Teaching Across the Curricula

This assignment addresses several areas of the curricula including English, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Reading.

The activities can be adapted for more complexity for older students.  For example, instead of or in addition to writing letters to parents, the students may write a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency requesting information about recycling.  The unit could actually take much more time if it were made into a year-long effort to recycle.  Older students could be asked to lead a school-wide movement and keep track of their own progress via reports produced on Excel. 

Younger children may need additional teacher help to complete the project, but can be successful nonetheless.  The teacher might set up recycle bins in the classroom for commonly discarded recyclables.  For non-readers, labels could be made using pictures so that the children would know exactly where to put the items.  Simplified charts can be used on the progress and perhaps completed as a class with available technology in the classroom such as a computer connected to the television or projector.  Young children can note which kinds of materials fill up their respective containers first.  Additionally, a field trip or virtual tour could be added to the unit for concrete representation.