The Environment -What Can You Do? RECYCLE

When you look around you will find the world is getting less green. Pet bottles, Styrofoam and Aluminum cans litter the environment. Trees are being cut for buildings, fiber and many things. Sure we need most of these things to make our lives easier. In some cases you might say it's essential. However...in the end, most of the items end up in landfills or up in the environment, contributing to pollution. Recycling paper means reducing both the number of trees cut down and pollution to the environment.

In school what do we use most? paper! eg: maps , exercise books... the list goes on.
My learning objective to my students is 'our environment - what can we do to help it!'
They will learn how paper is made and how we can recycle.

So I ask students...What do you use in school?
The answers would be- pencils, erasers, books
I would say...yes...where do they come from? what is the beginning of most of the items they use?
Trees!
So what can you do to save the environment? recycle??? yes

Step 1: Paper-How Is It Made

Let's start with paper-
How is paper made? With fiber from trees.
Trees are made up of cellulose fibers that are held together with a glue-like substance called lignin. This makes trees strong enough to use for building houses and furniture. When wood is cooked, the cellulose is separated from the lignin to make wood pulp. This pulp is made into paper.
When we recycle paper we use the wood pulp/cellulose over and over again.

Things you need.
Paper (lot's of it...avoid newspaper if you want bright paper)
A Sieve or a frame with a screen under it.
A large tub ( the sieve should fit in to it easily)
Blender
Sponge
tray

Step 2: Making the Pulp

Tear up the paper in the shreds (avoid news paper if you want bright paper)
Soak it in warm water for at least 2 hours (24 hours would be much better)
Blender it....make sure to use enough water so you don't break the machine.
Pour the pulp in to a deep bowl larger than the screen.
get the children to feel the pulp...show them the fibers
now immerse the sieve or screen in to the water . Add thread or dried leaves at this point and slowly raise it up so you have a 1/8" thick layer.
squeeze out the excess water with a sponge.
slowly transfer the paper to a laminated table or tray by turning it upside down and tapping it.
Let it dry.

Step 3: Discussion

While the paper is drying...have a discussion...on what they learned
Ask how they felt about recycling. ( most will say ' I feel special because i helped in a small way to save our world!' . This builds self confidence)
Ask what more we can do to save the environment.
Give them ideas on how they can recycle PET bottles. Show them slides and craft projects they can do by recycleing

Also have discussions on what happens to the environment when we cut trees.

Doing environmental projects outside the class room makes the lesson interesting...there by making the lesson stick in there minds
What did the children learn?
How paper is made
What happens when trees are cut
What they can do to help save the environment