Issue Definition
This unit provides 4th graders with an opportunity to explore foundational concepts in environmental literacy. Students will examine how the decisions we make regarding the design, use, and disposal of materials impacts the larger ecosystem.
Outdoor Field Experience
In the initial learning activities students identify the complex process of making the stuff we use everyday. They trace materials back to their organic sources. In LE 1.3.4 students go outside and map where they find stuff that has been thrown away. This can be done in the schoolyard, inside school hallways, or in their own neighborhoods.
Synthesis and Conclusion
The subsequent LEs ask students to use the data collected about the stuff they saw that will ultimately make its way into the water system. They can then describe and demonstrate how the materials cycle from design through disposal plays a significant part in the health of our water system. They can formulate conclusions about the risks if these issues are not addressed.
Environmental Action Project
In LE 1.10.4 students are asked to identify one aspect of the materials cycle that they would like to address. Students may decide to focus on one category of “stuff,” such as water bottles, snack wrappers, etc. They can then collaborate to design a solution to address their problem.