Waste Disposal and Recycling Project

James SleepEnvironmental Science

Scenario City officials have come to you expressing the need for research on waste

disposal facilities and alternatives to waste disposal. The city is planning on building a new waste disposal facility as the older one is becoming filled to its limit. They are also planning to build a recycling plant on the west side of the city but are unsure of what is involved with recycling, from building the facility to what is able to be recycled.

Your Task: You are to do major research on waste disposal facilities and their

alternatives in groups. Your findings will be placed on the internet on a class made website for all the public to see. Along with placing your findings on the internet, each group will make a podcast talking about their findings to place on the class website. As a class, you will help plan for a speaker that is knowledgeable about waste facilities, make recommendations for the city based off all the gathered information and place them on the website, and finally plan dates for a presentation in which the community is invited and each group will present.

Project Goals• 1. Students will grasp a better understanding of waste

disposal practices, how they affect us and the environment, and the alternatives.

• 2. Students will demonstrate creativity, communicate effectively, and display critical thinking and problem solving skills while doing group work.

• 3. Students will become familiar with applications that are found in the “cloud.”

• 4. Students will take advantage of the wide source of information found on the internet as well as texts.

• 5. Students will take actions the positively affect the environment and community while applying science to their everyday lives.

Waste Disposal and Recycling Project Planning TableTasks Description Resources Timeline Milestones

Task 1: Waste Disposal Internet and texts for info. Possible applications: Google Docs, Prezi,

Sliderocket Group work is required Note: All students will save their

information (word docs, power pts., etc.) to DropBox

Possibly a city official

6-8 days Initial research placed on class Google Doc. Student then choose which subject of wasted disposal they want to research further.

Subtask 1.1 Initial Research

Subtask 1.2 Intensive Research on specific Waste Disposal subject

Subtask 1.3 Post information on web cloud and present to class

Subtask 1.4 Students will help teacher plan for a guest speaker familiar with waste disposal

Information completed and presented to class

Subtask 1.5 Class Discussion on Alternatives to Waste disposal which will then lead to Task 2

Task 2: Recycling Internet and texts for info. Possible applications: Google Docs, Prezi,

Sliderocket Group work is required Local city recycling plant and waste

management Group work required Note: All Students will save their info. to

DropBox

6-8 days Initial research placed on class Google Doc. Student then choose which subject of recycling they want to research further.Information completed and presented to class.

Subtask 2.1 Initial Research

Subtask 2.2 Intensive Research on specific Recycling subject

Subtask 2.3 Post information on web cloud and present to class

Subtask 2.4 Students will help teacher plan trip to a Recycling plant and a waste plant

Task 3: Website- Make class website Possible Applications: Audacity, Garage band, Wikispaces, webs.com, Google docs, Prezi, Sliderocket, DropBox

Group work required

3 days Podcasts and information are placed on a class website for public to see.Subtask 3.1 Place podcasts on a class website

Subtask 3.2 The information that the students gathered will be placed on the class website

Task 4: Final 3 days

Subtask 4.1 Students will use their new found information and knowledge to provide recommendations to the city through a website and written report

Possible application: DropBox, Wikispaces, webs.com

Class website

Completed class report and recommendations placed on class website.

Subtask 4.2 Students will help teacher plan to invite parents for a major presentation that will last for 2 to 3 nights in which 1 to 2 classes will present a night

Parents invited to presentation night.

Task 1: Waste Disposal• Subtask1.1- Initial Research• Subtask1.2- Intensive Research on specific

Waste Disposal subject• Subtask1.3- Post information on web cloud and

present to class• Subtask1.4- Students will help teacher plan for

a guest speaker familiar with waste disposal• Subtask1.5- Class Discussion on Alternatives to

Waste disposal which will then lead to Task 2

Task 2:RecyclingSubtask 2.1- Initial ResearchSubtask 2.2- Intensive Research on specific

Recycling subjectSubtask 2.3- Post information on web cloud

and present to classSubtask 2.4- Students will help teacher plan

trip to a Recycling plant and a waste plant

Task 3:Website- Make class websiteSubtask 3.1- Place podcasts on a class

websiteSubtask 3.2- The information that the

students gathered will be placed on the class website

Task 4 Final: Subtask 4.1- Students will use their new

found information and knowledge to provide recommendations to the city through a website and written report

Subtask 4.2- Students will help teacher plan to invite parents for a major presentation that will last for 2 to 3 nights in which 1 to 2 classes will present a night

Applications used throughout the project.Sources students could use will be Google

Docs, Prezi, Sliderocket, Dropbox, Audacity, Garage Band, Wikispaces, and webs.com along with other online applications that will be of use to the students.