Making Waste Work
An Education Project by Community Earth Works at the Action Centre

Educational Goals:

To inform students about the impact waste has on our environment
To provide students with the opportunity to brainstorm ideas to divert waste from going to landfill sites
To design and make a simple and useful project from waste products
To have students recognize the economic potential of transforming waste into a saleable commodity
To suggest simple strategies to reduce waste and promote individual responsibility for our environment

Ontario Curriculum Connection
LANGUAGE All grade levels a variety of OVC (oral and visual communication expectations e.g.,
  Grade 4 Group Skills use appropriate strategies to organize and carry out-group projects (brainstorming, summarizing, reporting, giving and following instructions)
  Grade 5 Group Skills contributing ideas to help solve problems and listen and solve problems constructively to the ideas of others when working in a group
     
THE ARTS: Visual Arts- All grade levels
  Creative work produce two and three dimensional works of art… for specific purposes and to specific audience (e.g., create a mask from waste material
     
GEOGRAPHY Grade 7 strand – Natural Resources
     Demonstrate an understanding that people use renewable, non-renewable and flow resources in a variety of ways to meet their needs
     Demonstrate an understanding of how technology has affected natural resources (e.g. with respect to their discovery, extraction, processing and market). *Could use self-destruct video article
     Analyse, synthesize and evaluate data (e.g. relating to… use of natural resources)
     Produce a report on the factors that affect the availability of natural resources)
     Present and defend a point of view on how a resource should be used
     
SOCIAL STUDIES: Grade 3 Strand – Canada and World Connections. Topic: Urban and Rural Communities
     Describe the interactions between people and the environment (e.g., dependence on nature for food, water, energy)
     Sort and classify information about communities to identify issues, solve problems and make decisions. *Focus on reducing landfill site materials through recycling efforts, “Why is this an important issue?”
     Compare the characteristics of their community (rural) to those of different communities (Urban) *with respect to density, recreational opportunities, the scope of recycling services…
     
SCIENCE: Strand: Life Systems
  Grade 1 identify ways in which individuals can maintain a healthy environment for themselves and for other living things
  Grade 2 describe ways in which humans can help or harm other living things.
  Grade 4 describe ways in which humans can change habitats and the effects of these changes on the plants and animals within the habitats.
     Describe ways in which humans can affect the natural world
     Show the effects on plants and animals of the loss of their natural habitat (nesting sites of various species will be lost due to landfill developments)
  Grade 7 investigate the bio-economic, environmental and social factors that should be considered in the management and preservation of habitat (e.g. the need for recycling, the need for people to have employment)
    Identify and explain economic, environmental and social factors that should be considered in the management and preservation of habitat (e.g. the need for recycling, the need for people to have employment)
     
  Strand:  Matter and Materials
  Grade 1 demonstrate ways of reusing materials and objects in daily activities (e.g. reuse of plastic containers for storing food)
  Grade Recognize that objects made of certain materials can be recycled (e.g. water, sewage, trash, toxic materials) and the environment consideration related to their disposal re article “No more late fees: DVD’s can be made to self-destruct” Sat., Nov. 30, 2002.
    While some organizations endeavour to set in motion intelligent practice to reduce, reuse and recycle, others like some people in the entertainment industry promote wasteful lifestyle inventions in the name of convenience. (Is this development progress of simply irresponsible technology?) Have the students decide by looking at all the implications of the introduction of self-destructing videos…
  1. View the beginning of Mission Impossible 1 or 2 to the point where Tom Cruise’s mission instructions self-destruct.
  2. Hand out a copy of the article and one piece of lined paper to each student and read together.
  3. Have Students create a comparison chart looking at the pros and cons of conventional video formats versus self-destruct videos. Students may choose to work with a partner. Instructor post guideline questions on chalkboard or overhead:
    • What volume of waste would be produced annually?
    • In 10 years?
    • In 50 years?
    • Are toxic chemicals involved at all?
    • Would any economic gains or losses occur as a result of this technology?
  4. Students share their ideas and views
  5. Come to a consensus: Should self-destruct DVD technology be promoted or not?
copyright 2002 The Action Centre
Permission is granted to use for educational purposes.
For other uses contact The Action Centre 613-628-9285