Going Green PBL

Created Jan. 24, 2024 by Laurie Newhouse

We’re Going Green

Content/Standards: Science (soil, environment) and Writing (persuasive)

  • (SS) 1.G.2.1 Explain ways people change the environment (planting trees, recycling, cutting down trees, building homes, building streets, etc.).
  • (Sci) 1.L.1.3 Summarize ways that humans protect their environment and/or improve conditions for the growth of the plants and animals that live there (e.g., reuse or recycle products to avoid littering).
  • (ELA) W1.1 I can write an opinion piece (about a book) with a clear topic, support for my opinion, and closure
  • (ELA) W.1.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers
  • (ELA) SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly

Timeline: March-April (Big presentations on Earth Day April 22nd)

Entry Event: Students will watch a virtual field trip to a landfill.  20 five pound bags of trash (plastic products that can be recycled) will be displayed in the hall to physically represent the amount of trash that an average American throws away EACH day.

Reflection Piece: As a pre assessment reflection tool, teams of students will be given a bag of trash to sort into landfill, reuse, recycle, or compost bins.  Afterwards, students will discuss why they put those things in the different bins.  Following the Garbology lessons, students will complete this activity a second time.  They will then reflect on the differences between the two sorts in a group discussion.  

  • Peer critique: How are you going to change your project after hearing this? Doesn’t have to be formal (reflection journal)

Driving Question: What can you design to reuse, recycle or compost the things we throw away at Green and why is this important?  

Voice/Choice:

  • Questions: KWHL, wonder bubbles (I wonder what I can recycle)
  • Resources: online resources/websites, books, scholastic news articles,
  • Tasks and Roles: students all have roles in creating the project and each has a rubric that will individually assess their project contribution/learning
  • Product : What they are creating        

Major Products: Persuasive letter/speeches for grant approval presented with Voki with a QR code, prototype/model/design

Making Products Public: The letters are being sent to WCPSS officials.  

Project Idea: Students will act as Earth scientists to research, plan, and design a prototype/model of an object that will provide a solution for recycling, composting, or reusing existing materials in our school.  They will research various recycling, composting, and reuse methods and relate it to trash generated at Green.  They will work in teacher-made teams of 3 or 4 to develop this prototype/model/or design plan.  After creating their solutions, students will create a Voki (linked to a QR code).  This will be attached to their persuasive letters.  Students will then individually write persuasive letters to WCPSS officials to petition for the implementation of their solution.  These letters will actually be sent and hopefully, elicit a response.  Students will also present their projects in a “science fair” model to peers, parents, environmental experts, and staff.      

Resources:

Return to top