism.
broken link? Google search “Consumption
and consumerism” > Global Issues
Extension - Follow-up to the Ecological Footprint
•Classroom footprint: To follow up on the
Ecological Footprint Activity have the
students bring in their results the next day/
class. As a class, calculate the total footprint
for your class and then come up with ways to
reduce your classroom’s ecological footprint.
If you are really ambitious, you could get the
whole school or division to calculate class
footprints, add them all together and try to
reduce it by the end of the year.
•Asking for systemic change: Discuss what
parts of their footprints had the largest
impact. Are there any areas that they do not
have the power to change? Have them get into
small groups and write letters to their local
MPs about what systemic changes they would
like to see to help reduce the overall footprint
for their local community (more bike lanes,
turning off lights in the city when they’re not
needed, putting up no-idling signs, etc).
Year-Long Project
The Ecological Footprint Activity could be adapted the Ontario EcoSchools program sections.
to become a year-long project. Start the year off
with this lesson and then have the students work
in small groups to come up with ways to reduce
the school’s ecological footprint. Have them write
a proposal describing what changes they would
like to make. Then, throughout the year, they
can take the necessary actions to fulfilled their
proposed ideas. You could link these changes to
58
For more info: www.ontarioecoschools.org.
•The class could vote on their favourite idea
and then work towards accomplishing it
throughout the school year.
•They could write letters to the principal
to see if they could make certain changes,
fundraise, run a school-wide campaign, get
the community involved, host an assembly, etc.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
59
Lesson Appendix 1
Are there any quick changes you could
make to improve on the areas that
have the largest impact?
List three actions.
What barriers do you face in changing
your habits to improve your footprint?
What are two long-term goals that
would help improve your footprint and
therefore help you to live a more
sustainable lifestyle?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Explain why the areas with the
smallest impact were easier to achieve
than the ones with the largest impact?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
What were the three areas that had
the smallest impact?
______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________
What were the three areas that had
the largest impact ? (hint: use the pie
chart to find the largest areas)
Calculate your ecological footprint (ask a person in your family for help
with any question you are having trouble answering).
Visit: www.footprintnetwork.org and click on Footprint Basics >
Personal Footprint > Kids’ Version
A Closer Look at your Ecological Footprint
Lesson Appendix 2
GRADE 7
Resources
connecting our wants & needs
to the earth’s health: ecological
footprints
All species on the earth need resources to survive.
Animals have basic needs for survival, including
food, water, shelter, and space. All of these needs
are fulfilled by the Earth’s resources and connect
animals to the environment they live in. Most
humans in Western society live beyond their needs.
By fulfilling needs and wants, humans consume
a lot of the Earth’s resources. This activity allows
students to explore their own personal needs for
survival, and to draw connections to objects they
own, have access to, or want, and the Earth’s
resources that provide those products.
(Source: TDSB EcoSchools)
www.ontarioecoschools.org/curriculum_
resources/making_connections.html
broken link? Google search “Ontario
EcoSchools” > Curriculum resources
> Making Connections > page 9
Big Ecological Idea #4:
Sustainable development is development “that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”*
learning concepts
 S ome by-products of activities and
processes involved in meeting our needs
(manufacturing, agriculture, and product
use) can harm the environment. Smog (which
can contribute to asthma) is a by-product of
driving cars; algae blooms (which kill fish)
can be a by-product of agricultural fertilizers;
acid rain (which harms forests and kills life
in lakes) is caused by burning high-sulfur
content coal.
ur ability to manufacture a great variety
 O
of goods at reasonable prices, and provide
energy, transportation, and food enable us
60
to have very comfortable lives. The long-term
effects on the environment of providing all
these comforts are not always considered.
he concept of sustainable development
 T
considers the well-being of society,
the economy, and the environment in
balance. Waste in its many forms (solid,
liquid, gaseous by-products) affects the
environment now and in the future.
* The term “sustainable development” was introduced
in Our Common Future, the Bruntland Commission
Report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development, in 1987.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 7
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 7 on pages 50 – 56.
geography: Natural Resources (2005)
7g40describe positive and negative ways in which human activity can affect resource sustainability and the
health of the environment
7g41describe a variety of ways in which people use and manage renewable, non-renewable, and flow
resources to meet their needs
7g43describe ways in which technology has affected our use of natural resources
7g44explain the concept of sustainable development and its implications for the health of the
environment
7g48communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences using computer slide
shows, videos, websites, oral presentations, written notes and descriptions, drawings, tables, charts,
diagrams, maps, models, and graphs
7g49 use appropriate vocabulary, including correct geographic terminology to describe their inquiries and
observations
Resources
creating a sustainable world
what is sustainable development?
