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Notes for Teachers

This is part two of a two-part lesson. This lesson allows students to solve an authentic environmental problem- trash.

There are many specific teachers notes embedded in each section of the lesson which includes hyperlinks, tips, and examples.

List of Materials

Trash Catastrophe worksheets- see hyperlinks on slides

Engineering Option 1:

Whatever materials you have that students can use to create prototypes like: cardboard boxes, tape, glue, markers, wire, scissors, clay, etc.

Engineering Option 2:

2 or more blenders
30, 9 x13 pie trays- cut bottom out to make frame.
about 10 yards of plastic screen- I got mine at ACE Hardware.
clothes pins
large plastic lunch trays
old beach towels and newspaper
sponges
large and small rectangular plastic containers- see example slides
wooden spoons
pitcher for water

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Standards

Life Science:

6.L2U3.11

Use evidence to construct an argument regarding the impact of human activities on the environment and how they positively and negatively affect the competition for energy and resources in ecosystems.

Educational Technology:

Empowered Learner - Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Science and Engineering Practices:

● develop and use models

● plan and carry out investigations

● use mathematics and computational thinking

● construct explanations and design solutions

● engage in argument from evidence

● obtain, evaluate, and communicate information

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Objectives:

Students will be able to generate criteria and constraints based on the problem defined.

Students will write and answer two research questions based on the problem.

Students will come up with their own solution to the trash problem in their school.

Students will be able to create a prototype.

Students will be able to evaluate their prototype by listing pro’s and con’s and reflect on what could be improved if iteration could take place.

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Agenda *1 day- 60 minute class period

I day - Define criteria and constraints and write two research questions

1 day - Research answers to questions and design a solution to the problem

Engineering Option 1

1-2 days- Students build prototype

1-3 days- Students collect data for prototypes

1 day- Students evaluate and communicate their results

Engineering Option 2

1 week- Collect recycled paper

1 day- Sort and rip paper up

1 day- Make paper

1 day- Test and evaluate paper. Then communicate the results to the class

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Lesson Design Considerations

For this lesson I used the 7 Steps of Invention to organize the sequence. This resource can be found in the Invention Convention Curriculum provided by the Henry Ford Museum.

If you are interested in checking out their resources click the link below. You will have to sign up for an account to access their materials but it is free. Check it out!

https://inhub.thehenryford.org/

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Introduction

Problem statement: Our class needs a better way to recycle or reuse paper because it gets thrown away which is adding to our trash pollution and a waste of a resource.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Come up with criteria and constraints as a class and write them up on a board. This allows you to guide them and also it’s better to have everyone use the same criteria and constraints for a big class project like this. Students will write the list on their worksheet as you work together.
Give students time to work on research before they finalize their solution. What else do they need to know? Based on their solution idea they will have different questions.
Students will create a solution to the problem and draw their idea using labels on the paper. Some students will simply say- let's just go digital but remind them that is a constraint- we have to use paper at schools.

Link to Google doc:

Trash Catastrophe Solutions/ Criteria

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Criteria and Constraints: Work as a class to come up with a list of criteria and constraints.

Criteria= requirements or what your solution has to do to solve the problem.

Constraints= limitations or things that may make your design, testing, or solution difficult or limited.

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Criteria and Constraints: Work as a class to come up with a list of criteria and constraints. Answer Example

Criteria= requirements or what your solution has to do to solve the problem.

Has to reduce the amount of paper being thrown away.
Has to function within our classroom and school.
Has to be safe to use.

Constraints= limitations or things that may make your design, testing, or solution difficult or limited.

We have to use paper at school.
People have developed habits of throwing paper away.
We can’t control the cleaning lady’s routine.

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Understand/ Ideating Instructions

Teacher note* when students engage in researching on their computer I like to outline some important considerations:

Google is not a resource it is a search engine.
When searching for resources it’s best to stick with .org, .gov, or .edu because they are more reliable resources.
Like a book, you have to “open” the website. A lot of students will read the summaries on the Google search page but never really look at the website.
Youtube is okay, but not for all of their research. I like to limit the use of that.

