6th Grade  Project 10 weeks

San Diego's Eco Adventure: Trash to Treasure!

Micayla R
6-8.AF.6.3
MS-ESS1-1
6-8.AG.2.1
MS-PS2-4
MU:Cr3.2.8
+ 11 more
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Purpose

Students will engage in a hands-on, interdisciplinary exploration of waste management, focusing on its local and global impacts. Through collaboration with community partners like High Tech High Eats, students will develop action plans and advocate for change by writing letters to representatives. This project will foster critical thinking, effective communication, and self-directed learning as students conduct fieldwork, analyze data, and create meaningful solutions to real-world environmental challenges. By integrating science, humanities, and arts, students will deepen their understanding of resource sustainability and social justice, culminating in a public exhibition to share their insights and proposals.

Learning goals

Students will develop an understanding of the impact of waste on local and global ecosystems, exploring renewable and nonrenewable resources through scientific investigation and community engagement. They will create and implement an action plan addressing waste issues in their community, culminating in a presentation at a community exhibition. Through collaboration with peers and community partners, students will enhance their critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, while also engaging in self-directed learning and reflection to foster a sense of identity and belonging.
Standards
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] 6-8.AF.6.3 - Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students' own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-ESS1-1 - Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] 6-8.AG.2.1 - Relationships can be classified as causal or correlational, and correlation does not necessarily imply causation.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-PS2-4 - Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
  • [National Core Arts Standards] MU:Cr3.2.8 - Present the final version of their documented composition, song, or arrangement, using craftsmanship and originality to demonstrate the application of compositional techniques for creating unity and variety, tension and release, and balance to convey expressive intent.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.5 - Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
  • [Computer Science Teachers Association] 2-AP-19 - Document programs in order to make them easier to follow, test, and debug.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.3 - Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
  • [National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cr3.1.6a - Reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly.
Competencies
  • Self Directed Learning - Students use teacher and peer feedback and self-reflection to monitor and direct their own learning while building self knowledge both in and out of the classroom.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.

Products

Students will collaboratively create an action plan addressing waste issues in their community, which they will present at a community fair. They will also write persuasive letters to local representatives advocating for sustainable waste management practices. Additionally, students will design protest posters using recycled paper, incorporating hidden watermark messages to raise awareness about social and environmental justice. Throughout the project, students will document their findings and reflections in a digital portfolio, showcasing their learning journey and proposed solutions.

Launch

Kick off the project with a visit to High Tech High Eats, where students will engage with experts on sustainable practices and explore innovative solutions to waste management. This hands-on experience will be complemented by a field trip to a local zoo, focusing on how waste impacts ecosystems and animal habitats. Students will then participate in a community clean-up walk in Ocean Beach, collecting data on waste types and quantities to inform their upcoming projects.

Exhibition

Students will host a "Waste Awareness Fair" where they present their action plans and protest posters to community members, including local representatives. They will use recycled paper for their displays, showcasing innovative solutions to waste management issues. The fair will feature interactive exhibits, such as a demonstration of watermarking messages on recycled paper and a presentation of data collected from their fieldwork. This event will also include a performance of original songs or compositions related to environmental themes, allowing students to express their learning creatively.