1. Recycling Program 3rd – 5th Do Now Activities
Are You Bee Green?
Recycling Program 3rd – 5th Do Now Activities

2. For Teachers: Are YOU Bee Green?
Green Living Science is a non-profit organization dedicated to recycling and environmental education in the City of Detroit. For more information please visit greenlivingscience.org
This Do Now power point is a resource to help remind students of the importance of recycling and to increase the success of the recycling program at your school.
For more information about Green Living Science or about field trip opportunities to Recycle Here! or helping your students receive recycling bins at home please contact or call Ext. 3

3. Are YOU Bee Green? Are YOU Bee Green?
Doing these quick activities will help you to Bee Green and become expert recyclers!
Make sure to:
Have FUN!
Learn something new!
Share what you learned with someone else!
Directions: You can show this the first time you implement these activities. This allows students to know that these activities are to help students become the next generation of recyclers in the City of Detroit!

4. Are YOU Bee Green?
Reducing means making less waste. For Example: If you throw out your plastic water bottle each school day, you’ll have thrown out almost 200 plastic water bottles by the end of the school year! However, if you use the same plastic water bottle over and over, you’ll have reduced the amount of plastic you use.
Directions: After students have had time talk with a neighbor about how to reduce material usage in the classroom allow time for students to share. You can write these down and post them to encourage students to practice them daily. Be certain to discuss how students can reduce the amount of paper they use by using scrap paper.
Source: Living Green: Saving our Earth By: Patricia Clare
Turn and Talk:
What ways can you practice reducing waste in the classroom?

5. Are YOU Bee Green? Write Down:
Reusing is another way to make less waste. Reusing means to use something more than one time.
There are many ways to reuse:
refill bottles of water
give your toys, clothes and
games away to someone
who wants them
create an art project
Write Down:
What is one way you can reuse materials in the classroom?
Directions: After students have had time to write down a few ways of reusing materials in the classroom allow time for students to share. You can write these down and post them to encourage students to practice them daily. Be certain to discuss how to reuse paper by using the backside after filling up the front, also inform students that they can reuse water bottles by filling them up with juice or water.

6. Think About: Recycling Fact:
Are YOU Bee Green?
Recycling Fact:
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in the United States, an extra five million tons of waste is created.
Think About:
What human actions cause this increase in waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day?
What other ways can the amount of waste be reduced?
Date: Week before Thanksgiving
Directions: Encourage students to think outside of the box in how to create less trash around the holidays. Be certain to address that around the holidays when presents are given to family and friends they are wrapped in decorative paper. One way to reduce the amount of waste created is to reuse wrapping paper or use other materials like newspaper to wrap presents. Explain that it also costs less to decorate newspaper and wrap presents with it.
Source: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. ‘Give Green’ by Decking the Halls with Less Waste This Year!.

7. Are YOU Bee Green? Recycling Fact:
An estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the U.S. This amount could fill a football field that is ____ stories high.
A. 100
B. 5
C. 10
D. 55
Turn and Talk:
Discuss your answer with a neighbor.
Explain why you selected this answer.
Directions: Answer C—10 stories high which is about 120 feet. Allow time for students to share explanations. This requires students to make estimates, wrong answers should not be penalized.
Source: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. ‘Give Green’ by Decking the Halls with Less Waste This Year!. Retrieved June 2010 from

8. Solve: Recycling Fact:
Are YOU Bee Green?
Recycling Fact:
Each year the average American uses 680 pounds of paper. If all that paper is recycled it will save 6 trees from
being cut down.
Solve:
If every person in your class recycles ALL their paper for one year, how many trees will be saved from being cut down?
Hint: Count the number of people in your class today.
Directions: Multiply 6 pounds times the number of students in the class. Once solved as a class calculate how many pounds of paper is used by all the students in the class; by multiplying the number of students in the class by 680. Incorporate math concepts you are currently learning.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for

9. Solve: Are YOU Bee Green?
Bee Green gave recycling assemblies at 50 schools.
If each school averages about 600 students, how many students in Detroit learned how to recycle?
Directions: Allow time for students to work individually to solve the problem then have students work with their neighbor.
-Multiply 50 schools by 600 students = 30,000 students
Source: Detroit Public Schools, Demographics

10. Are YOU Bee Green? Turn and Talk:
What is the hardest thing about recycling?
What are 2-3 possible solutions for that challenge?
How can you encourage others in the rest of the school to recycle?
Directions: Encourage students to think about what issues they have seen or heard from their classmates about the success or failure of the school’s recycling program. Have a class discussion about solutions to the recycling problems at your school.

