LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Name: Steven Perez Title of Lesson: Waste of space Grade: 6th

STANDARDS

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for minimizing a human impact on the environment. (Next Generation Science Standards, 2013) 68.WHST.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (AZ Common Core Standards, 2013)

LESSON SUMMARY/OVERVIEW

Todays lesson is designed to achieve 2 basic learning goals:

Empower students with knowledge about current statistics on American waste production Get students to apply Future's Thinking to the concept of finite natural resources (land space)

Although this lesson delves into topics that are generally applicable to every society on Earth, it is primarily intended for students living in the greater Phoenix area. Making deliberate connections between the curriculum and the community in order to encourage lasting change is the fundamental principal of this lesson.
OBJECTIVES

As a result of todays lesson students will be able to demonstrate in writing, verbally, or pictorially the following concepts: In Phoenix, all municipal solid waste is dumped in a landfill. Phoenicians are generating waste an unnecessarily high-rate. While modern landfills are constructed to protect human health and the environment, the creation of new landfills can be problematic (Futures Thinking: Land space availability, increases in operating expense, more natural habitat loss)

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION 1.

Students will respond (in writing) to the following prompts: o When you throw something "away"- where does it go? o How does this process impact you/ your community? o Futures Thinking: What changes (if any) will you make to your lifestyle now that you know more about garbage and landfills?

2.

Futures Thinking: Given an EPA graph of American MSW output over the last 5 decades, students will make a prediction for MSW output in the year 2020 and explain their reasoning. (Optional) Sketch a cross-section of a modern landfill incorporating at least 5 safety components. (liners, caps, leachate collectors, methane collectors, groundwater monitoring stations)

3.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE

Prior to this lesson, the only thing students need to know is what garbage is. Most students will recognize the sight of a garbage truck and this may be helpful in imagining the transportation of waste to a landfill, but this is not necessary. Students may also need to be reminded of what is expected of them when responding to a given prompt. Prompts such as how many sentences should be included in a paragraph, transition words, and organization.
MATERIALS Computer Internet Access Projector/Display Area Adequate Sound System (Optional) Remote mouse controller Student Writing Journals or blank sheets of paper Graph Paper Crayons, Colored Pencils, Misc. Art Supplies

VOCABULARY/KEY WORDS

Disposal- getting rid of throwing something or throwing something away Trash/Garbage/ Municipal Solid Waste- things that are no longer useful or wanted and have been thrown away by the public Decomposition- the process where substances are broken down into simpler forms of matter (usually dry remains) Landfill- a site for the disposal of waste material by burial Construction- the building or creation of something Regulation- a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority Natural Habitat- the natural home or environment of an animal or plant Sustainable- able to be maintained at a certain rate or level Futures Thinking- thinking about how the past and present influence the future
TEACHING PROCEDURES 1.

Introduce the topic of disposal by using a real-life example: Grab a piece of trash out of the waste basket and ask the class Where will this piece of garbage end up? Their previous learning may take you right to the landfill. If it doesnt, walk them through a simplified version of the process. (Waste basket garbage truck transfer station (sometimes) landfill) Define landfill and discuss the importance of such facilities for the protection of human health and the environment. Use the content provided on Day 1s page to supplement the lecture.

2.

Use the EPAs latest info graphic as a visual aid to discuss the unnecessarily high rate of waste produced by Americans each year. Use the content provided on Day 1s page to supplement the lecture. 4. Use the latest information from the City of Phoenixs website on waste disposal to discuss the unnecessarily high rate of waste produced by Phoenicians each year. Use the content provided on Day 1s page to supplement the lecture.
3. 5.

Display the EPAs graph of MSW Generation from 1960 to 2011. (See Day 1 page) Ask students to get in small groups and make a prediction for how much waste will be produced in the year 2020. Be sure to influence their critical thinking with a variety of factors that could affect waste production (increasing population, emerging systems of recycling or reusing, economic reasons, etc...) Share predictions and reasoning. Introduce the topic of Future thinking and define it. (See vocab list) Then, discuss the important connections between Futures Thinking and landfills in Phoenix. Use the news articles coming out of from Salt Lake City and Ontario to illustrate the importance of Futures thinking and present day action. Use the content provided on Day 1s page to supplement the lecture. Summarize the key points for today: In Phoenix, all municipal solid waste is dumped in a landfill. Phoenicians are generating waste an unnecessarily high-rate. While modern landfills are constructed to protect human health and the environment, the creation of new landfills can be problematic (Futures Thinking: Land space availability, increases in operating expense, more natural habitat loss) Briefly discuss the 3 Rs and 1 C (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost) and how these actions can dramatically reduce the impact we have on our environment. Guide a written reflection to the following questions: When you throw something "away"- where does it go? How does this process impact you/ your community? Futures Thinking: What changes (if any) will you make to your lifestyle now that you know more about garbage and landfills?

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RESOURCES

Butterfield, A. (2010, September 29). Salt lake valley landfills filling up fast. KSL. Retrieved from http://www.ksl.com/?sid=12629493 Capital Regional District. (2012). Waste decomposition. What Happens in a Landfill, Retrieved from https://www.crd.bc.ca:80/waste/hartland/documents/whathappensinalandfill.pdf Lane County, Oregon. (2012). Environmental services-landfill construction. Retrieved from http://www.lanecounty.org/Departments/PW/WMD/EnvironServices/Pages/Construction.aspx Maricopa County Water & Waste Management. (2013).Landfill locations. Retrieved from http://www.maricopa.gov/EnvSvc/WaterWaste/SolidWaste/Landfill.aspx

Record News Services. (2011, October 19). Ontario landfills are up fast. The Record. Retrieved from http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2589653-ontario-landfills-are-filling-up-fast/ US Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). Municipal Solid Waste in the US: Facts and Figures Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm US Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). Municipal Solid Waste in the US: Infographic. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/infographic/index.htm Wikipedia. (2013). Landfill regulation in the united states. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfills_in_the_United_States Youtube.com. (Producer), & Star Ledger, N. C. (Producer) (2009). How landfills are built and operated [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP9Tcf0CaV0 YouTube. (2013). "Rotting Watermelon Decompostion Time Lapse Footage Video". Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S12zZhdOckc
WAYS OF THINKING CONNECTION

This lesson plan directly connects futures thinking and the concept of waste production and disposal. Students will examine past and present stats on waste production and predict how these statistics will behave in the future. Additionally, students will be exposed to two North American cities in a current disposal crisis and they will discuss what they can do (as individuals and a community) to keep Phoenix on a sustainable track.