Constructive Learning: Transformation Level

(K-4 Lesson)

Engineering Solutions for Waste Disposal
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Grade Level
4
Classroom Configuration:
  • Whole group instruction, using a projector and / or interactive white board
  • Whole group activity, with small groups using mobile laptops simultaneously
Arizona State Content Standards
  • Science
    • Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
      • Concept 1: Change in Environments
        • PO 2: Evaluate the consequences of environmental occurrences that happen either rapidly (e.g., fire, flood, tornado) or over a long period of time (e.g., drought, melting ice caps, the greenhouse effect, erosion).
      • Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society
        • PO 2: Describe benefits (e.g., easy communications, rapid transportation) and risks (e.g., pollution, destruction of natural resources) related to the use of technology.
        • PO 3: Design and construct a technological solution to a common problem or need using common materials.
    • Strand 4: Life Science
      • Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
        • PO 4: Describe ways in which resources can be conserved (e.g., by reducing, reusing, recycling, finding substitutes).
  • Math
    • Strand 1: Number and Operations
      • Concept 2: Numerical Operations
        • PO 2: Use multiple strategies to multiply whole numbers (two-digit by two-digit and multi-digit by one-digit).
        • PO 4: Use multiple strategies to divide whole numbers.
      • Concept 3: Estimation
        • PO 2: Make estimates appropriate to a given situation or computation with whole numbers and fractions.
    • Strand 3: Patterns, Algebra, and Functions
      • Concept 4: Analysis of Change
        • PO 1: Identify the change in a quantity over time and make simple predictions.
    • Strand 5: Structure and Logic
      • Concept 2: Logic, Reasoning, Problem Solving, and Proof
        • PO 1: Analyze a problem situation to determine the question(s) to be answered.
        • PO 3: Select and use one or more strategies to efficiently solve the problem and justify the selection.
        • PO 7: Analyze and evaluate whether a solution is reasonable, is mathematically correct, and answers the question.
Arizona Educational Technology Standards (2009)
  • Strand 1: Creativity and Innovation
    • Concept 1: Knowledge and Ideas
      • PO 1: Evaluate information to generate ideas and processes.
    • Concept 3: Trends and Possibilities
      • PO 1: Identify patterns and trends to generate questions and draw conclusions.
    • Concept 4: Original Works
      • PO 2: Use digital collaborative tools to analyze information to produce original works and express ideas.
  • Strand 2: Communication and Collaboration
    • Concept 1: Effective Communications and Digital Interactions
      • PO 1: Communicate digitally with others by selecting and using a variety of appropriate communication tools.
    • Concept 2: Digital Solutions
      • PO 1: Contribute to a cooperative learning project and demonstrate effective group behaviors while using digital collaborative resources.
  • Strand 3: Research and Information Literacy
    • Concept 2: Processing
      • PO 4: Use appropriate digital tools to synthesize research information and to develop new ideas.
      • PO 5: Follow copyright laws when using text, images, videos and/or other sources and obtain permission to use the work of others, and cite resources appropriately.
  • Strand 4: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making
    • Concept 1: Investigation
      • PO 1: Identify an authentic issue and collaborate as a class to define an essential question using digital tools and resources.
    • Concept 2: Exploring Solutions
      • PO 1: Manage a learning project using digital planning tools to develop solutions.
      • PO 2: Generate alternative solutions using collected resources and data.
  • Strand 5: Digital Citizenship
    • Concept 1: Safety and Ethics
      • PO 6: Articulate how to respect the privacy of others' information and digital workspace.
    • Concept 3: Impact of Technology
      • PO 1: Provide examples of technologies that might be used to solve a specific economic, environmental, health, political, scientific, or social problem.
  • Strand 6: Technology Operations and Concepts
    • Concept 2: Application
      • PO 5: Create multimedia presentations with multiple pages, audio, and transitions for individual assignments.
      • PO 6: Download, store, and accurately cite web resources.
Objectives
  • The student will explain the problem of waste disposal.
  • The student will calculate and estimate data related to waste.
  • The student will research past and/or current solutions to this problem and identify the effectiveness of those solutions.
  • The student will design a new solution to this problem and explore the risks and rewards.
  • The student will prepare a presentation to educate others and share the proposal.
Procedure
  1. The teacher and students will discuss and explore the problem of waste disposal. Videos from Discovery Streaming (example, "Land: What Happens to the Garbage We Throw Away") and images of the Garbage Barge can be used to build upon prior knowledge.
  2. The teacher will ask the class to brainstorm items they throw away at home and at school. The class will then group these items into categories (example: paper, plastic, food, etc.) The teacher and class will create a mind map to show the information using an online mind-mapping tool.
  3. Students will be in groups of 3 and will view the What We Do Adds Up activity and solve the problems. Groups will report back to the class and reflect on the answers and impact that one person can make to help reduce waste.
  4. Students will then work with their group to read the Introduction, Solid Waste, and Possible Solutions for Solid Waste information on the Exhibits Collection - Garbage web site. Groups will answer the discussion questions with the teacher facilitating the discussion. (See Development section in Engineering Solutions Lesson Plan.)
  5. Students will go to Trash Timeline, and choose three significant technological advances from this timeline and answer the following questions:
    • What problem do you think this technology was designed to solve?
    • What were the benefits of this engineering solution? Are we still experiencing its benefits?
    • Were there any drawbacks? If so, what were they?
    • Could this engineering solution have contributed to our current garbage problem? How?
  6. Students will access the Recycle Roundup web site and play the Clean Up Dumptown game. The teacher will assign groups the goal of reducing the amount of paper going into the landfill as much as possible, while spending as little money as possible. Students will reflect on their experience in their learning journals or in a class discussion.
  7. Students will create a collaborative presentation choosing between 2 teacher selected choices, to share what they have learned and propose a solution to the problem of waste disposal. Presentations will be shared with classmates and parents through the classroom or school web site.
Materials
Assessment
  • Teacher will observe and check for understanding throughout the group discussions and activities.
  • Teacher will read student's reflections in their learning journal.
  • Teacher will use a rubric to assess the collaborative presentation.
TIM - Constructive: Transformation
Northern Arizona University