11. Are YOU Bee Green?
Every day we create trash but not all of that material should be thrown in the trash can. Some material can be recycled, like paper or plastic. Other materials, such as food waste, can be collected separately and turned into something called compost. You cannot put left over food into your recycle bin it can be used to make compost. Compost is the process of reusing the unwanted food’s nutrients to improve soil and help plants grow better. Turn and Talk: How could you use food waste in your home or school garden?
Directions: Read aloud and have students talk with their neighbor about how food waste could be used in a garden. Allow time for students to share.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Reducing Food Waste for Businesses

12. Are YOU Bee Green? Turn and Talk:
Just across the Ambassador Bridge in Canada many cities use a three bin system to get rid of household waste.
There is a bin for:
trash
recycling
compost or food waste
All are taken out to the curb and collected just like the trash in Detroit.
Directions: Encourage students to discuss what problems might occur when implementing this type of waste disposal system; like pests, improper use of bins or contamination, etc.
Turn and Talk:
1. Do you think this system could work in Detroit?
2. Explain why you think this waste disposal system could or could not work in Detroit.

13. Are YOU Bee Green? Watch and Draw:
Watch and Draw:
Watch this short video about how recyclables are separated.
Draw what you think this machine looks like with all the steps combined.
Directions: Click on the link to TeacherTube which will show a short video about the Material Recovery Facility or MRF sorting process. Then allow time for students to draw what this machine looks like. Be certain students write down the different steps as they watch the video or play it twice to allow time for students to first watch then write down information.
**Please note you may not have access to this website but you can download this video beforehand.**
Source: Teacher Tube, The Cycle Chapter 2 The MRF

14. Are YOU Bee Green?
Directions: Explain that there are many different ways that other countries recycle. This is just one example of how the South American country of Brazil recycles. This image is of the catadores or recyclable/waste pickers in the second largest landfill in the world in Rio de Janerio. Brazil hires these workers who are paid to collect trash or recyclables either from the streets or from the landfills in Brazil.
Sources:
-International Trade Center, Brazil’s catadores to voice their views at RIO+20
-Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, Informal Workers in Focus: Waste Pickers in Brazil
Write: Predict and write what you think the people in the image above are doing.

15. Are YOU Bee Green?
Americans buy more bottled water than any other country in the world. We add 29 billion water bottles a year to the problem. To make all
these bottles, plastic manufacturers
use 17 million barrels of oil.
That’s enough oil to keep a
million cars going for twelve
months.
Create a math story problem:
Using the information from the paragraph above write a math story problem.
Solve it!
Directions: Allow time for students to share their story with a neighbor and solve together.
-Example: How much oil could be saved if the United States stopped using plastic water bottle 5 years? What about 10 years?
Source: National Geographic Kids Article, Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap?

16. Solve: Each year the average American uses 222 plastic water bottles.
Are YOU Bee Green?
Each year the average American uses
222 plastic water bottles.
If all the bottles are
recycled it will save
7 gallons of oil from
being used.
Solve:
If every person in your class recycles ALL their plastic water bottles for one year, how many plastic bottles would be recycled?
Hint: Count the number of people in your class today
Directions: Multiply 222 times the number of students in the class. Once solved, as a class calculate how many gallons of oil will be saved by multiplying the number of students in the class by 7.
Source: National Geographic Newswatch, U.S. Bottle Water Sales Are Booming (Again) Despite Opposition

