Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

KRISTAN ONOFRIO
3RD Grade Science Lesson Plan

Common Core Standards:

3.ESS.3. Some of Earth’s resources are limited.

3-5.ICT.2.b. Use appropriate search techniques to locate needed information using digital learning tools and
resources.

Lesson Summary:

This lesson is designed to teach students about limited and renewable resources, the importance of recycling,
and the impact that “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” has on our planet. Students will watch a BrainPop Jr. video and
take a quiz, they will participate in a discussion on the types of materials that can be recycled and what
categories they fall in, and students will have the opportunity to bring recycled items from home to share with
the class. Additionally, we will take a “field trip” around the school to see where our recycled materials go
and how they are sorted, complete a QR code scavenger hunt, and work in small groups to create Google
Slides using information found in the scavenger hunt.

Estimated Duration:

This lesson will take approximately 200 minutes, broken into a week-long lesson. Each day, about 40 minutes
will be spent on the lesson.

Commentary:

I plan to begin this lesson (and get the students “hooked”) by starting with a game: I will have each student
throw a crumpled-up piece of paper across the room into a recycle bin, without any explanation.
Once everyone takes their turn, we will gather in our seats and I will ask if anyone knows what we just did…
we recycled! We will then discuss what natural resources we have on our planet, which resources are limited,
which are renewable, and how recycling can help protect these natural resources.
A challenge that might arise in the introduction section may be keeping students focused and engaged, so I
would keep the discussion brief but to the point and call on students specifically for a chance to talk if I notice
their attention wandering. Encouraging them to share could keep them on task.
Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:
Approximately 30 minutes
First 5 minutes: paper toss game; students will line up and take a turn tossing a paper ball into a designated and
marked Recycle Bin, form approximately 5 feet away.
15 minutes: Referencing a National Geographic “Conserving the Earth” article on the Smartboard, I will
introduce the concepts of natural resources and give examples, discuss what limited and renewable resources
are, review the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” concept and plastic types that can be recycled (1-PETE, 2-HDPE)
and ask students for examples of materials they know that can be recycled.
10 minutes: Students will log onto their Chromebooks, access the Clever learning system, and go to BrainPop
Jr. to watch the video “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. Students will complete the quiz provided at the end.
Homework: Students will be asked to bring in 3-5 items from home that can be recycled.

Day 2:
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
First 30 minutes: Review and ask students questions about what was discussed the day before (Who can give
me an example of a natural resource? Who can tell me what a limited resource is?). Review the concepts of
how to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Then students will present the recyclable items they brought from home.
20–25-minute field trip: Students will carry their bags of recyclables to meet with the school janitor, where
they will hear about how the janitor collects recyclables in the school, where he takes them, how he sorts them,
and where they go. Students will then sort their recyclables into the appropriate containers.
Next 35 minutes: Students will break into groups of 4. Each group will be given an iPad mini with a QR code
scanner app loaded. We will head to the school gymnasium, where (set up ahead of time) each group will
explore and find 15-20 QR codes to scan. Each scan will present a picture of an item (Examples: milk carton,
a pair of jeans, an apple core, paper cup, newspaper, glass jar, old toy doll, 7-Up bottle, etc.) and the student
collecting the code will take a screenshot on the iPad of the picture. Students will take turns scanning and
making screenshots. Students will return to the classroom after collecting their screenshots.
*Note: after dismissal and in preparation for the next day’s lesson, I will copy and load each groups
screenshots to a Chromebook.

Day 3:
Approximately 45 minutes
First 10 minutes: I will quickly review what we did the day before, then explain that I have loaded each groups
screenshot pictures from the QR scavenger hunt onto their group Chromebook. Students will be instructed to
work together to load each picture into the premade and titled Google Slide where it belongs (Google Slides
would be titled Paper, Plastic, Metal, Reusable, and Trash/Compost).
Next 35 minutes: Students will work together in their groups, using the upload feature in Google Slides (slides
would be in the classroom shared drive) to insert their screenshots onto the correct slide. A list of the steps to
upload pictures to Google Slides would be found on the Smartboard for student reference as they work
(Example: Click on upload, now click on My Computer, no click on the photo, etc.).

Day 4:
Approximately 45 minutes
Art Extension Activity
*A table will be prepped with scrap pieces of paper and ribbon, glue, tape, markers, glitter, crayons pipe
cleaners, and reusable materials such as bottle caps, milk jugs, rocks, cardboard, buttons, jars, pop can tabs,
twigs, applesauce pouch caps, etc.
First 5 minutes: I will explain to students that we will be focusing on the concept of re-using and recycling
today; students will have time to create a “Recycled Art Piece” using any/all of the materials provided on the
table. I will encourage them to be creative…can you use rocks as feet for an animal or a milk jug as a boat?
What can you create with all these items? Recyclables can be used for many things, including fun art projects!
Next 40 minutes: Students will work freely to create whatever they want, and I will support the activity by
retrieving any additional materials they request that I have on hand.

Day 5:
Approximately 20 minutes
10 minutes: Wrap up discussion and review of what we’ve learned this week in our recycling unit. Review
what natural resources are, how to conserve them, and items that can be recycled.
Last 10 minutes: Students will answer three questions presented on the Smartboard (answers will be written
on paper):
1. Name a natural resource.
2. Name one thing you can do to conserve the natural resource you listed.
3. List four things that can be recycled through our city recycling program.

