SMART96-Project C.A.R.E.

ProjectC.A.R.E.

Children and Adults Respecting the Environment

Project Overview:

To expose students to a variety of lessons and experiences that promote environmental responsibility.
Suggested Grade Level:
K - 6

Project Outcomes:

Students will understand the recycling process.
Students will communicate their understanding of recycling to others.
Students will have an increased respect for the environment

Math Standards:

Statistics - Construct and interpret tables, graphs, and charts.
Draw conclusions and make predictions using collected and recorded data.
Connections - Recognize and use mathematics in their daily lives.
Problem Solving - Use models to describe and solve real-world problems.
Communication - Relate their everyday language to mathematical language and symbols.

Science Standards:

Interdependence of Life - Being aware of our interdependence with the environment.
Setting priorities and accepting responsibilities in the home, family, and community.
Measurement - Measuring instruments can be used to gather accurate information for making scientific comparisons of objects.

Internet Activities:

Mathematics, Science, Technology

Collecting information: Information will be collected using Netscape to access Search Engines in the WWW.

Connecting to people: Teachers and students are encouraged to join News groups online, such as I*EARN (http://www.iearn.org/iearn) and IECC (IECC-REQUEST@stolaf.edu). These groups allow students to conduct online chat, engage in writing activities, or join other classrooms involved in similar projects.

Collaborating with others: Classrooms will maintain keypals using E-Mail and Eudora. As part of this project, teachers and students will subscribe to a List Serve. Environmental Education (eflist-request@htbbs.com) and Children, Youth, and Environment (ssi@cunyvmsl.gc.cuny.edu) are List Serves that deal with environmental issues.

Other Activities: Classrooms are encouraged to publish a newsletter and/or create a Home Page.

Curriculum Connections:

Math: Weigh the Waste

Identify and collect recycled material in a bin.
Weigh the bin at the end of one day.
Estimate the weight of collected waste at the end of one week, one month, one year. *For the World's Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide refer to: http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html
Graph the daily weight of collected waste for one month.
Compare these graphs with other classrooms online.

Science:

Revive

View the recycling process online through The Recycling Slide Show found at: http://crest.org/environment/gotwh/general/recycle-slides/html/intro.html
For a number of integrated recycling activities search the AIMS Activity Databaselocated at: http://www.aimsedu.org/LassoLite/search.html

Social Studies:

3R's in the Community

Contact local recycling centers to identify locally recycled materials. *In RI use E-mail to contact Solid Waste Management at: RISWMC@ici.net
Categorize materials according to method of disposal using the following categories:
Reusable
Recyclable
Reducible
*A guide to commonly recycled materials can be found at:http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.htm

Geography:

Global Outreach

Contact 3 locations currently recycling an exchange information.
Identify contact sites on a map. *An extensive list of sites can be accessed at http://altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/query?pg=q&what=web&fmt=.&q=recycling

Language Arts:

Cyber Chat

Eudora and word processing will be accessed to enable intra-school communication to allow comparison of results and information exchange.
Students work in teams to compile learned information along with projects,displays, artwork and research to peer teach and promote healthy recycling to other classrooms. *Presentation can be videotaped.

The Arts:

Spread the Word

Create posters to encourage recycling.
Other recycling activities for children can be found in a Canadian project entitled 3R's in the Homes: http://www.web.apc.org/rco/factsheet/fs_b06.html
Use recycled materials in sculpture.Contact local artists who use this medium through the RI School of Design at: http://www.risd.edu/
Use recycled paper to produce new paper. For a site which looks at recycling in industry go to Continental Paper Recycling at: http://www.metrowaste.com/

Curriculum Extensions:
- Field Trips:
  1. Park Plaza, Boston, MA, contact thru Eco Phone:1-617-457-2489
    The Park Plaza offers students the opportunity to look at business and itÕs efforts to utilize recycling wherever and whenever possible.
    Johnston Landfill, Johnston, RI, contact at: RISWMC@ici.net
    
    The Johnston Landfill offers an up-front look at the processing of recycled materials.
    Each of these locations are involved extensively in recycling.
Assessment:
- Students will initiate a classroom recycling project.
- Students will be able to identify recyclable materials.
- Students will locate sites for processing recyclable materials
- Students will organize a presentation to communicate their knowledge of
recycling to others.

Other Resources:
- Sites -Recycling for Rhode Island Educators, contact Kathleen at 401-273-9418
- Recycler's World at: http://www.recycle.net/recycle/
- Some good Lesson Plans: gopher://nceet.snre.umich.edu:70/11/activities/cornel
- Books
  50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth, The Earthworks group
  The Great Trash Bash, Loreen Leedy
  Four Against The Odds, The Struggle To Save Our Environment, Stephen Krensky
  Garbage! The Trashiest Book YouÕll Ever Read, Suzanne Lord
  Long Live Earth, Meighan Morrison
  The Cleanup Surprise, Christine Loomis
  Spirit Quest, Susan Sharpe
Project Authors:
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