17. Are YOU Bee Green? “Out of sight, out of mind.”
This is what some people say about trash, meaning that once the trashcan is on the curb it disappears like magic!
Trash in the City of Detroit is taken to
an incinerator, where it is burned to generate energy and steam.
In other cities in Michigan, trash is sent to a landfill where it is put into a hole in the ground and buried or covered with dirt.
Draw:
A picture to show the steps of how trash is made to where it ends up.
Start: Trash is created.
End: Pick one of the numbers below.
Burned in an incinerator.
Buried in landfill.
Detroit’s Incinerator
Directions: Read saying, ask students if they have heard anyone say this. Then encourage students to think of different activities they do to create trash. Use the example of eating breakfast or lunch that day. Some trash that might have been created: the cereal cup foil tops you peal off, wrapper (Nutrigrain bar, muffin), plastic bag, chip bags, or waxy bag lunch comes in. Explain that students can draw the steps like a comic strip.
Landfill

18. What is wrong with this picture?
Are YOU Bee Green?
Write:
What is wrong with this picture?
What could be done to correct this problem?
Directions: Ask students to think about and write what is wrong with the picture. Encourage students to think critically about waste. Allow time for students to share what they wrote. Explain that the clean paper that is in the trashcan could be picked out of the trashcan and put into the recycling bin instead.

19. Are YOU Bee Green?
Through the mid-1800’s Europe and the United States recycled old rags and worn-out clothing. This material was the main ingredient to make paper because the process of making paper from trees had not been developed.
Directions: After students have thought about the question allow time for students to share. Explain that while 45% of paper in the US is recycled back into new paper the world demand for paper is too great to use only recycled paper and recovered cloth.
Source: The Rotten Truth About Garbage, A Garbage Timeline
Image: Pulp at paper mill 1947, State Library and Archives of Florida
Think About:
Why do you think people use trees to make paper?
Why don’t we make all the paper we need by using old rags and by recycling paper?

20. Are YOU Bee Green? Write:
Predict and list all of the materials you will use and throw away today.
Draw a U next to the materials that can be reused.
Draw the recycling symbol next to the materials that will be recycled.
Write one way you can reduce the amount of material you use each day.
Directions: Encourage students to think about all the materials they use, including food waste, pencil shavings, paper water cups at a sport practice, paper towels, etc. Allow time for students to share how they could reduce the amount of materials they use; include composting food waste, using reusable containers, using a dish cloth instead of a paper towel.

21. Turn and Write: Are YOU Bee Green? Empty plastic bottles Cans of soda
In an acrostic poem, the key word is written vertically as you see below. Each letter of the word then becomes the first letter of a phrase related to the theme of recycling.
Using the word RECYCLE create another acrostic poem with your neighbor. Look at the example below.
Recycling is fun
Empty plastic bottles
Cans of soda
Yes, paper goes in too
Cardboard boxes
Lets use the blue bin!
Everyone join in!
Directions: Have students write an acrostic poem with their neighbor about recycling.

22. Are YOU Bee Green? Write: Number your paper 1 to 10.
Look at the pictures below and determine if each is trash or recyclable.
If the material is recyclable, put R next to the number on your paper.
If the material is trash, put T next to the number on your paper.
3. Apple Core
1. Glass
2. Ketchup
4. Cardboard box
5. Dirty Paper Towel
Directions: Be certain that students think about what materials go into their blue bins and what is thrown into the garbage bin.
Glass=R
Ketchup Packet=T
Apple Core=T
Cardboard Boxes=R
Dirty Paper Towel=T
Stack of Paper=R
Plastic Bottle=R
Sandwich Bag=T
Metal Cans=R
Newspaper=R
7. Plastic Bottle
9. Metal Cans
6. Paper
8. Sandwich Bag
10. Newspaper

23. Are YOU Bee Green?
Directions: Show the short video depicting how paper is recycled once sorted from the Materials Recovery Facility. If interested you can explore the other videos that go along with it on TeacherTube. If not allow time for students to talk with their neighbor about the processes the paper pulp goes through to be turned into new products.
**Please note you may not have access to this website but you can download this video beforehand.**
Source: Teacher Tube, The Cycle Chapter 3 Paper
Turn and Talk: Talk to your neighbor about what processes the paper pulp goes through to be turned into new products.

