Plastic Recycling and reuse
Author(s): Anatolia College
Lesson plan summary
In this lesson plan students will be introduced to Green Chemistry principles and their importance for a sustainable future. They will also be introduced to the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). A collection of everyday objects will be presented and students will be asked to investigate which of them can be recycled, in which color recycling bin they should be thrown away and also investigate the details of their recycling. Furthermore, various orange juice packaging (glass bottles, plastic bottles and several kinds of paper cartons) will be provided and elementary school students will be asked to examine their components, check whether they can be recycled and investigate the respective recycling processes.
| Subject | Green Chemistry |
| Topic | Recycling and Reuse |
| Age of students | 6-12 |
| Preparation time | X min |
| Teaching time | X min |
| Online teaching material (links for online material) | Introducing Green Chemistry: The Science of Solutions https://blossoms.mit.edu/videos/lessons/introducing_green_chemistry_science_solutions Reduce-Reuse-Recyclehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Nq4b_07Fc&t=25s |
| Offline teaching material | https://www.beyondbenign.org/bbdocs/pdfs/Lactic_Acid_Titration_Extension.pdf “12 Principles of Green Chemistry” from Figure 4.1: (p.30). 12 Principles of Green Chemistry from Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice (1998) by Anastas P and Warner J. By Permission of Oxford University Press.American Chemical Society Green Chemistry InstituteEPA Green ChemistryBeyond Benignhttps://www.conserve-energy-future.com/reduce-reuse-recycle.phphttps://www.sustainablesanantonio.com/practices-technology/reduce-reuse-recycle/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OasbYWF4_S8&t=11s |
Aim of the lesson
Students are asked to determine which kind of bags are the most environmental friendly, performing experiments as well as studying the theoretical principles to conclude based upon scientific study. They also get to know biodegradable plastics and their applications
By the end of this lesson students will:
- Understand what green Chemistry is
- Understand today’s environmental challenges
- Learn about the 3Rs
- Practice recycling
Activities
| Name of activity | Procedure | Time |
| Environmental Challenges | Start with an introductory video and a discussion about environmental challenges our world faces today (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0lQ3ljjl40) | 15 min |
| Introduction to Green Chemistry | 1. Start the lesson with introductory questions: What does a chemist do? What are some chemical products? What do you think about when you hear the words “Green Chemistry”? What is environmental science?2. Students can watch the introductory video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIE4T2HLW7c 3. Students will be introduced to the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.Activity: Think about what Green Chemistry means to you.Present the 12 principles in your own words.Students will be divided in groups. Each group will be assigned with a green Chemistry principle and will be asked to present it with a skit, a drawing or even a song to their classmates. | 30 min |
| The 3 Rs – Reduce –Reuse Recycle | Students are introduced to the 3Rs. They are asked to make a poster presenting the 3Rs | 45 min |
| Real life recycling in class | A collection of everyday objects will be presented and students will be asked to investigate which of them can be recycled, in which color recycling bin they should be thrown away and also investigate the details of their recycling.Various orange juice packaging (glass bottles, plastic bottles and several kinds of paper cartons) will be provided and elementary school students will be asked to examine their components, check whether they can be recycled and investigate the respective recycling processes. | 45 min |
| Imagining the future: Design the future bag. 6 | Students are asked to imagine the future of plastic use and other ways they could help the environment, using the Green chemistry principles | 45 min |
