Lesson Number: Week 2

Title: The Trash We Pass

Candidate: Sarah Kitz

Lesson Goals
*Central Focus of the Learning Segment:
Sustainability/ Preserving the environment for a brighter future
*Essential Literacy Strategy for comprehending or composing text
N/A for this lesson
*Related Skills needed to apply the strategy in meaningful contexts
Note taking
Active listening
*Standard(s) Addressed:
CCSS:

Speaking and Listening- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.B

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one
at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
Writing- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.4

With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and
purpose

NCSS:

3.People Places and Environments

Student will produce the knowledge, skills, and understanding to ask and answer question about the world around them
Social Emotional Learning Standards:
B: Apply decision-making skills to deal responsibly with daily academic and social situations.
3B.2b. Generate alternative solutions and evaluate their consequences for a range of academic and social situations.

NGSS:

5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity:

Obtain and combine information about ways individuals communities use science ideas to protect the Earths resources and
environment
*Materials/ Instructional Resources:
A Bag of trash *preferably the trash the student created the day before throughout the school day in class.
Gloves
Calculator (for students who have difficult with multiplication)
Electric Scale
Smart Board

*Learning Objectives (Add additional objective boxes as

needed):

*Assessment (both formal and informal)- Evidence of Student

Understanding:

Objective 1: Students will be able to think about the choices

they make throughout the day and from that be able to make
conservative decision for the future.

Related Assessment: Informal Assessment: Student will complete

the trash activity again and find ways in order reduce waste and
write about choices they decided to make in order

Objective 2: Students will be able to analyze how changes in

their own lifestyle can result in a smaller ecological footprint
for the future.

Related Assessment: Student Journal will be collected at the end

of the unit and given a grade based off of completion and
understanding of the material of the course of the unit through their
reflection they made in order to think critically about how they view
their world but what they can do to make these changes for the
future.

Lesson Considerations
Pre-Assessment: Have students do a quick write about what they think sustainability means and have them describe ways they can
help preserve the earth for the future.
Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills: Many students may have their own preconceived notions about protecting the
environment and beliefs about what we can do to save it for the future. Ultimately, they understand both the positive and negative
effects of humans on earth and ways we can change our ecological footprint for the future.
Misconceptions: Sustainability is arguably the most critical concept of our time and for kids this concept is often very big to wrap

their head around. However, when looking at such a big concept children have to understand that sustainability is not the ultimate goal
or endpoint it should be better regarded as an ongoing evolutionary process. Another common misconception is that sustainability is a
global phenomenon. We can agree we live in an interconnected world, however due to internal and external factor about people who
interact within the global sphere, we as individual have to be tuned into the local needs of the environment rather than the global needs
in order to enact change throughout the world.
Language Objectives and Demands
Identify a Language Function:
The language function is essential in order for students to have active discussion about the world we live in today, and how to
preserve it for the future and be able to communicate their ideas individually, in pairs, an in whole group discussion
Key Learning Task:
During the lesson students will be asked to think critically about how much waste they consume and how we as individual and
reduce our waste.
Language Demands:
Students vary with language skills in English, rephrasing, and supplementary materials will be need if students are having
difficulty understanding the topic.
Language Supports:
During this lesson students will be able to write thoughts and ideas in their journals, participate in hands on learning activities,
which expand on the lesson to bring a higher understanding of the content as a whole.

Time

*Lesson Plan Details

Lesson Introduction:
Begin the lesson by having student have a discussion about if they think they are considered themselves as a wasteful.
Write student answers on the board.

Ask questions such as:

What do you consider waste?
How much water do you you think you use each day?
How much trash do you think you throw away each day?
Have students take note of these answers in their science journals.
Learning Activities After a brief discussion show students the bag of garbage they collected (this is garbage from the previous day that
student threw out during the day. Discuss about how much garbage they used based on the bag.
Have students reflect on stuff they threw out the other day. Have them write in their journals.
Prompt questions such as:
What are some things you ate yesterday that needed to be thrown out? Drank?
How much do you think is improperly wasted? (not properly sorted by materials)
How much do you think this bag of garbage weighs?
After students have been given time reflect. Have a discussion about it.
After discussion, weigh the bag of garbage. Have students record it in their journal. Then calculate the amount of trash
by the number of students in the school, people in the city, state, and the United States to see how much waste
(estimate) we used in a day. (This is done by multiplying the lbs. of the bag by the # you are trying to find).

Student are encouraged to do this by hand for practice but can use a calculator AFTER they have tried or to
check their answers.

Then have student sort the garbage by if it recyclable or not. Give each student one glove and separate by recyclable or
not.
Remind students that the universal recycling symbol of three arrows chasing one another in a triangle indicates
that a product's packaging is both recyclable and made of recycled materials. But the presence of this symbol or
other recycling mark does not mean you can easily recycle that packaging.
When students have all had a piece of garbage to sort. Ask them Where does this all go?

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Student should respond with the answer Landfills

Other answer may be prompted depend where they see garbage thrown out (prompt them further after the
garbage bin, it doesnt magically disappear)
Once student have prompted the correct answer have a discussion about what they know about landfills
(prompt image for student who may not full know what a landfill is) and have them describe what they see
use website http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/BasicsOfLandfills.htm (for some basic information on landfills)
****Use the bathtub analogy to give further understand to student
Basically, a landfill is a bathtub in the ground; a double-lined landfill is one bathtub inside another. Bathtubs leak
two ways: out the bottom or over the top.
Show video about how landfill work:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/landfill.htm
Another image of how landfills are structured: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/greenscience/landfill6.htm
Give students a few minutes to reflect how they feel about this? If they are angry why does it make them feel this way? If
not, why do they feel like that? Once student have written their thoughts have the talk with a partner. Walk around to
listen to student responses and prompt student further if they are having difficult.

After a few minutes regroup and show picture of landfills from around the world. Use images from
http://www.takepart.com/photos/biggest-landfills/great-pacific-garbage-patch-pacific-ocean
And read each prompt to each students and have them write in their journal brief about each one for future reference.
Once student have finish writing down each landfill have a discussion about the importance of watching what we throw
out. Also talk about landfills and their importance
Prompt questions such as:
Why do we have to protect the environment?
Can my impact make a difference?
What happens to trash after it in a landfill?
How long do you think trash stays in a landfill?
How does this effect our health?
*What planned supports will you use for the whole class, individuals, and/or students with specific learning needs?
(Describe the instructional supports during your lesson that address diverse learning needs in order for all students to
successfully meet lesson objectives. This can include possible accommodations and differentiation strategies.)
Closure:
Wrap up for the day by creating a challenge for the student to produce less waste- Have students brainstorm what they
can do to make a difference (just within the classroom). Also tell them to think of question for our guest speaker
tomorrow.
5

Come up with a class incentive to produce less waste such as longer recess, or special story/movie, watching The Lorax
movie.

Extension:
If possible save the garbage (take note of the contents)
The next day students will complete the same activity being conscious about the decision they make the previous day.
Have students keep in mind way they could cut back on trash reduction.
After completing the activity have students calculate the amount of trash by the number of students in the school, people
in the city, state, and the United States to see how much waste (estimate) we used in a day. Compare their data from
yesterday, what did they do in order to do this?
Invite local government or local garbage man and have a discussion about strategies we as individual can do in order to
reduce trash and protect our environment but also how the community is fighting this issue.

NOTE: Attach any Relevant handouts, activities, templates, PPT slides, etc. that are referenced and utilized in this lesson.
For edTPA submission, list any sources used to develop your plan at the end of the Planning Commentary.