24. Write a persuasive letter to Crayola.
Every year, Crayola makes about half a billion markers—enough markers to wrap around the Earth more than three times!
A group of students from Sun Valley School in California came together and wrote letters to Crayola asking them to create a marker recycling program.
In response, Crayola created ColorCycle, a marker program that recycles markers to create fuel for factory vehicles.
Directions: Encourage students to think about the problems that might be associated with this type of mail-in recycling program. For example how some people might have the money to send in their markers to be recycled.
Sources: Change.org Petition: Crayola, Make Your Mark! Set up a marker recycling program
Write:
Write a persuasive letter to Crayola.
Persuade them to continue their current recycling program OR find another solution to recycling markers.

25. Are YOU Bee Green?
Since 1698 Detroit has been dependent on natural resources.
One major resource is the Detroit River.
Over the years, Detroiters have both positively and negatively impacted the river.
For Example, from , 1.7 million gallons of waste were dumped into the river daily.
Directions: Read aloud and allow time for students to write how dumping waste impacted the river. Explain to students that after waste was dumped into the river it took many decades for the Detroit River to recover from the devastating amount of pollution. During this time different methods were applied to remediate the river back to its original state; including chlorinating the river which caused various species to cease to exist along the river. But with the implementation of laws and people dedicated to cleaning the river it has been cleaned up. Elaborate that when any area is polluted, whether water, land or ail, with waste it takes a long time to restore the area to what it once was and sometimes it can never be returned to its original state.
Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Detroit River – Facts and Figures
Write:
How do you think the river and its ecosystem was impacted by the dumping of waste?
Brainstorm and write ways the river has been cleaned up.

26. = paper Are YOU Bee Green?
Paper can be recycled and changed into many new products. =
tissues toilet paper construction paper
paper
Directions: Discuss with student that when paper is recycled it goes through a process that changes the paper into new materials. Paper is often shred or cut into pieces, then water is added and it is mixed into a paste. Depending on what the new product will be depends on what other chemicals are added to give it necessary strength, softness or color.
paper towels napkins
Draw: What new products could be made out of recycled paper in the future?

27. There are many materials that can be recycled.
Are YOU Bee Green?
There are many materials that can be recycled.
One of those materials is
glass.
Glass is made using the
natural resource sand.
Write:
Write one reason why it is dangerous to recycle glass at school.
Directions: Have students share their reasons why it might be dangerous to recycle glass at school. Make certain to point out that glass can be dangerous because if it breaks it could harm students.

28. Are YOU Bee Green? Complete the Recycle Fact:
Glass takes ______ years to fully degrade or break down in a landfill.
A. 1,000,000
B. 50,000
C. 7,000,500
D. 8,000,000
Turn and Talk:
Discuss your answer with your neighbor.
Explain why you selected your answer.
Directions: Answer is A (1,000,000) This requires students to make estimates, wrong answers should not be penalized.
Source: University of Utah, Recycling Facts

29. Are YOU Bee Green? Write: What is wrong with this picture?
Directions: Ask students to think about then write what is wrong with the picture. Encourage students to think critically about waste. Allow time for students to share what they wrote. Make sure to point out that this recycling bin has been contaminated with food waste. To correct this problem someone could remove the apple core from the recycling bin and put it into the trash bin.
Write:
What is wrong with this picture?
What could be done to correct this problem?

