The Problem
We want to reduce waste and conserve resources by increasing the recycling on our school campus.
Our Plan
My fifth grade students have identified increasing recycling on our campus as a project they would like to work on. We began the Kittridge “Green Team” project by writing a short survey to find out what the school staff recycles, and how we could improve recycling. The students interviewed the staff and compiled the results. They also counted the number of recycling bins in every room on campus, and made a list of places that needed bins. They did a mapping activity on our campus, tallying where trash was found on the ground, where bottles or cans were found on the ground or thrown away in regular trash cans, and which areas had the most foot traffic. The students then decided on the best areas to place recycling bins for bottles and cans. When we get these recycling bins, the students will design a presentation to take into our kindergarten to 4th grade classrooms to teach the younger students why recycling is important and how to use the bins correctly. In the spring, the 5th graders will hold a poster contest and a writing contest promoting Earth Day and the “3 R’s.” At the end of the year, we plan on having the 5th graders teach the 4th graders how to carry on the recycling program next year.
Themes Addressed
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Recycle
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