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DESCRIPTION

What is garbage? What happens to the 200 million tons of garbage we produce annually? How is a landfill made? Visit modern incinerators, recycling facilities, and landfills and learn how scientists and engineers use the newest technologies to deal with one of society's oldest problems. Explores the health, social, environmental, and economic issues involved. Quiz at the end.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Subject Area: Geography

• Standard: Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources

§ Benchmark: Understands programs and positions related to the use of resources on a local to global scale (e.g., community regulations for water usage during drought periods; local recycling programs for glass, metal, plastic, and paper products; different points of view regarding uses of the Malaysian rain forests) (See Instructional Goals #1, #3, #4, and #5)

§ Benchmark: Knows issues related to the reuse and recycling of resources (e.g., changing relocation strategies of industries seeking access to recyclable material, such as paper factories, container and can companies, glass, plastic, and bottle manufacturers; issues involved with the movement, handling, processing, and storing of toxic and hazardous waste materials; fully enforced vs. consistently neglected approaches to resource management) (See Instructional Goals #1, #4, and #5)

• Standard: Understands global development and environmental issues

§ Benchmark: Understands the possible impact that present conditions and patterns of consumption, production and population growth might have on the future spatial organization of Earth (See Instructional Goal #1 and #2)

Subject Area: Science

• Standard: Understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival

§ Benchmark: Knows ways in which humans can modify ecosystems and cause irreversible effects (e.g., human population growth, technology, and consumption; human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, and atmospheric changes) (See Instructional Goals #2 and #3)

INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS

1. To define municipal solid waste and its composition, and introduce the concept of waste as a resource. 2. To raise awareness of the huge amount of trash produced in the United States. 3. To explain how landfills and incinerators are used to dispose of garbage. 4. To explain the benefits of recycling and show the recycling process for various materials. 5. To explain source reduction as a means to reduce the amount of garbage people create.

VOCABULARY

1. landfill 2. municipal solid waste 3. leachates

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4. leak-resistant 5. dispose 6. state-of-the-art 7. methane 8. organic 9. decompose

10. incinerate 11. waste-to-energy plant 12. emission 13. ingots 14. compost 15. humus 16. source reduction 17. bulk

BEFORE SHOWING

1. Empty a trash can. a. Analyze the contents. b. Draw a pie chart showing the composition of the trash. c. Draw another pie chart hypothesizing the trash composition for the local community or the United

States. 2. Discuss what happens to garbage after it is thrown away. 3. List things that can be recycled. Discuss whether recycling is important. Record reasons given and

review them after watching the video.

DURING SHOWING

Discussion Items and Questions

1. View the video more than once, with one showing uninterrupted. 2. Pause after the graphic showing how landfills are constructed. Clarify the items identified on the diagram

and explained in the captions. 3. Pause before the quiz at the end of the video. Distribute the quiz paper. Pause between each question to

allow time to answer. (See INSTRUCTIONAL GRAPHICS.)

AFTER SHOWING

Discussion Items and Questions

1. What is municipal solid waste? 2. How much municipal solid waste do Americans produce a year? How much is that per person? 3. List the composition of garbage from most to least. 4. Where does most of the garbage go? 5. Describe how a landfill is designed. 6. What are leachates? Why are leachates channeled to a special collection pond? 7. Why are test wells drilled around landfills? 8. Describe what is done when a landfill is closed.

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9. Give three reasons why many communities are exploring ways other than landfills for disposing of their garbage.

10. How do incinerators dispose of garbage? Where are incinerators becoming popular? Why do some people oppose incinerators?

11. Explain how garbage can be viewed as a resource. 12. Explain the process of recycling aluminum. 13. Describe how composting can be considered a form of recycling. 14. How does recycling reduce the amount of energy used to make new products? 15. Explain what is meant by source reduction. Give two examples.

Applications and Activities

1. Review the information in the video by taking the quiz at the end of the video. (See INSTRUCTIONAL GRAPHICS.)

2. Compute how much trash each person in America produces each day. Investigate how much trash other countries produce. Make a chart to compare the statistics. Evaluate the findings.

