SNC 3MO LESSONS

Students explore the question: Will humans eventually die because of their inability to deal with their own waste? Students examine the sources of waste, why wastes are a concern, current waste treatment practices and decision making, and alternative strategies for waste management. The use of a graphic organizer throughout the unit allows students to summarize the information of the unit. The End-of-Unit Task directs students to research one alternative waste management strategy and perform a cost/benefit analysis.

Details of Activities
Act. 5.1.1 Students brainstorm sources of waste.
Act. 5.1.2 Expert groups examine specific sources and identify the types of wastes produced that they post on chart paper. Individuals create a graphic organizer which summaries the information.
Act. 5.1.3 Students examine a “pollution free” fuel (e.g., hydrogen fuel, electric cars) and map backwards to examine the sources of the fuel for pollution and waste.
Act. 5.1.4 Introduce the End-of-Unit Task and remind students to continue working on the Final Assessment Task.
Act. 5.2.1 Students extend their research from Activity 5.1 into the effects of the wastes on the environment and post in the classroom. Individuals extend their graphic organizer from Activity 1 to include the environmental impact.
Act. 5.2.2 Students design and conduct an experiment into the effects of household wastes on the population of yeast over time.
Act. 5.3.1 Students participate in a field trip to a specific site (e.g., sewage treatment plant, recycling depot, septic tank pumper, industry, farm) to look at waste management practices.
Act. 5.3.2 Students participate in a teacher directed lesson about current practices (videos, newspapers, etc.) including demonstrations by teacher (e.g., alum) of waste treatment. Individuals extend their graphic organizers to include current treatment methods.
Act. 5.4.1 Students examine a case study of a local waste management issue in which students examine all the components of the decision making process (political, economic, environmental, societal, etc.).
Act. 5.4.2 Students participate in a role play of a town hall meeting or other decision making process. Each student makes and supports a decision about the issue (risk/benefit analysis).
Act. 5.5.1 Students listen to a guest speaker or watch a video addressing state of the art waste management or a company waste management program. Individuals add to the graphic organizer alternative suggestions for waste treatment such as high temperature incineration, composting, recycling, use of the waste for another purpose, sending waste to space, recycling grey water, etc.
Act. 5.6.1 Students research one alternative waste management strategy and produce a pamphlet, webpage, audio tape, video, etc. about the process including a risk/benefit analysis. (Making Connections, Communication).