In this lesson students and teacher review what they've learned about aluminum and aluminum can recycling and (1) decide how they'd like to share that information with the rest of the school community and (2) choose an action project that allows them to participate in an environmental or recycling project.


PROCEDURE

2. Reinforce the idea that through their explorations into packaging, properties of aluminum, aluminum can production and aluminum can recycling, they now have knowledge that could benefit others. Ask them to reflect on the meaning of their knowledge, discoveries and conclusions for their own community.

3. Brainstorm with them about what they might like to do with this information or how they might like to put some of their ideas into action. Facilitate a discussion that explores different action scenarios. Possible activities are briefly described below.

The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp
After you review the material on The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp competition included in this kit, you may decide that your class should participate to earn some money for a special cause or as a way to reinforce the concepts learned in these lessons. If you do decide to participate in the RoundUp, the other activities in this lesson can be used to inform the school and the community of RoundUp activities and the importance of recycling. If you decide not to participate, the other activities can emphasize key concepts and the importance of recycling without reference to the RoundUp.

This project involves recycling aluminum cans. Students can use science skills (knowledge of the magnetic properties of aluminum) to separate aluminum from other cans, math skills to calculate collection goals and monetary proceeds, social study skills to map and plan their collection process, language arts skills to discuss and write up their RoundUp activity, and citizenship skills to embark on this project.

Sponsored by the Can Manufacturers Institute, the RoundUp invites groups to tell their stories about how their group interacted with the community to encourage can recycling. Other activities, such as contests for total number of pounds recycled, are part of the RoundUp. Teachers are encouraged to start this program as soon as possible and refer to RoundUp materials included in the kit for information about deadline dates.

Making Signs or Posters
This project asks students to communicate one idea about what they've explored in the aluminum can case study in sign or poster form. Students can work on this project individually or in pairs, or can be grouped into "information," "artist/designer," and "writer" teams. The information team could decide the information to be communicated, the artist/designer team could choose materials and design for each poster, and the writer team could work on composing slogans or other written material for the signs or posters.

1. To introduce the activity, show students samples of signs and posters and ask which ones they think "work." What do they like about them? How do the posters get their message across? How many messages does each poster have? Does it work better with one message or more than one message? Do any of the signs use symbols to enhance their message? Pictures?

2. Ask students their ideas about what they'd like people to know about aluminum or aluminum can recycling. Create workgroups (individuals, pairs, teams). Ask students to select an idea for a sign or poster and use the remainder of the work period to draft their ideas on paper for presentation to the class.

3. Have students present their ideas to the class and ask the class to review each sign or poster. Have the class tell what they like about the sign or poster and to suggest some ideas for making the poster more effective. (An alternative feedback mechanism could involve the poster creators saying what they'd like help with; for example, the poster is trying to show how people can participate in recycling efforts, but it needs a better slogan.)

4. After this presentation, have students complete their signs and posters. Choose a display mechanism, such as posting them in the halls or in display cases, or modeling them for older classes. Teachers in the upper grades can use the information as a basis for science fair projects, for dialogue with the students about environmental studies or action projects, or for creative writing assignments such as interviewing the students who created the posters and writing stories for the school newspaper or for submission to the community page of the local newspaper. Share copies of the students' posters with local elected officials and local recycling coordinators.

Public Service Announcement Activity
This project asks students to choose messages they would like to send related to recycling or other environmental action projects. The students review samples of public service announcements (PSAs) and work as individuals or teams to create messages that get attention and can be communicated in 15-30 seconds.

1. To introduce the activity, lead a discussion about how people often use radio or television public service announcements to communicate messages they believe will help the community. Present samples of PSAs (such as those you've prerecorded on audio or video). Note the length of each message by having the students time each one with a stopwatch or a clock with a second hand. List these times on the board. Ask how the writers made their announcements interesting and educational. Were the messages effective? Did they use rhyming words? Music? Humor? Repetition? Write responses on the board.

2. Have the students get a sense of the concept of "15 seconds." Ask them to close their eyes and raise their hands when they think 15 seconds have passed. Have them tell a story to a classmate and stop after they think 15 seconds have passed. During these activities, time them and call out when time is up.

3. Ask students to choose some messages about aluminum can recycling or a related environmental action project they would like to make into PSAs that they could then broadcast to the rest of the school. Have them choose some of the gimmicks they'd like to try to make their messages effective. Ask the students to work individually or in small groups to create their announcements.

4. Have students practice reading their announcements aloud to fit the specified time (15-30 seconds). They can use the tape recorders to play back messages and time them, or have one student be the time-keeper for each group. When the class is ready, have volunteers read their announcements to the class for suggestions.

5. Ask students to revise their announcements and practice them aloud with a tape recorder or another student. Assign a student to review office procedures, reporting times, and other requirements for PSA announcements. Help students schedule announcements for broadcast. Note: In the communications industry, PSAs are typed double-spaced, in all capital letters, with wide margins to make them easier for the announcer to recognize and to read. Teachers can choose whether or not to disclose this format to their students.

