Title: Introduction to Plastics and Recycling

Subject: Environmental Science

Grade: Grade 11 (University & College Prep)
Length of Period: 75 mins
Location: Field

Guideline Expectations:
E3. demonstrate an understanding of the nature and types of waste and strategies for
its management.

Specific Expectations:

E3.4 explain common strategies and technologies used in the collection and storage of
waste (e.g., strategies such as recycling, composting, dumping in landfill sites;
technologies such as compacters, enzyme digesters, flocculation tanks)

E3.5 explain how scientific knowledge and technological processes have been applied
in the development of environmentally sound waste management strategies

Phases of Instruction (circle):

1. Motivation; b. New Learning; c. Consolidation; d. Transfer/Linkage

Learning Objectives:
Today I will learn:
● The various types of plastic and their numerical rating
● Hazards of using plastic products, both for the environment, and humans
● How recycling in Thunder bay takes place

Success Criteria
I Can: Describe all 8 plastic types
I Can: Identify environmental concerns with regard to the use of plastic
I Can: Come up with reasonable solutions to reduce plastic use

Organization of Location:
Play area will be organized according to the diagram in appendix 1
Lesson Flow:

Begin by having students participate in a graffiti wall about recycling (15 mins).
• Each group will receive a piece of chart paper and will be asked to draw or write words
or phrases that come to mind when they think of the word recycling
• Groups will post their chart paper on a wall in the classroom to create an graffiti gallery
wall.
• Students will be given time to roam the class and look at other groups “graffitti”

Following this graffiti wall students should be lead to the field to outline the parameters
of the macro model activity (45 mins).
● Students will participate in a macro model as a hands on way of learning about each of
the types of plastics.
● Students will be asked be engaged and participate in the activity

Following the macro model students will engage in a discussion about plastic use in our
society and possible solutions moving forward (15 mins)
● Students will discuss plastic use in their own life, how they perceive recycling,
and what they learned about plastic in class
● Students will complete exits cards to demonstrate their learning (5 mins out of 15
for discussion)

Materials

8 assorted colours of balls (you will need 8 of each colour)

Pylons or cones to outline play area
Answer pages for scorekeepers

Activity Instructions:

1. Begin by separating the group into two teams, and select 1 player from each
team to be scorekeeper. Scorekeepers will not play in the game but will still
access all learning materials.
2. Each team will will have an equal number of balls scattered into their side of the
playing field.
3. One at a time, players will enter into their play area, grab a ball (only one at a
time), and take it to the scorekeeper.
4. The scorekeeper will look at which colour of ball the player has brought, and the
player will be given the option to either “ask” or “tell”
 5. If a students chooses to “ask” , the scorekeeper will tell the player all of the
related information on their specific type of plastic. Each colour of ball represents
one of the 8 plastic codings.
6. If a player chooses “tell”, the scorekeeper will ask them a question about their
type of plastic. If the player answers correctly, then they may thrown their ball
into the other team’s play area. If incorrect the ball must be placed back into their
play area and another colour must be done next.
7. Teams will have 10 minutes to gather as much information and try to rid their
area of play.
8. After 10 minutes teams will stop and move into the race portion of the game.
9. On go, teams will attempt to remove all of the balls from their area and place
them in a neutral disposal site. To dispose of a ball, teams must answer a
question correctly about the type of plastic.
10. The first team to dispose of all of their plastic products wins.

Debriefing:
Before we discuss as a group, we will give them about 3 minutes to write down
any questions they would like to ask. Throughout our debrief students will be
encouraged to write down any questions that arise on exits cards.
During the debrief, students will be given prompting questions about plastic use
in their own lives, and how they see plastic use in the future. As a teacher, allow for the
conversion to take its own course and provide guidance when necessary.

Assessment:

Exits Cards
● Exit cards require students to respond to questions or prompts on a piece of
paper that they will pass in to you before they leave class. These cards provide
you with immediate information that you can use to assess students’
understanding, monitor their questions, or gather feedback on your teaching.
● Students will be asked to answer their exit cards in a 3,2,1 format
○ 3 - types of plastic codes and common products made from them
○ 2- ways to reduce plastic use
○ 1- question moving forward, or a perspective change the student had
during the activity
○
Written Feedback
● Students will be given written feedback about their exit cards
● Feedback will be guided by a set of guiding questions

Feedback Guiding Questions

● Does the student have all the required content?
 ● How does the student display understanding of the concepts?
● Does anything in the response identify misunderstanding?

Appendix

Appendix 1

Scorekeeper

Team 1 Team 2
Play Area Disposal Play Area

Scorekeeper
 Scorekeepers Answer Key

RIC Colour ABBREVIATI POLYMER USES REPURPOSED Recyclable

ON NAME TO MAKE

1 Blue PETE or PET Polyethylen ● Soda textiles, carpets, Yes

e bottles pillow stuffing,
Terephthalat ● Medici life jackets,
e ne jars storage
● Peanut containers,
butter clothing, boat
jars sails, auto parts,
● Combs sleeping bags,
● Bean shoes, luggage,
bags winter coats
● Rope
● Tote
bags
● Carpet
● Fiberfill
materia
l in
winter
clothin
g

2 White HDPE High- ● Milk Plastic crates, Yes

Density jugs lumber, fencing
Polyethylen ● Juice
e contain
ers
● Grocer
y bags
● Trash
bags
● Shamp
oo and
conditi
oner
bottles
● Soap
bottles
● Deterg
ent
contain
ers
 ● Bleach
contain
ers
● Toys

3 Purple PVC Polyvinyl ● Plumbi Flooring, mobile In some

Chloride ng home skirting places
pipes
● Grocer
y bags
● Tile
● Cling
films
● Shoes
● Gutters
● Windo
w
frames
● Ducts
● Sewag
e pipes

4 Orange LDPE Low-Density ● Cling Garbage cans, In some

Polyethylen wrap lumber places
e ● Sandwi
ch
bags
● Squee
zable
bottles
for
condim
ents
such
as
honey
and
mustar
d
● Grocer
y bags
● Frozen
food
bags
● Flexibl
e
 contain
er lids

5 Yellow PP Polypropyle ● Plastic Ice scrapers, No

ne diapers rakes, battery
● Tupper cables
ware
● Kitchen
ware
● Margar
ine
tubs
● Yogurt
contain
ers
● Prescri
ption
bottles
● Stadiu
m cups
● Bottle
caps
● Take-
out
contain
ers
● Dispos
able
cups
and
plates

6 Red PS Polystyrene ● Dispos Insulation, No

or able license plate
Styrofoam coffee frames, rulers
cups
● Plastic
food
boxes
● Plastic
cutlery
● Packin
g foam
● Packin
g
peanut
 s

7 Green N/A Miscellaneo ● Plastic Plastic lumber No

us Plastics CDs (which is often
(polycarbon and used in outdoor
ate, DVDs decks, molding,
polyctide, ● Baby and park
acrylic, bottles benches
acrylonitrile ● Large
butadiene, water
styrene, bottles
fiberglass, with
and nylon) multipl
e-
gallon
capacit
y
● Medica
l
storage
contain
ers
● Eyegla
sses
● Exterio
r
lighting
fixtures

8 Black Un-coded Various ● Gorete Not able to be NO

x repurposed
● Polyest
er
● Sytheti
c
rubber
● Acrylic
● Polyur
ethane
● Epoxy
● Teflon
● Formic
a
● Kevlar
● ABS
● Carpet
s