Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE
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Unit Purpose:
This unit emphasizes the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling with a particular focus on the significance of respecting the environment and being good stewards of the Earth. Using literature and hands-on activities, the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle will be explored. The culminating project will include students sharing their time and talent to make new paper from used classroom scrap paper. The learners will act philanthropically by using the hand made, recycled paper to create cards to give to others in the community.
Focus Questions(s):
Is it the responsibility of everyone to reduce, reuse, and recycle? How does that demonstrate respect for the Earth?
Unit Objectives:
The learner will:
- understand the concept of reducing, reusing and recycling trash.
- define the words “reduce”, “reuse” and “recycle”.
- brainstorm ways to reduce, reuse and recycle trash in their schools and homes.
- review the term philanthropist and how it relates to the topics of reducing, reusing and recycling trash.
- review the term “respect”.
- use math measurements of weight (pounds/ounces and grams/kilograms).
- participate in a school grounds clean-up.
- use prediction skills.
- share their time and talent to create something for others, unselfishly.
- reflect on the act of philanthropy through discussion and journal writing.
- reflect on their learning experience with the “four R’s” and how they will use their new knowledge in the future.
Service Experience:
Lesson Three:
Learners will participate in cleaning up litter from the school grounds.
Lesson Four:
The culminating Academic Service-Learning component for this unit consists of a hands-on activity where the learners will make new paper out of old paper scraps (i.e. recycling). With this newly made 100% recycled paper, students will make greeting cards and/or stationery for others in the community. Learners will then reflect on the concepts that were covered in the unit through discussion and journal writing and share their experiences and feelings with their teacher and families.
Unit Assessment:
The unit assessment would be based on a class reflection discussion and the learner’s reflection journal.
School/Home Connection:
“Copy-and-Paste” Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:
This week we are working on Learning to Give Unit titled: “The Four R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, RESPECT!” This unit covers many different curriculum outcomes as well as promotes philanthropic topics such as conservation, environmentalism and responsible citizenship. We are learning about the importance of caring for our Earth by creating less trash, reusing household/classroom items when we can, and recycling. This will help make our Earth a better place and make us responsible, caring stewards of our planet. Please encourage your child to talk about the various classroom activities that we have been working on. Ask your child to tell you about our culminating activity of making handmade paper and find out who we shared them with!!
- Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
Attachment Two, Lesson One: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Worksheet
Notes for Teaching:
Lesson Three:
Learners will participate in cleaning up litter from the school grounds.
Be sure to tell the learners not to pick up any hazardous materials such as syringe needles, glass, etc. Ask them to mark the materials and have an adult retrieve the items.
Lesson Four:
Try to get as many parent volunteers to help as possible. You might want to have learners partner up and make one sheet/card per learner pair. Be sure to have an activity planned for the other learners while the learner/learner pair is working on making the paper. (Learners could be working on a first draft of what their card will look like when it is finished.) You also may want to try to actually make the paper before you have the learners do it.
Check your City’s trash/recycling program to get a list of items that the city will take to recycle.
Screen frames should be made in advance of beginning this unit. (See Attachment One, Lesson Four: Spreading Cheer by Recycling!) for directions on making these frames.
State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:
See individual lessons for benchmark detail.
Lessons Developed and Piloted By:
Amy Peters
Mona Shores Public Schools
Lincoln Park Elementary
2951 Leon Street
Muskegon, MI 49441
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.