In this lesson, students consider sustainable
A definition of the philosophy of sustainable
development in terms of consumption and waste.
development and its implications for society,
(Source: Free the Children)
legislation, and future generations. (Source:
www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/
International Institute for Sustainable
educator/docs/SustainableDev_Elem.pdf
Development)
broken link? Google search “Free
the Children” > Get Involved >
Educator > In the Classroom > Educational
Resources > Sustainable Development:
Elementary Lesson Plan
www.sdgateway.net/introsd/definitions.htm
broken link? Google search
“International Institute for Sustainable
Development”
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
61
grade 8
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Big Ecological Ideas for Grade 8
1. Informed consumers can have a positive impact
on the environment by making wise purchasing choices.
2. Our economy and society are dependent upon a healthy
environment. This idea can prompt changes to how we
think and what we do.
Big Ecological Idea #1:
Informed consumers can have a positive impact on the environment by making wise
purchasing choices.
learning concepts
onsumer demand is an important factor in
 C
determining what manufacturers provide.
Manufacturing is heavily influenced by
costs (of raw materials, energy, labour,
environmental regulations, taxes) – but
consumer demand can affect the direction of
changes in manufacturing.
 S ustainable consumers: As consumers
become more environmentally aware,
they often seek products that are more
sustainable in a variety of ways (e.g., more
efficient, healthier, non-chemical, organic,
minimal packaging, reusable, unbleached).
 E nvironmentally responsible practices (e.g.,
waste-reducing, efficient, non-polluting) are
often adopted in Western society because
of the demands of citizens (e.g., McDonald’s
changing the Big Mac styrofoam container to
the paper wrapper).
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 8 on pages 57 - 64.
science & technology: Understanding Structures & Mechanisms - Systems in Action (2007)
1.1 assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of automating systems
1.2 assess the impact on individuals, society, and the environment of alternative ways of meeting needs that are
currently met by existing systems, taking different points of view into consideration
3.9 identify social factors that influence the evolution of a system (e.g., growing concern over the amount of waste
creates a need for recycling centre, and the recycling centres must grow as population and waste increase…)
62
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 8
learning activities
Source: Adapted from Talk Show, Earth Day Canada’s EcoKids Program. For additional free resources, visit www.ecokids.ca
or www.earthday.ca.
Informed consumers – The Environmental Talk show
Prior Knowledge & Skills
 impact of consumption and consumerism on the earth (e.g., ecological footprint)
 the process of summarizing and identifying key points
 drama and oral skills
Materials
 camera that can take videos (one per group)
 school video camera (to be used if a group does not have a camera at their disposal)
 computer lab and simple editing program such as Microsoft Movie Maker
 short clip of a talk show
Learning Skills & Work Habits
 Responsibility, collaboration, organization, self-regulation
Teaching/Learning Strategies
 Ask the students what talk shows they are familiar with.
 Show the students a clip of a talk show.
Ask the students what environmental issues you have talked about in class and any others they
know from the news.
Identifying Key Points to a Story
 Read the students an article about an environmental issue.
 Using a brainstorm method, discuss the article and extract the main points.
 Ask the students why they believe the key points are important.
 Ask students to outline how they would present the article in a talk show format.
Elements of a talk show
Discuss key elements of a talk show (opening
music, introduction of guest, fun elements,
interview questions, concluding comments/
reflections of the host).
Review how to write a script (introduction of
setting, characters, explanation of the show,
interview questions, etc).
• R
esource: eHow – How to Write a Talk Show
Script, www.ehow.com/how_5801612_
Have students brainstorm topics for their
own talk show in order to create informed
consumers via their show (e.g., products to
buy, products to avoid, impact of consumer
choices, alternatives to buying items).
 I nform students that they are going to create
a 3-5 minute video to promote the idea of
“informed consumers”.
write-talk-show-script.html.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
63
GRADE 8
Background Research
 Break the students into assignment groups.
Have them go to the computer lab and research their talk show topic. Gather background
information and interesting facts they can share with their audience. Students can use articles
and extract key ideas to help with the content of their show.
Lights, Camera, Action! – 25 minutes
Back in the classroom, students use the
information they have gathered to refine
their talk show script.
 The script should include
• A 1-2 minute solo speech where the
talk show host introduces the
environmental issue and the key
components of the theme of the show.
