LESSON 5
Make a Difference
HANDOUTS:Facts about Garbage
Challenge Cards
SUBJECT AREAS:Math, Social Studies
TEACHING OBJECTIVE:To introduce students to the resource economies of recycling aluminum cans. To develop understanding about students' own impact on the amount of solid waste produced and recognize the impact of recycling on energy and natural resources.
SKILLS:Calculation, Evaluation
MATERIALS:
KEY VOCABULARY: None
TEACHER TIP: You may want to laminate the "Facts About Garbage" handout and Challenge Cards (or glue them to sturdy cardboard) so they can be used again. You may need to adapt the math exercises "up" or "down" depending on your students' skill levels, or work the activities as a group.
TIME: Preparation
Copy and cut up "Facts About Garbage" and Challenge Cards, 10 minutes

Class Time
Working problems, 30 minutes
Wrap up discussion, 5-10 minutes



BACKGROUND

According to the Can Manufacturers Institute, 101.3 billion aluminum cans were shipped for purchase in 1995. Using recycled aluminum beverage cans to produce new cans allows the aluminum can industry to make up to 20 times more cans for the same amount of energy. New aluminum cans are made up of an average of 54 percent recycled aluminum. In 1995, the amount of energy saved was equivalent to 20.6 million barrels of oil or 12.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The recycling industry operates a coast-to-coast recycling network of more than 10,000 buy-back locations and works with more than 8,000 cities and counties with municipal or curbside recycling programs.

Environmentally literate citizens act on their own conclusions about actions they can take to ensure environmental quality. This lesson invites students to apply their math skills as they inquire whether or not what they do as individuals and in groups can make a difference.


PROCEDURE


(Children this age may have some trouble with the word problems or with the multiplication or division. You may want to work the problems together as a group.)

1. To introduce the activity, begin with some questions:

2. Explain that some people say environmental problems are so big that one person's actions probably don't matter. Ask students how they feel about that statement. Do they think it's true? Why or why not?

3. Explain that we can find out how our actions do make a difference. Solving our garbage problems is a good example. By using some facts about garbage, we can find out how much difference our actions could make.

4. Have the class form groups of two or three. Explain that they are going to solve some waste problems using a set of facts.

5. Give each group a copy of the Challenge Cards, paper, pencils and calculators (optional).

6. Do the practice challenge as a class and then let the groups do as many of the activities as time permits.

7. Ask each group to report their answers. Share the following correct answers and review the problem-solving process, if necessary.

Practice:

Challenge 1:

Challenge 2:

Challenge 3:

Challenge 4:




WRAP UP

(Discuss the following questions with the group.)
1. Would your efforts and your family's efforts to recycle cans make a difference? What did you think when you found out you would make a difference? Give some examples.

2. How many people live in your neighborhood (or apartment building)? If everyone recycled the same amount of cans as you did, what would your answers to these problems be?

3. A lot of "embedded" energy — the energy it takes to produce, transport, use and dispose of a product — was saved by recycling. Why? (It takes energy to obtain natural resources; recycling replaces natural resources.)

4. What other consequences, besides saving energy, do you get from recycling? (fewer resources used, lower costs, less waste)

5. What other actions could you take that would really make a difference in reducing waste?


EXTENSION


1. Ask a parent or an older brother or sister to help you with this challenge. On a county or city map, trace the route your family takes to run errands or go to a favorite place such as your soccer games, your relatives' homes or your school. Calculate the mileage involved by reading the mileage scale on the map. Use information about how many miles your family car could go on the number of aluminum cans you recycled each year, and figure out how many trips you could take to that place on the amount of gasoline saved.

This is the information you need to get started:

  1. # of aluminum cans your family could recycle each year
  2. # of cups of gasoline saved
  3. # of gallons of gasoline saved
  4. # of miles to the gallon saved (a parent can tell you how many miles the family car gets in one gallon of gas)
  5. # of miles traveled on your favorite route (check the mileage scale on the map; ask a parent to help you if you get stuck)
  6. To figure out how many trips you could take based on energy saved, divide the answer to #4 by the answer to #5.
Here's an example: The Jones family travels 10 miles to their favorite amusement park. They use and recycle 320 cans per year. The Jones' family car goes 30 miles on every gallon of gas.

320 cans = 320 cups of gasoline saved
320 ÷ 16 cups/gallon = 20 gallons saved
20 gallons X 30 miles/gallon = 600 miles/gallon saved
It's 10 miles to the amusement park.
600 miles saved X 10 miles each trip = 60 trips


REFERENCE

"What a Difference I Make!" Working on Waste, publication 4H-BU-6064, Minnesota Extension Service, 1992, page 26. Adapted with permission of the copyright holder.