Classic Trash

Carol Colby                    Oak Lawn Community High School
                               95th and Southwest Highway 
                               Oak Lawn IL 60453
                               708-424-5200

Objectives:

1. Freshmen students will learn how to classify trash into the categories:
organic, renewable/recyclable, nonrenewable/recyclable, and nonrenewable/hard to 
recycle. 

2. Students will learn what options exist for dealing with trash: recycling,
reusing, incenerating, use of landfill, and composting.

3. Students will learn how long trash will last in a landfill.

4. Students will consider problems associated with landfills and learn about 
possible design solutions to these problems.  Problems include smell, methane
gas, contamination of groundwater, scavenging birds, loss of natural resources,
and increased traffic from trash trucks.

5. Students will learn what the basic components of a landfill are.

6. Students will be able to perform an assessment activity to demonstrate 
mastery of material.

Materials:

Classification Activity:-one shoe box with one of each of the following items 
for each group of 4-5 students:
     -1 glass jar        -1 plastic bag      -1 2-L pop bottle
     -1 brown paper bag  -1 lettuce leaf     -1 styrofoam cup
     -1 aluminum can 

Edible Landfill Activity: (recipe is for 1 group of 4-5 students)
      -1 choc. graham pie crust     -2 pieces of red licorice
      -3-7 graham crackers          -2 snack packs of choc. pudding
      -2 snack pack vanilla pudding -1/2 cup of each: nuts, choc. 
                                         chips, and coconut.

Strategy:

1. Ask class what these items all have in common: (show items in one of the 
shoeboxes)
     -lettuce leaf       -plastic bag      -aluminum can  -1 glass jar
     -1 2L pop bottle    -1 styrofoam cup  -1 brown bag

"They are all waste products."  Each person generates 5 lbs per day.  Over a 
year that accumulates to 2000 lbs or 1 ton of garbage per year per person. 

2. In teams of 4-5, classify each item that is in your shoebox.  Decide what 
criteria you will use to classify each item.  (Suggest that groups consider 
properties, uses and the disposal of items)

3. After teams have come to a consensus, have a student write the criteria on 
the board.

4. After this listing is complete, show commonly used categories and allow class 
to help formulate definitions and examples of each. (organic, 
renewable/recyclable, nonrenewable/recyclable, nonrenewable/hard to recycle.)

5. Ask class what happens to garbage when it leaves the curb.

6. Once garbage is in the landfill, how long will it last?  Ask students to 
guess how long each item will last:
     paper           2-4 weeks
     glass jar       unknown length of time
     banana peel     4-5 weeks
     green bean can  100 years

7. Ask students to brainstorm with their teams what problems are associated with 
landfills.

8. Ask students how these problems can be avoided in designing a landfill

9. Show an overhead, poster, or model of a cross section of a landfill.  
Include these components:
          -clay liner
          -drainage pipes
          -sand and gravel filters
          -alternating layers of dirt and garbage
          -thick layer of dirt over top covered with grass

10. Explain the function of each component
          -the clay liner is used to prevent liquids from seeping into the 
           groundwater supply.  This is known as leaching 
          -the drainage pipes carry the liquids away from the bottom of the 
           landfill 
          -the sand and gravel layers act as filters.  The sand and gravel hold 
           the solid particles and allow the liquid to drain through 
          -after garbage is put into the landfill, dirt is placed over that 
           garbage.  The dirt contains microbes which can decompose the organic 
           garbage.  After this layer of dirt is placed in the landfill, another 
           layer of garbage is placed over the dirt, then soil, garbage, soil, 
           etc. The alternating layers also prevent scavenging animals from 
           picking at the garbage. The layers also help control odors. 
          -the thick layer of dirt over the top of the landfill helps to make 
           the land usable again. 

11. Note that trash disposal is a problem for people of all cultures and must be 
dealt with in a responsible manner for the benefit of all people now and in the 
future.

Performance Assessment:

The assessment assignment is to create an edible model of a landfill with team 
members using the following materials:
       -1 choc. graham pie crust
       -2 pieces of red licorice
       -3-7 graham crackers
       -2 packs of choc. pudding
       -2 packs of vanilla pudding
       -1/2 cup of each: nuts, choc. chips, green coconut
Groups should use the materials to best represent the components of a landfill.
Each individual team member is responsible for a written explanation of his/her 
team's model.  Explanations should include what the components represent, why 
each component was chosen, and why the components are necessary in the proper 
functioning of a landfill.  Diagrams may be helpful.

Trash Rubric:
6  Exemplary Response
          Gives a clear, coherent and elegant explanation.
          Includes:
                 -Explanation with all components described in unit
                 -Model accurately displays all components of landfill
                 -The diagram accurately depicts the components
                 -The function of each component is explained
5  Correct Response
          The response is correct and the explanation is clear. It includes all 
          of the responses for a rating of six, but to a lesser degree. The 
          explanation may not include a diagram. 
4  Satisfactory Response
          This response is generally correct and does explain the function of a 
          landfill correctly.  Some of the components may have been left out our 
          not fully explained. The diagram may be inappropriate or unclear or 
          not included at all. 
3  Nearly Satisfactory
          The response may begin appropriately, but significant parts of the 
          model may have been omitted or not explained accurately.  The response 
          may be hard to follow. 
2  Inadequate Response-Begins to answer question
          The explanation is not understandable; the diagram may be unclear; 
          major components of the landfill are left out. 
1  Inadequate Response-Unable to begin effectively
          The words do not reflect the problem; drawings misrepresent the 
          components of a landfill; parts of the landfill may be included, but 
          they are not explained. 
0  Not Attempted.....Rating=0

References:
Solid Waste Activity Packet, Illinois Department of Energy and Natural 
Resources, University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois, p.57-66, 1990.

All Trashed Out, Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Office of 
Recycling and Waste Reduction, p. 39-46, 1992.