Newsletter/Newspaper Activity
This project allows the students to create a newsletter that communicates information and news. To make it timely, students can focus on aluminum and aluminum can recycling. If the project is successful, the students can produce other newsletters throughout the year that focus on other environmental or recycling issues.

1. To introduce the activity, share samples of newsletters and local newspapers with the class. Choose a (short) story with a strong lead that relates to schools or recycling and read the article to the class. Emphasize the "news" aspect of the samples and the importance of gathering accurate facts about the story events. Ask what could happen if, for example, a particular fact was incorrect.

2. Ask students what they learn in the very first paragraph of the story (who, what, when, where, why and how). Explain that journalists get this information so that readers have as many facts as possible about the news, and that they usually put this most important information in the first paragraph (or lead) of the story. Ask students to guess why this information is almost always mentioned first. (so people can get news fast, so if a paper has to run a lot of news they can shorten stories and still keep the most important information by printing the first few paragraphs)

3. Explain that newsletters and newspapers choose names that tell something about the content of the articles or about the city or place where the newsletter or newspaper is based. The name of the newsletter or newspaper is called the masthead. Develop a masthead for the newsletter by asking students to reflect on their story ideas and come up with as many ideas as they can. These ideas can be written on slips of paper and dropped into a jar to be reviewed and voted on later.

4. Suggest that the students brainstorm about news they want to cover about aluminum or aluminum can recycling. What facts should they include in their stories? What would people want to know?

5. Break the students into groups. Have several groups choose a story to cover and generate questions they will use to get information. Remind them of the basic "who, what, where, when, why and how" approach to reporting. Have one group decide how to use clip art to illustrate the stories. Have another group calculate how many copies of the newsletter are needed for distribution, approximately how many pages per copy, and therefore how much paper is needed to print the newsletter. Ask them to decide if the newsletter should be free or whether there should be a charge to cover the cost of printing. This last group could also work on getting an adult volunteer to produce the newsletter copy after it's written and be in charge of assembling finished copies.

6. Once they have chosen their questions, students can plan how to gather news, whether by interviewing or by using fact sheets, books or the Internet. They will write their stories and read them for reaction, comments or suggestions from their peers. (Note: Establish guidelines such as having listeners ask what they found interesting, what they learned from the article, and any other questions they have about the facts presented.)

7. At this point the teacher could review the difference between fact (something that is objectively true and can be proven) and opinion (a feeling or belief not based on fact and that cannot be proven right or wrong). The students could suggest ways they could verify the accuracy of the facts (use different sources to confirm the information, have someone else other than the writer check the facts, etc.). Developing a policy about bylines and photo or art credits (i.e., deciding whose name goes on the story, the art, or any other illustrations) would be one way to emphasize the importance of getting the facts straight because the writer(s) would be identified.

8. Depending on the class's ability level, the teacher could also introduce the idea of quotation marks as tools writers use to let the reader know that the words inside them were the speaker's exact words. Give examples of how students can use quotations to show the exact words of the persons they interviewed for the stories.

9. Finally, the teacher could introduce the notion of quality checks — the process of spell-checking, editing and otherwise making the writing shine for the reader. Explain that well-written articles are more interesting to read and show respect for readers' time, and the writer is more believable because he or she took the time to verify facts and correct errors. The students may suggest the names of classmates who are excellent in spelling and grammar and could use their skills to do quality control.

10. Have students revise their stories; check bylines, clip art, and photo/art credits; and print a draft copy of the newsletter, leaving space for the masthead. Review the titles students suggested and agree on a name. Arrange for printing. Consider distribution: Will students hand-carry newsletters to their audience? If they have decided to charge for the copies, how will money be collected and recorded?


WRAP UP

2. Write an article about the class project for publication in the local newspaper.

3. Contact a local radio station to see about airing some of the public service announcements.

4. Use pieces of the projects listed above to create a bulletin board display that could be mounted in a high-traffic area such as a cafeteria.

5. Create a theater event such as a play or a puppet show based on aluminum or aluminum can recycling for younger students.

6. Organize an event, such as a fair centered around a recycling theme. Exhibits might include artwork related to recycling, collages made out of scrap, or inventions made out of recycled materials. Drawings could show how recycling works or give examples of materials that are considered closed-loop recycling. Posters could demonstrate how to prepare various types of materials for recycling.

7. Marilyn J. Brackney's Website, The Imagination Factory, has several activities related to recycling material into art (e.g., "How We Recycled Solid Waste to Make a Sculpture" and "What Can a Can Be Besides a Can?"). The activities are written in easy-to-understand language and include supply lists, instructions and sample projects. Access this site and use it as a starting point for an art activity at a fair or other recycling event. Note: Cans with art affixed to them are no longer recyclable.


REFERENCE