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Understand/Ideating/Designing: Examples

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Building and Testing

Engineering Option #1

Allow your students to move forward with their individual ideas. They may make things like a new design for a recycle bin or something that goes on the recycle bin like a hoop, etc. The students will have to come up with a way to collect data. That may be checking to see how much paper is being recycled with their invention versus without. The pro’s of this is that they have more agency over their projects. The con is that you have to monitor many different projects going on at once. See examples on next slide.

Engineering Option #2

Gather student ideas and move forward as a class with one idea that seems the most popular. For example, many of my students had ideas about reusing the paper to make new paper, so I decided we would collect recycled paper and then blend it to make new paper in a process called frame and deckle. The pro of this is that I could monitor and guide the process with students. The con is that some students didn't get to see their ideas come to fruition.

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Building and Testing: Option 1

This prototype was place on top of a trashcan and in front of a recycle bin so they couple encourage recycling

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Hands-on activity notes

Building and Testing Option 2

Students use a provided procedure for creating paper.
Note that the procedure is not perfect and students may have their own suggestions for how to improve it- but it will produce paper using the frame and deckle technique, and includes important safety precautions.
If you have not made paper before I suggest you try it on your own ahead of time so you are familiar with the procedure before students try it.
Students sorted and tore up the recycled paper ahead of time in class.
Set up stations for students and model the stations.
I had students work in pairs because of time constraints. They made 10-12 pieces in one hour and I had two blenders.
Trays are your friend. They minimize the water mess and make it safer because the floor can get wet and slippery .
I had two adult volunteers helping me run the stations.

Link to Google doc:

Recycling/Making Paper

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Building and Testing

Station 1: Make frame and select soaked paper for pulp.

Station 2: Blend to make pulp.

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Building and Testing

Station 3: Pour pulp into frame.

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Building and Testing

Station 4: Sponge dry and transfer to drying area.

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Test/Evaluate/ Reflect Instructions

Students complete the second page of the worksheet after the process of making paper, and again after the paper dries. It may take several days for it to dry. I had my students share out the pro’s and con’s of the process right after the lab.

Once the paper dried, students tried writing on the paper, erasing the paper, bending a tearing the paper, etc.

Some common responses were that you could write on the paper and erase it but it was bumpy and made the writing kind of hard to read. Some students preferred the coloration and others did not. The paper was not flexible enough to use for folding, or putting it through a copy machine. Some of the paper dried flat and others were warped.

Students make suggestions for improving the prototype based on the results.

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Communicate Results

After discussing with your table- what are some pros of your prototype?

Cons of your paper prototype?

If you could iterate- what would you modifications would you make to produce a better product?

Over-all did our solution solve our problem?

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Assessment- this rubric is for parts 1 and 2

Part of Project	5 Excellent	4 Good	3 Fair	2 Poor	1 Not Present
Understanding Student researched information and/or collected data that helped them better understand the cause of the problem or how to solve it. Student narrowed down the problem in scope.
Ideation/Design Student thought of a logical solution to the problem based on criteria and constraints. Student drew their design, which included labels.
Building/Testing Student built a prototype based on their design that shows some degree of engineering skill. Students collected data and/or observations on the prototype and/or the process in which you create the prototype.
Evaluating/Communicating Students thought of pro’s and con’s of their prototype, and also ways they could improve upon their design. Students shared their feedback on the worksheet and shared their thoughts with their table groups.

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Differentiation

Find a Youtube video on the process of frame and deckle to review with students. Have them describe the different steps.

Read picture books on recycling and reducing waste.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

If you are doing this with one class, you could make paper a second time using the modifications they suggested.

Use the paper they made for artwork. The paper makes great picture frames, or cards.