Everything must go somewhere because there is no such place as away.

We all are responsible for the difference we make — because everything we do and everything we don’t do makes a difference.

Where does all our stuff go when we no longer need or want it? It doesn’t just disappear. Once students discover in this Learning Experience that there is no such thing as away, they will learn some creative and innovative solutions in the next Learning Experience. (1.4.4).

• Provide students with a schoolyard/playground map in a scale that can used to make notes from observation. Make sure the map shows a few of the larger buildings and the major streets. During the walk students will mark and label their map where they observe stuff that people are finished with and what they have done with it . Ask them to make note of where they think these things will “end up.” If you are able, take them for a neighborhood walk with maps and/or ask the children to make a map of their walk home from school and mark with their observations.
• Discuss in groups, take notes and share as a class:
  • Where does all our stuff go when we no longer need or want it?

Students will watch the Voices for the Planet video “The Last Straw” and use a NOTICE and WONDER T-CHART to record what they see and hear.

As they watch these additional videos they can reference what they observed on their schoolyard map.Here are a few more videos to explore along with their neighborhood map:

What is Compost

Recycling

Upcycling

Landfills

Ask students to Identify products found on your walk that can be composted, recycled or reused (e.g., paper, plastic, cans, fabrics, lumber) and label them accordingly: Compostable, Recyclable, Reusable, Landfill

We live in a closed system in terms of materials, (show Earth in Google Earth) which means all of the stuff we use comes from this planet and when we’re done, all of it goes back someplace in, on, or in the atmosphere (above the surface of) of the planet.

Everything must go somewhere because there is no such place as away.

Ask students: Where does all our stuff go when we no longer need or want it?

• Who is responsible for taking care of the materials we no longer need or want?
• Watch “The Story of Solutions”
• Imagine: Create a group poster depicting a world without human made material waste
• Watch the Voices for the Planet Video: Words Have Power
• Students can begin to consider their role in the material cycle and help others understand how important this is.
  • Examples could include: A Public Service Announcement (PSA), a Poster for the community, or write a letter to a local politician.

• Can material waste become art? (check out Basurama– they have a project at Southwark Elementary School in Philadelphia)
• Can materials waste find new uses? (Designboom Skateboard decks)

Talk with the art teacher about creating artwork from found materials.