3. Save personal trash for one day. Weigh it. Sort it into its various components and weigh each section. Compute the percentage for each type of trash. Make a pie chart. Compare to the video’s pie chart.

4. Make a miniature landfill. a. Fill a large glass or clear plastic container with layers of dirt and pieces of trash. Include organic and

nonorganic trash. b. Sprinkle a small amount of water on it. c. Predict what will happen over time. d. Add a little water almost every day. e. Make regular observations for a month. Record any changes that occur. f. Check it again after two and three months.

5. Invite a representative from the local solid waste management office to speak about local options for garbage disposal and recycling. Visit a local landfill, incinerator, and recycling center.

6. Investigate and report on the reasons for concern about the methane gas produced by rotting trash. 7. Research and report on the various pollutants that incinerators can produce. Debate the positive and

negative attributes of incineration. 8. Study composting.

a. Find out if the local community has composting opportunities. Visit a composting site to observe the process.

b. Set up a compost bin at the school for lunch waste. Make a compost pile using the school waste plus waste from the school grounds.

c. Discuss the feasibility of composting on a citywide scale. d. Debate the value of composting.

9. Investigate the recycling process for various materials. Make a poster to show the findings. a. How long does it take for each material to go through a complete cycle? b. What is the energy savings for recycling versus making a product from nonrecycled material?

10. Research a variety of products made from recycled materials. Make a pamphlet promoting one of the products.

11. Investigate the participation level for recycling in the school or local community. a. Begin a recycling campaign. b. Write letters to the local newspaper or policymakers to support or improve recycling methods. c. Make posters to improve recycling awareness levels and encourage recycling.

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12. Study various types of source reduction. a. Purchase several brands of a specific item of equal size. Examine the packaging. Determine by

weight and volume the amount of packaging for each brand. Evaluate the best packaging. b. Bring in a specific item in various sizes or amounts. Compare the price per ounce. Discuss the value

of purchasing in bulk. c. Compare the packaging of juice purchased in glass, plastic, cardboard, and frozen concentrate

containers. Evaluate which packaging is more economical and environmentally sound.

INSTRUCTIONAL GRAPHICS

• THE GARBAGE STORY: VIDEO INSTRUCTIONAL QUIZ

RELATED RESOURCES

Captioned Media Program

• Garbage Explosion (Revision) #2285 • Garbage Tale: An Environmental Adventure #2477 • Reducing, Reusing and Recycling: Environmental Concerns #2519 • Protecting Our Environment: Recycle #2515 • Earth Ltd. #2604 • Pulp and Paper #3164 • Earth Week: Seven Days to a Greener Planet #3027

World Wide Web

The following Web sites complement the contents of this guide; they were selected by professionals who have experience in teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. Every effort was made to select accurate, educationally relevant, and “kid-safe” sites. However, teachers should preview them before use. The U.S. Department of Education, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Captioned Media Program do not endorse the sites and are not responsible for their content.

• ENVIORNMENTAL DEFENSE FUND http://www.edf.org/

This site is loaded with interactive programs, news releases, action programs, and newsletters. It covers trash, recycling, source reduction, and composting, as well as pollution topics.

• EPA STUDENT CENTER http://www.epa.gov/students/

This Environmental Protection Agency site covers topics such as ecosystems, water, conservation, air, and waste and recycling. The Waste & Recycling page has sections on solid waste, landfills, trash, and more.

• ROTTEN TRUTH ABOUT GARBAGE http://www.astc.org/info/exhibits/rotten/rthome.htm

The Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Smithsonian present this great Web site. It covers garbage, recycling, decomposing, and source reduction, with information and projects.

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• GARBAGE: HOW CAN MY COMMUNITY REDUCE WASTE?

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/intro.html This site covers solid waste, hazardous waste, sewage, global efforts, and the future. The Annenberg/CPB Project sponsors it.