In this project, student in a 5th grade talented and gifted reading class were tasked with a way to reduce plastic waste in the community. Through initial research of online nonfiction articles and through an in-class investigation of plastic waste produced at home, students zoomed in on the school community as the primary beneficiary of their efforts and identified 2 main goals of their project:
- To inform the younger population of Tucker students (1st grade) about the problem of plastic waste through an interactive presentation
- To replace the waste produced daily at Tucker in the cafeteria with more environmentally friendly options.
Cohort member: Adam Carpenter
Students: 5th grade students at Samuel Tucker Elementary School
Essential questions:
- How does “use of plastic” contribute to type of plastic waste?
- What cycles of plastic waste production, consumption, waste, and recycling exist in our community?
- What solutions to problems of plastic best fit our community needs?
English Language Arts Standards:
5.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
5.7 The student will write for a variety of purposes: to describe, to inform, to entertain, to explain and to persuade
5.9 The student will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a research product.
Science Standards:
5.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, login, and nature of science by planning and conducting investigations.