30. Are YOU Bee Green? Solve:
The average person makes over 4 pounds of trash every day.
How much trash does the entire class make in one day?
Hint: Count the number of students in class today.
Directions: Solve by multiplying 4 by the number of students in the class. After solving together, explain to students that the average American produces about 1.5 tons of waste every year.
Source: Do Something, 11 Facts About Recycling

31. Are YOU Bee Green?
Every day Americans buy 62 million newspapers and throw away 44 million of them. That is the same as dumping 500,000 trees into a landfill every week!
Write:
How can you reduce or reuse newspapers to decrease the amount that ends up in the trash?
Directions: Allow time for students to write some ways to reduce or reuse newspaper then let a few students share their ideas. Include how newspaper can be used to clean windows instead of paper towels, or can be decorated and used as wrapping paper. Share with students that paper takes up 50% of landfill space.
Source: The Quest for Less, Unit 2, Chapter 2.4 Landfills and Combustion

32. Are YOU Bee Green?
Americans throw away enough paper each year to build a wall that is 12 feet high from:
a. Detroit to Mexico City
b. Detroit to Europe
c. Detroit to New York
d. Detroit to Australia
Turn and Talk:
Discuss your answer with your neighbor.
Explain why you selected your answer.
Directions: Answer is A (Detroit to Mexico City) which is about 2,500 miles. This requires students to make estimates, wrong answers should not be penalized. Encourage students to find a map and look at the distance between these multiple choices.
Source: University of Utah, Recycling Facts

33. Are YOU Bee Green?
Upcycling is the process of reusing and converting old materials into new products. There are many examples of upcycling and unlimited ways to upcycle.
Rolled Newspaper Beads Tire Planters Koolaid Pouch Bags
Write or Draw:
Examples of upcycling that you have seen or used.
Directions: Allow time for students to write or draw then leave time for students to share.

34. Are YOU Bee Green?
Americans represent ___% of the world’s population, but generate ___% of the world’s garbage.
A. 30%, 3%
B. 2%, 80%
C. 5%, 30%
D. 20%, 20%
Turn and Talk:
Discuss your answer with your neighbor.
Explain why you selected your answer.
Directions: Answer is C (5% of worlds population and 30% of world garbage). Ask students why Americans represent such a large percent of the world’s garbage but have a small population percentage. Allow time for a discussion about these statistics then explain that Americans consume more goods than other countries. This requires students to make estimates, wrong answers should not be penalized.
Source: University of Utah, Recycling Facts

35. Are YOU Bee Green? Write: What do you gather from this image?
Create a story around what you see is happening in this picture.
Directions: After students have had time to write. Explain that this image is how many people in Detroit recycle. Besides the three neighborhoods that have curbside bins Detroiters recycle by collecting their recyclable materials and bringing it to Recycle Here! located in the New Center area near Wayne State. Here they sort their materials into separate bins like reverse shopping.
Source: Recycle Here!

36. Are YOU Bee Green?
There are opposing views on whether trash can be made into art. One example of this is the Heidelberg Project, located on the eastside of Detroit. This artist collects discarded materials from the city to create a block full of art pieces.
Turn and Debate:
Pick one of the positions listed below. Develop at least 3 reasons why you picked that position. Turn and respectfully debate with your neighbor about your position.
Trash cannot be used as art.
Trash can be used to create art.
Directions: Make certain that students understand that for this debate they do not have to agree with what they are debating. The purpose of this activity is to learn how to debate a topic. Allow a few students to share some interesting points that came up in their debate with their partner.

37. Are YOU Bee Green? Solve:
The average American creates 4 pounds of waste each day. How much waste does the average America create a year?
Answer: 4x365=1,400 pounds a year.
Directions: Students will multiply 4 pounds by 365 to discover 1,460 pounds could be recycled.
Source:
Did you know you can get a recycling bin at your house? Sign up for a bin at DetroitRecycles.org

38. Are YOU Bee Green? Solve:
Using the pie graph, what percentage of the average dump is recyclable?
Answer:
Directions: Students will add, paper, metal, glass and plastic percentages together.
= 64%
Source:

39. Are YOU Bee Green? Watch and Draw:
Directions: Click on the link to TeacherTube which will show how paper is made. Then allow time for students to draw a comic strip about how paper is recycled into new paper.
**Please note you may not have access to this website but you can download this video beforehand.**
Source: Teacher Tube, Green Living Science
Watch and Draw:
Watch this short video about how paper is made. Then draw a comic strip about how paper is recycled into new paper!