Introduction

Ms. Hwang has been visiting classes to see all of the hard work the students are doing. She noticed that garbage cans are filled with many different items. There are empty water bottles, pieces of paper, tissues, wrappers and plastic bags filling up the garbage can! The students are not recycling. The garbage cans are not being used correctly. She has asked for your help.

Tasks   

1.    Research the current problem with the garbage in school.

2.    Create and administer a survey to identify the causes of this problem.

3.    Create a poster that can be hung up inside of a class that explains how students and teachers can throw away items in a way that promotes recycling.

Process/Resources

Follow the Six Steps of PPA to analyze this problem

Step 1: Define the Problem

Step 2: Gather evidence

Step 3: What causes the problem?

Step 4: What is the existing policy for dealing with this problem

Step 5: Develop Solutions

Step 6: Select best solution based on effectiveness and feasibility

Day 1:

- Discuss what you have noticed about the garbage cans in your classroom.

- Create a survey using google forms with your group to have the custodians complete about their noticings when collecting the garbage from classes.   Remember you are trying to gather evidence about this problem in the school.

Day 2:

-  Analyze the the custodians survey responses. Discuss with your group what you are noticing.

-Work with your group to create a survey for the students in your grade to complete. The purpose of this survey is to identify what is causing this problem. What do students know about the garbage in their classrooms?

- Complete this worksheet and submit to teacher

Day 3:

- Research using the resources below to identify the current policy for dealing with too much garbage.

NYC Public Schools Recycling Laws

Facts about Recycling

Reduce Reuse Recycle

What can I do to help?

Day 4:

-With your group create 3 possible solutions to this problem.

-Complete and submit this worksheet.

Day 5: 

- With your group create a poster that includes an explanation of your solution and could be hung up inside a classroom.  Your poster must include: title, illustrations, data, key phrases that support solution, solution. Create the poster using markers and chart paper. You may include images from your internet searches so far.    

Evaluation

The rubric below will be used to assess your posters.

Conclusion

Congratulations on creating a plan that will help to make our NYC Schools an even better place to be! You have worked hard to find evidence of this problem and possible causes. As a group you researched current solutions to this problem and then evaluated them. You worked together to create three possible solutions and chose one that would be feasible and effective! You used all that you learned to create a poster that will help solve this problem in our school. These posters will help your classmates apply your solutions in all classrooms!  

Standards

ELA Grade 2 Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.7

Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8

Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

NGSS Science Standards Grade 2

K-2-ETS1-1 Engineering Design

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.