How recycling works

How Recycling Works

Grade 7 Physical Science – Mixtures and Solutions (MS)

Outcome:

MS7.2 Investigate methods of separating the components of mechanical mixtures and solutions, and analyze the impact of industrial and agricultural applications of those methods.

Instructional Procedures:

1. Ask students what happens to a variety of items (milk cartons, paint cans, etc.) after they have served their purpose in the home.  Many students may suggest that the items are thrown away, but a growing number will be aware that these items can be and are recycled.
2. What happens to the items after we drop them off at the recycling depot?  A few students may have some ideas.  In the following activity we will discover how a variety of items are produced in the first place, how they are recycled and what they are recycled into.  (Note: the items included currently have province-wide recycling programs.  Other materials like paper, soft plastics and organic materials for compost may be recycled in some communities but no province-wide programs exist.)
3. Individually or in small groups, students will go on an online “scavenger hunt” to research their assigned recyclable item and then present their information with the class or possibly a group of younger students.  Presentations could be oral, Power Point, poster, demonstration, etc.
4. Students will be assigned a resource that can be recycled. 
   1. vehicle tires
   2. milk cartons/jugs
   3. plastic bottles (pop)
   4. glass bottles
   5. paint
   6. motor oil
   7. electronics
   8. aluminum cans

5. Each student will work from the supplied worksheet.  Each worksheet lists key questions to be answered through their research and in their finished project, as well as suggested links to find the answers.  These worksheets can be put on the school’s server so that the students do not need to type in the links, or students could be given a paper copy to work from.  There is a teacher version of each worksheet that tells what information can be found on each website link.  There are eight worksheets, one for each recyclable material listed in Step 4.

   Student Worksheets	Teacher Worksheets (T)
   Tires	Tires (T)
   Milk Cartons / Jugs	Milk Cartons / Jugs (T)
   Plastic bottles	Plastic Bottles (T)
   Glass bottles	Glass bottles (T)
   Paint	Paint (T)
   Oil	Oil (T)
   Electronics	Electronics (T)
   Aluminum Cans	Aluminum Cans (T)

6. Each worksheet includes a question on the processes used in recycling the item.  The processes include things such as how the item is sorted (manually, using magnets, flotation, etc.), how the items are cleaned, and other processes the item needs to go through before it becomes a useable material again.
7. When the students have completed their projects they should present them to the class or to a group of students who worked on other recyclable materials.  This ensures that the entire class gets all the information.
8. You may wish to have the students evaluate each other’s presentations based on the key questions and on quality of work.
   

Printable PDF version of lesson plan with all worksheets

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