“Dumpster Diving”: What can “trash” tell us about our culture?

We read “My Daily Dives in the Dumpster” today in class and talked about why we live the way we live. Now, you will get a chance to do some dumpster diving of your own! Here is your assignment:

With a partner, either a classmate or a family member, find a dumpster that is unlocked and go through the contents of the dumpster as SAFELY as you can. (You might want to bring some hand sanitizer.) DO NOT go into the dumpster with your entire body—only search what you can reach from the sides. DO NOT do this alone. DO NOT do this at night. Start early looking for a “good” dumpster to search, (i.e., one that is unlocked! Please don’t use Marin Academy dumpsters.) DO NOT leave any trash outside of the dumpster when you leave!
Write down the location of the dumpster and the date/time of your exploration.
Make a list of the contents that you find.

For your reflection:

After you have completed 1-3 above, write a page of reflection, answering the following questions:

•Imagine that you know nothing about American culture in your response to these questions: What do the contents of the dumpster tell us about the people who discarded these items? Be thorough, creative, thoughtful—go beyond the “easy” answer…such as “they like to eat pizza”! Remember, you know nothing about these people!!

•How might the location explain the contents of this dumpster?

•How does the article that we read in class relate to your search? Does the author seem to be correct in his analysis, given your evidence? Why or why not?

•How did you feel going through the dumpster? Were there any surprises in your search?

Requirements:

§The list of items, location and date of search should be included on the first page. The reflection should be written on a separate page, approximately 300 words in length, word processed, double spaced, 12 pt font Palatino, one inch margins. (That’s about a page in length.) Including #1-3 above, the total amount of pages to turn in will be about one and a half pages. Don’t forget proper paragraph construction in the reflection. Don’t forget to put your name on it!

§Please email me a copy of the assignment : pmaffei@ma.org AND bring in a hard copy to class. Be sure to include your name in the title of the file, e.g. johnnysmith.doc

DUE: Thursday, August 28.