To be honest, I don't know exactly how I decided upon recycling. I know where I was...sitting at one of my student tables at parent/teacher conferences. I had been thinking of what would/could be important to my students. What could they "get their hands" on? What could be school related and relevant to them?
However I derived at my idea is beside the point. I quickly pulled my principal in (as he had been a sounding board prior to this and knew the direction I was wanting to take). He quickly saw the potential as I was seeing it. Ideas were coming faster than I could write them down.
Recycling? Cost? Per Pound? How Much?
In Math class? The whole school?
Recycling vs. Regular Trash
Pre-Survey - "How many recycle?"
Post-Survey - "How many recycle now?"
Math Objectives
1. Averages - weekly, monthly
2. Algebra - graphs, slope, equations, models, line of best fit
3. Probability - predicting for added classrooms, whole school, district, etc.
4. Proportions
Questions
1. How much is recycling saving landfill space?
2. What products are made from recycled items?
3. What amount of recycled material is needed for new items?
4. How can you be a wise shopper?
5. How can we reduce?
What classes? Friday update information; 8th hour?
Use the flip camera to record the recycling center in South Hutch.
Create a documentary to show on the morning news.
Create a blog to educate others of our findings.
To help organize everything that was crowding my brain at this time, I found a website that had all sorts of questions to think about when planning a PBL. My notes are below.
Recycling PBL Organizational Notes
- How to Start ~ START SMALL!!!
Course:
1. One math class AND/OR 8th hour (would work great when Moving on Up is in session). 8th hour collects data, empties trash/recycling (Where?)
a. Materials: Will need scale. Nurse’s office?
2. Move to all classes and let each class decide which direction to take.
a. Friday’s – tabulate data for each day; integrate indicators as we are ready for them,
b. Carry on with regular lesson plans
Reg Math Class | 8th Hour Class | ??? |
Creates Algebraic Representations | Weighs & records amount of recycled and trash items | Updates blog |
Finds slopes, ratios, proportions | Videos Recycling center (block day) ??? | Creates Stutzman’s Recycling Video |
Finds averages | Videos Recycling Center | |
Creates graphs and writes conclusions | ||
Series of Topics (Subject Content)
1. Recycling Methods
2. Recycling Totals – math class (Central Tendencies)
a. Predicting RVMS, District, Reno Cty schools (Predicting Probability/Proportions)
3. Recycling Benefits
a. Cost? (Algebraic Representations, Slope)
b. Landfill Space (Volume…not tested, proportions)
c. Amount of recycled material needed for new item? (Proportions)
4. What products are made from recycled items?
5. How can you be a wise shopper?
Objectives:
1. Students will calculate the daily/weekly total of recycling and landfill waste for the math classroom (this is why 8th hour would work well).
a. Students will calculate averages using central tendencies.
b. Students will find patterns to create algebraic equations, table of values, graphs
c. Students will find the slope of the algebraic graphs.
d. Students will create bar graphs and write conclusions to demonstrate use of models.
2. Students will research recycling benefits (specific topic to be determined by the class).
3. Students will video/interview the Stutzman Recycling Center
4. Students will create a Public Service Announcement for RVMS to promote recycling on the daily news.
5. Students will create a blog to publish results.
The Problem: Recycling…What’s it to US?
Guiding Question:
What impact does recycling have in our lives? (GG#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7)
What is the relationship between recycled materials and landfill trash at RVMS?
(GG# 3, #5, #8, #9)
Good Questions:
1. What is the recycling process?
2. What items can be recycled?
3. How much is saved, space-wise in a landfill, with recycling?
4. How much recycled materials does it take to make a new item?
5. What is the cost of recycling?
6. What products are made from recycled items?
7. How can you be a wise shopper?
8. What is RVMS recycled/trash ratio?
a. How does this ratio compare during different months?
9. What is the average amount recycled at RVMS?
10. How can we reduce?
- Time and meetings
- Total amount of time: 20 minutes on Fridays (regular classes)
5 minutes daily (8th hour)
b. Regular math classes will be taught as usual, with a stronger focus during
the probability unit
- Creating of the blog/video ???
Sequence
Goals Meeting | Classes will meet to brainstorm what we know about recycling, what we would like to learn about recyling, and how math is involved in this process. Some research might be implemented to strengthen our brainstorming list. What do we want to accomplish? How will we show what we accomplished? ~ Blog ~ Documentary video ~ Children’s book ~ Wiki Time lines? Group responsibilities? Target audience? |
Teach | Curriculum will be taught as usual. Emphasis of project during the probability and algebra units. Journals of how these concepts are used in our project. |
Feedback | What other questions should we focus on? Sharing of data. How do we incorporate this into our final project? |
Consolidate | Share resources from other classes. |
- Student Groups
- Table groups: How will we get everyone involved? What will the roles for each group be (depends on project)?
- Groups will keep a journal of all the data and resources they have found.
i. Calculations of central tendencies
ii. Predictions
iii. Graphs, equations, table of values of their findings
iv. Resources: Extra learning
v. Questions:
vi. Project contributions
- Resources
Recycling Facts: http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html, 2008, Oberlin College Resource Conservation Team
Beverage Container Facts and Statistics, http://www.container-recycling.org/facts/all/, 2003-2010, Container Recycling Institute
Get Caught Recyling, http://www.ksewaste.org/gc_why_recycle.htm, 2005-2010, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Environment for Learning the Subject Knowledge
- After the brainstorming Goals session, I’ll add any questions that weren’t brought up as guiding questions. We’ll choose objectives as a class.
1. Voting?
2. Discussion?
- Environment for the Process Skills
- What if someone misses a Friday? Must read through the journal and get caught up the next week when data is collected. This person will then be the recorder to make sure they are back on board.
- What if someone continually disrupts the group?
- What if someone doesn’t get their task completed? Stay after school?
Course Objectives:
F – Focus on attitude – contribute a positive attitude, contribute a
problem-solving attitude…offering up suggestions to move thinking,
I – