FIELD TRIPS : SCIENCEWORKS LAB : The Four R’s: Resources, Reducing, Reusing and Recycling

Dive into our landfill to learn about different ways to conserve our resources. Students engage in a series of activities to practice real-life ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations, Science, 2007

• Identify natural resources (metals, fuels, fresh water, farmland and forests). (E.ES.03.41)
• Classify renewable (fresh water, farmland, forests) and non-renewable (fuels, metals) resources. (E.ES.03.42)
• Describe ways humans are protecting, extending and restoring resources (recycle, reuse, reduce, renewal). (E.ES.03.43)
• Recognize that paper, metal, glass and some plastics can be recycled. (E.ES.03.44)
• Describe helpful or harmful effects of humans on the environment (garbage, habitat destruction, land management, renewable and non-renewable resources). (E.ES.03.52)

The Four R’s: Resources, Reducing, Reusing and Recycling Pre-visit Materials

During Your Visit to the ScienceWorks Lab students will be expected to:

• Sit in tables of 6 students and (at least) 1 adult
• Students should be prepared to give their attention to the Lab instructors when requested to “Give Me Five”
• Work cooperatively with one another at the table
• Follow the hands-on procedures just as the Lab teacher or assistant explains them
• Handle materials and equipment carefully

It is important that teachers and chaperones:

• Help to focus the students’ attention
• Assist students with the hands-on activities and experiments when necessary
• Turn off cell phones and pagers during the class

Vocabulary

Conserve: To use wisely and as little as possible.

Fossil Fuels: These are coal, natural gas and oil. Formation of these fuels takes millions of years, so we do not consider them to be renewable. Oil and natural gas were formed from the remains of tiny sea creatures and plants that died millions of years ago and sank to the bottom of the seas. Over time, layers of mud buried them, creating high heat and pressure. This was an anaerobic environment; they decayed without oxygen present and turned into oil and natural gas. Coal formed from all the plant matter and the type of coal found depends on the type of plants that decayed and the extent of the decomposition.

Landfill: A place where solid waste materials is dumped and covered with earth.

Natural Resources: Resources that come from nature, including fossil fuels, metals, fresh water, farmland and forests. Natural resources can be renewable or non-renewable.

Non-renewable Resources: Resources that are used up faster than they can be replenished. These include fossil fuels and metals. Although metals are not destroyed by use, they are limited by the amount of ore that exists on Earth.

Recycle: A recovery method utilizing the collection and treatment of a particular waste product so that it can be used again to manufacture a new product.

Reduce: To make or use less of something.

Renewable Resources: Resources that can be replenished as fast as, or faster than, they are used up. These include farmland, forests and fresh water, if they are properly managed. The sun, wind and tides are resources that aren’t replenished, but they are not used up.

Resources: Something useful found in nature. Renewable resources can be replaced, such as new crops using soil conservation, tree harvesting which includes replanting, fishing (if the fisherman leaves enough stock for the population to reproduce). Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced and include fossil fuels, minerals and ore.

Reuse: To use something again for an original or a new purpose.

The Four R’s: Resources, Reducing, Reusing and Recycling Post-visit Activity

Post-visit activities will help reiterate new concepts and tie the ScienceWorks Lab experience to your classroom curriculum. Below you will find a classroom activity and a list of suggested resources for further information. We hope that you enjoyed your field trip. Visit us again!

Hands-on Activity: Paper Beads

We know that recycling, reducing and reusing resources helps us protect, extend and restore them. Paper is something we use and throw out every day. But should we throw it out? Did you know that nearly 40% of the volume of landfills (huge mounds of solid waste) is taken up by paper?

We can recycle paper by putting it into recycling bins in our communities. Or, we can reuse it in fun ways.

Materials

• Magazines or colorful newspaper advertising sections
  
• Glue sticks
• String
• Plastic straw
• Scissors

Procedure

1. Rip the pages out of old magazines or use the flat pages of advertising sections or circulars.
2. Using the scissors, cut several long, thin triangles out of the colorful pages of the magazines or advertisements.
3. Take a clear plastic straw and cut it in half.
4. Pick up a long thin triangle of colored paper, coat one side completely with glue from the glue stick.
5. Put one half of the cut straw at the LONG END (opposite the pointed end) of the triangle on the glued side.
6. Now, roll the triangle up, from the wide end to the tip. The straw will be captured inside this little roll.
7. Push the triangle OUT of the roll; you will be left with a hollow bead made out of the magazine or advertising paper.
8. Make several of these and put them on a string — make a necklace! These beads, reused out of magazine pages and advertisements, are often make into expensive jewelry that can be purchased at art fairs.

Suggested Resources

Books

Internet