Our World and Trash
3/31/2019
This week we explored how trash and garbage affect our community. We read the poem "The Litter Monster" and talked where litter comes from. The Explorers had lots of examples to share of times and places they had seen litter. During morning meeting we used a fan to simulate the wind and saw how far and messy even a small pile of litter can become. After reading "The Adventures of Gary and Harry," where a sea turtle accidently eats a plastic bag, the students were concerned for the natural environment and the safety of the animals we share it with. They used their writing skills to make signs helping people remember to put trash in trash cans. We also studied where trash goes after garbage trucks pick it up: landfills! Using non-fiction books and pictures of the Anchorage Landfill, we made a model of a landfill in our sand bin. We did a "Sink or Float" experiment with some of the junk from our collection to see would happen if different types of trash ended up in the ocean. The students learned that different materials have different properties and we got the opportunity to sort our collection by something other than a visual characteristic. This transitioned us to conversations about recycling and which materials can and cannot be recycled. We did many sorting activities based on what materials trash was made of. We had a visit from some of our 8th grade students whose responsibility it is to collect the recycling for all of PNA. These students had the privilege to take a class trip to Costa Rica last year where they worked with leatherback sea turtles and helped with population restoration. They talked with us about recycling and how it positively impacts all ecosystems, not just ours here in Alaska. That afternoon we were able to help the 8th graders with the school recycling and got to see the big dumpster where it all goes. We are looking forward to this next week when we get to go to the recycling center and see what happens to the contents of that dumpster!
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April 2021
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