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Recycling Sorter

Middle

Description

In this STEM lesson students learn about the challenges faced by waste sorting centres and the various methods they employ in order to effectively sort our garbage. 

The lesson begins with a video presentation of a waste management facility and their sorting methods followed by examples of how robots could be employed as part of the system. The students are placed into groups of 2 to 3 and presented with a design challenge: to create a sorting system for a mixed container of recyclable items with the parameters of keeping the paper dry and sorting the items into the categories of glass, paper, plastic and metal. The students may act as part of the machinery, but they may not touch the materials. The groups will share their ideas and then vote on the best ones to combine to build one sorter for the class. There are reflection questions to complete the lesson.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

The focus of this resource is on building STEM competencies and experience.

Strengths

  • hands-on and engaging activities
  • all links are active
  • support material is informative
  • resource is easy to use for the teacher with a google slide presentation that contains everything that is needed

Weaknesses

  • lack of assessment materials
  • lack of suggestions for students who may need accommodations

Recommendation of how and where to use it

Recycle Sorter is a great STEM resource for the middle school Science classroom.  It aims to help the students develop an understanding of the issues sorting plants face. It addresses the curriculum outcomes related to healthy habitats, environmental action and human impact on the environment.  The resource could be used during Waster Reduction Week in November or National Recycling Day in March.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 6
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      • Science
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        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions
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      • Science
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Mechanical Systems
  • Manitoba
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        • Interactions Within Ecosystems
  • New Brunswick
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
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        • Science 7 Earth Surface Processes: Learning and Living Sustainably
        • Science 7 Earth Surface Processes: Scientific Literacy
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        • Interaction of Ecosystems
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Mechanical Systems
  • Nova Scotia
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        • Science 7: Environmental Action
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Interactions in Our Environment
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  • Ontario
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    • Grade 6
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        • Life Systems: Interactions in the Environment
        • STEM Skills and Connections
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        • STEM Skills and Connections
        • Structures and Mechanisms: Systems in Action
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        • Interactions Within Ecosystems
  • Quebec
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        • Science 7: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
  • Yukon Territory
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Sustainable Consumption

Waste Management (3)

  • Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Solid Waste Disposal
  • Source Reduction

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

The resource allows for students to take the information presented and then create their own method of recycling the materials.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

The resource does a good job of presenting information on all three dimensions of the waste sorting issue. The students learn about the common misconceptions people may have with regards to plastic bags, as well the issues those plastic bags create in the single stream sorting process. 

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

The videos in the lesson support the complexity of the challenges involved in sorting our garbage as well as teaching the students about the process and issues that may arise. 

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

Students design a working model that addresses an important issue all communities face.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

The resource with its approach to the activity allows for the students to synthesize their understanding of the issues and to work to solve the problem using their own ideas.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not a focus of this resource.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

The resource helps the students to see the need for the different methods and steps for sorting our waste. It also should develop a desire to help the planet by ensuring they sort their garbage properly.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

The resource is relevant to the learners as everyone creates garbage and sorting it properly should be a focus.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Satisfactory

The resource gives the students a good sense of the present realities of sorting waste properly. The past and future are not addressed.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The students are encouraged to think for themselves.  They brainstorm, develop and test their ideas and then share them with the class.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Science
  • Mathematics
  • Literacy
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

The students are presented with a design challenge of creating a recycle sorter for a mixed container of recyclables. They work in groups to design a model for that purpose.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The cooperative and hands-on nature of the activity will support the  needs of different learning styles. However, there are no strategies for learners who may have difficulty with the material or project.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The hands-on approach and building of the sorter give the students a direct experience in context of sorting garbage and thinking through the process.  In doing so they will need to understand the components of each material being sorted.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

There are no formal tools for the evaluation of student learning.  There are reflection questions included that could be used to gauge student learning.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

The videos that are included in the lesson offer case studies to promote an understanding of the complexity of sorting garbage.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Very Good

As a STEM lesson the students have the freedom to choose the methods and ideas that they feel will work best.  There are also activity suggestions and links provided should students want to learn more.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.