• Essential Question:
  How can I contribute to a better tomorrow?
• Unit Question:
  How can the 3R concept help in preserving and conserving the environment?
• Content Questions:
  What is the 3R concept?
  Which are organic and inorganic materials?
  Why is it important to preserve and conserve resources?

Assessment Processes
View how a variety of student-centred assessments are used in the Creating a Better Place Unit Plan. These assessments help students and teachers to set goals; monitor students’ progress; provide feedback; assess thinking, processes, performances, and products and reflect on learning throughout the learning cycle.

Instructional Procedures
Introducing the unit (1 period, 40 minutes)
Put up pictures of different natural resources such as water, air, soil, minerals, fossil fuels, forests and living things. Divide the students into groups of five and make each group in charge of a different picture. Ask students to discuss the current issues revolving around the particular resource in their respective groups. Guide students to realize the impact of our daily activities on the natural resources.

Then, pose the essential question: How can I contribute to a better tomorrow? to the students. Provide time for the students to think and write down their responses in the student journal. Have students share their thoughts about the question.
 
Introduce the project entitled “Creating a Better Place” using a presentation slideshow (PPT 364KB). Explain the role and tasks that students need to carry out. Distribute school recycling badges to students. Draw students’ attentions on the need of creating a balance between fulfilling our present needs while saving enough for the future. Present the collaboration self-assessment (DOC 61.5KB) before students begin to work. Tell them to use this document to set individual and group goals for working together to complete the project successfully.

Conducting research (One week; 3 periods, 40 minutes + Lab period)
Inform students that their first task is to search for information on the concept of 3R. Provide students with a research support handout (DOC 172KB) that contains a list of websites and research template. Encourage students to seek further information from other sources. Allocate about two periods for students to do their research.

Make students sit in groups and discuss their findings. Place Question Trash Bins in the class. Assign separate trash bins to each group. Encourage students to put their doubts and questions in the trash bins. Provide time for students to write the questions.

Interchange the trash bins among the groups in such a way that each group gets the trash bin of other groups. Provide time for each group to read the questions and discuss the answers. Inform that each group will be responsible for the answers to the questions in the next period.

In the next class, ask each group to read out the questions and share their answers. Encourage other students to share if they have some points to add to the answer. In case if there are some questions repeated, ask each group to share their answers – this will encourage students to value others’ perspective and to look at things from various dimensions.

Writing Autobiography (1 period, 40 minutes + Take Home)
Sensitize the students about the way our daily routine impacts the environment by reading the “Look around and Think” (DOC 23KB) handout. Have a classroom discussion on different solid waste materials and share the handout titled “When will these things decompose?” (DOC 41KB)
 
Take home activity: - Ask students to work on the worksheet.

Extended Activity: - Have students write the autobiography of solid waste (DOC 54.5KB). Inform students that they can select any solid waste and write its autobiography in around 250 words. Collaborate with the English Language teacher and arrange for a session to guide the students.

Keeping a watch (2 periods, 40 minutes + Take Home)
Put up when will these things decompose? - Answers (DOC 42KB) on the class bulletin board and ask students to compare their answers. Have a whole class discussion with the students to share their learning.

Take Home: Inform students about the observation activity. Tell them to observe the waste dumped in their household trash bins for 3 days and get an insight into the awareness level of their family members by asking some questions. Share the observation template (DOC 31.5KB) for recording the observation and the awareness level of the family members.

Orient students that they have to discuss and compile the data collected for making a group presentation for the next week.

Preparing multimedia presentation (1 week; 2 periods, 40 minutes + Lab periods)
Provide time for students to discuss and compile the data collected during the previous week. Inform them that their next task is to prepare a multimedia presentation. Inform the students that the presentation needs to answer the unit question: How can the 3R concept help in preserving and conserving the environment? Distribute the presentation checklist (DOC 47KB) and presentation rubric (DCO 34.5KB) to each group. Elaborate on the criteria listed in the checklist and rubric. Explain thoroughly how students could use them to produce a good presentation.

Ask students to plan their presentation using the presentation planning template (PPT 186KB). Make each group prepare a storyboard of the presentation. Give inputs to groups if needed.
 
Provide time for students to finish their presentation. Guide students accordingly as they prepare their presentation. Have frequent meetings with each group to check on their progress.

Recycling experts at work (1 week; 3 periods, 40 minutes)
Inform the young recycling experts that now they have to make use of their creativity. Make students discuss in their respective groups useful things that they can make using solid waste. Ask them to make a list and finalize at least two things. Inform students to work under the guidance of the Arts and Crafts teacher. Along with the Arts and Crafts teacher, discuss the waste materials needed to create the useful things. Make students bring the required waste materials to school the next day.

Allocate about one week for students to produce the useful things under the guidance of the Arts and Crafts teacher.

Planning school Reuse Centre & Creating 3R Wiki(1 week; 2 periods, 40 minutes + Lab Periods)
Arrange for the setting up of the school reuse centre in a vacant/unused space in the school campus. Remind students that they will display and sell their created things at the school reuse centre. Make students determine the price of the product. Inform students that the amount earned from the reuse centre will be used for conducting waste management activities in the school.

Introduce the activity to create a 3R wiki* for providing information on ways to recycle the solid waste. Make students discuss and plan their wiki using the wiki scoring guide (DOC 33KB). Allocate about a week for students to prepare their wiki. Fix meeting sessions with each group along the week and guide them whenever required.
 
Extended Activity: Ask students to create posters to inform and invite the school community to their Reuse Centre Inauguration.  Put up the posters on the school notice boards.

Preparing for the Reuse Centre (2 periods, 40 minutes)
Explain that it is time for them to create awareness in the school community about their project. Ask the recycling experts to prepare a short write up for inviting peers and teachers for the inauguration of the reuse centre. Help groups if needed.  Make each group invite different classes for the inauguration of the reuse centre. Remind students to wear their recycling expert badge.

Have students arrange the created things with price tags in the reuse centre. Arrange for display of multimedia presentation for the inauguration.

Inauguration of the reuse centre (1 period, 40 minutes)
Invite the school principal to inaugurate the School Reuse Centre. Remind students to wear their recycling expert badge. Have students present their multimedia presentation (PPT 381KB). Also make students briefly explain to the audience how they made their useful items using the 3R wiki*. Invite a few teachers to evaluate students’ presentation and wiki using the presentation rubric and wiki scoring guide.

Revisit the Essential Question (1 period, 40 minutes)
Congratulate the students for their accomplishment of the Reuse Centre project and encourage students to continue their effort in putting the 3R concepts into practice. Have students share their learning with their peers.

Revisit the essential question: How can I contribute to a better tomorrow? and have students write down their thoughts in the journal. Conduct a short discussion on students’ responses on the essential question, before and after the project. Make students realize the importance of working together to make this world a better place.

Prerequisite Skills

• Basic knowledge on the current issues pertaining to the natural resources – pollution, deforestation, endangered species.
• Fundamental skills of basic computer operations and ability to use word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet software.
• Students may need mini-lessons on wiki.

Differentiated Instruction

• Resource Student
  • Students work in a mixed ability group under the supervision of a teacher.
  • Break down the project into smaller tasks and give a checklist of tasks to be accomplished.
  • Conduct frequent meetings with students to check on the progress of their project.
• Gifted Student
  • Allow students to play the role as leaders in completing their assignment.
  • Encourage students to plan the progress of their projects and deadlines to be met.

Credits
This project idea was developed by Nazifah bt Ismail and Khalidah bt Othman. A team of teachers expanded the plan into the example you see here.