Pre-Assessment:

One the morning of day one as students enter the classroom, I would hand them a “precheck ticket”, a small
square of paper asking three questions:
1. What is a natural resource?
2. What is conservation?
3. Can you name two specific items that can be recycled?

Scoring Guidelines:
 Scoring guidelines for pre-assessment would include answers to the precheck ticket as well as
observation of answers during opening discussions on the topic during day one. Students who appear
to have a higher or low proficiency for the subject would be noted so that differentiated instruction
could be added.
Correct responses on the precheck ticket would be marked with a checkmark, incorrect or insufficient
answers would be circled.

Ongoing assessment notes would be made during the review discussion each day before starting work
on the subject. If a student does not seem to be grasping a concept, I would make a note and be sure to
add some discussion with those specific students/groups as they work through their activities for the
day.

Post-Assessment:

Post assessment would be completed in the form of written answers to questions after wrapping up on day five.
Those answers would be compared to the pre-assessment questions (the questions are similar but posed with
slightly different wording for comparison) to indicate if the student has mastered the concept of resources,
conservation, and recycling.

Scoring Guidelines:

Scoring for the post assessment would be based on a 7-point scale:

 1 point for identifying a natural resource
 2 points for identifying a conservation method for that natural resource (gives room for partial
credit if concept is not fully understood/explained)
 1 point for each correctly listed recyclable material (for total of 4 points possible)

Differentiated Instructional Support

For students identified as gifted/accelerated, I would extend their learning regarding recycling so that they
would begin to identify not only recycled materials, but also what they could be turned into (so not only would
a milk jug be recycled, it would be used and turned into reusable plastic eating utensils, or an aluminum can
would be recycled and can be used in a factory to make the body of a car). Additionally, more focus could be
placed on conservation efforts when working with gifted students. They likely would understand the concept
of turning off the water for conservation, but larger scheme concepts could be discussed with these students
such as carpooling and public transportation to extend learning and expand their knowledge.
These students could assist with peer-tutoring; they might also skip the BrainPop Jr. activity and move onto a
video on National Geographic that would provide a little more knowledge and challenge.
For students who struggle with the material, an additional activity on BrainPop Jr. could be beneficial, as well
as working with a more advanced peer. They could also be provided with more hands-on opportunities with
materials to be recycled; some students seem to absorb more information and concepts when they can actually
“touch” what they’re learning.

Extension

The following YouTube video goes more in depth than the BrainPop Jr. video goes, with footage of actual
items being recycled, and more details on how it is done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fex-wvrOZf4

National Geographic has a great article on concepts of conservation; I reference it in Day One of the lesson
planning, but do not use the entire article. This could be a great resource, as it goes into deeper detail. I also
like that it highlights words that students might not know; they can click on an underlined word to find the
definition.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/conserving-earth

Washed Ashore is an organization that creates amazing sculptures from debris washed ashore on beaches.
This resource goes nicely with the Extended Art Activity from day 4 of my lesson plan. Students can learn see
how anything can be used for art, as well as learn about how much debris ends up in our oceans and on our
beaches, emphasizing the point that recycling is so important and keeps these items out of our water!
https://www.washedashore.org/galleries/

Homework Options and Home Connections

One homework assignment was included in this lesson plan, which was the task of finding 3-5 recyclable items
at home to bring to school the next day.
A second option would be to send a worksheet home with categories of recyclable materials listed; students
would go through their cabinets, refrigerator, and other areas of the home to identify items that could
potentially be recycled. They would then list the item under the correct category. To add technology to this
assignment, the option could be given, with parent support, to take pictures and load the pictures into the pre-
made Google Slides under the correct category.
Finally, additional BrainPop Jr. or YouTube videos could be assigned to watch at home, then summarized in a
couple sentences on a Google Doc in the classroom shared drive (this would only work for students who had
the technology available at home).
Interdisciplinary Connections

One area has already been integrated in this plan; the introduction of the use of recycled materials in Art
strengthens student learning by experiencing conservation and recycling in a non-standard format. This
demonstrates that traditional art materials that cannot be re-used (paint for example) are not always needed in
art projects. Red bottle caps can be used as eyes on your portrait just as easily as red paint.

A second area that could be integrated into this lesson is Social Studies. To demonstrate an idea of civic
responsibility, a field trip could be planned (or this could simply be done on and around school property) for
students to pick up trash at a local park. Items could be sorted, and recyclables could be dropped to the school
janitor for recycling.

A third area that this lesson could also be extended into is Language Arts by having students completing a
writing project at the end versus taking a short quiz. Students could complete a journal entry about the week-
long lesson, a creative story could be written, or posters could be made with descriptions and explanations
about recycling and conservation.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers  Smartboard for videos and instructions

 Laptop
 Paper to recycle/Recycle Bin
 Paper/Tape/Printed QR Codes
 Flash drive for photos

For students  Chromebooks

 Recyclable materials from home
 iPad and QR Scanner app
 Recycled and scrap materials for Art Projects (scraps of paper, string, ribbon,
bottle caps and tabs, empty milk jugs/cartons, cardboard boxes, buttons, beads,
 twist ties, rubber bands, etc.)
 Tape/Glue
 Pencils
 Colored pencils/markers
 Paper

Key Vocabulary

Natural resources, conservation, reduce, reuse, recycle, litter, limited resource, renewable resource, pollution.

Additional Notes

 This plan is written with the assumption that students have already worked a bit with Google Slides.