• At least two interviews with key information
innovators – these could be real or acted).
All parts of the script (key points; students’
opinion of the topic; additional research)
must link to the environmental issue.
• Encourage students to use props and
costumes.
• You should review the script before
students start filming.
providers for their topic (researchers,
You may need to set aside multiple classes for
celebrities, community members, producers,
the filming and editing process.
Conclusion
 Ask: “Why is it important for talk show hosts to inform people of environmental issues?”
Assessment
Students will hand in their research notes, their script, and their video clip. The script will
demonstrate the students, understanding of the environmental issue and summarize their
additional research.
Extension
Talk show screening: Create an event for the viewing of the students’ talk shows. Give out ballot
tickets, ask students to dress up and introduce their videos, have eco-snacks and drinks in
reusable cups.
64
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
GRADE 8
Resources
what can we do with this?
ethical consumerism
In this lesson, students will evaluate and question
A great article that discuses ethical consumerism
their consumer choices based on packaging. They
and suggests some teaching resources for
can also “take action” by writing a letter to a
educators. (Source: written by Katherine
company questioning excessive packaging .
Isbell in Green Teacher)
(Source: Recycle Saskatchewan)
www.greenteacher.com/articles/71kisbell.html
www.recyclesaskatchewan.ca/for-sk-schools/
what-can-we-do-with-this.html
broken link? Google search “Recycle
Saskatchewan” > For Teachers >
What can we do with this?: Grade 8 Health –
Understanding, Skills, and Confidences
Big Ecological Idea #2:
Our economy and society are dependent upon a healthy environment. This idea
can prompt changes to how we think and what we do.
learning concepts
Plentiful resources and fuel at reasonable
prices, as well as global connections through
transportation and communication, enable us
to produce, trade, and buy an unprecedented
array of goods. Skilled marketing and
availability of products that easily be replaced
have created a high standard of living, but
also record quantities of waste resulting in
environmental damage.
Consumer confidence – the inclination of a
person to shop as a form of economic activity
– supports our prosperity. Waste and the
replacement of disposed-of goods increase
economic growth.
Commercial media promote consumer
behaviour as being for the good of society and
the betterment of the individual. Consumer
behaviour produces waste that is related to
Technology can play a role in reducing
waste by achieving greater efficiencies in
manufacturing processes. But producing
less waste in the first place is accomplished
through responsible use of energy and
resources.
Change in society comes about when a
number of people recognize a need for
different kinds of behaviours or practices and
influence others to join them in calling for a
shift in a new direction.
People are not fully aware of the
environmental consequences of waste
(on the air, water, land, ecosystems, and
health). Education about environmental
issues motivates some people to be more
responsible about waste.
the level of consumption.
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
65
GRADE 8
clustering of expectations
ee scope & sequence lists environmental curriculum connections for Grade 8 on pages 57 - 64.
history: Canada: A Changing Society (2005)
8H36 describe the factors contributing to change in Canadian society (e.g. immigration, technology,
politics, globalization)
geography: Economic Systems (2005)
8G19 describe the characteristics of different types of economic systems and the factors that influence
them, including economic relationships and levels of industrial development
8G22 outline the fundamental questions that all economic systems must answer: what goods are produced
how they are produced; for whom they are produced; by whom they are produced; and how they
are distributed [how they are disposed of, and an awareness of the environment on which all the
foregoing depend]
8G25 identify and give examples of the three major types of industries: primary resource, secondary
(manufacturing), and tertiary (service) – and describe how these industries have developed in Canada
Resources
connecting to everyday
things in our lives
suggest possible alternatives. Or they may want to
Students should be encouraged to recognize the
impacts of consuming certain goods and makes
economic, social, and environmental costs and
benefits of the goods they consume. This activity
provides students with a perspective from which
to explore the connections between certain
products that they use or have and their social and
environmental impacts. Following this exploration,
students can create skits to demonstrate the true
impacts of items used in their daily lives and
66
create a board game that highlights the invisible
visible some positive alternatives that they as
students can choose.
www.ontarioecoschools.org/curriculum_
resources/downloads/making_connections.html
broken link? Google search “Ontario
EcoSchools” > Curriculum resources
> Making Connections > page 56
Ontario EcoSchools: Waste Minimization Learning Activities by Grade (1-8)
This resource is an adaptation of the EcoSchools Waste by Grade Guide (1-8) produced by
the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The TDSB has donated this resource to the
Ontario EcoSchools Program as part of its in-kind contribution to the project.
current project partners
www.ontarioecoschools.org
08/11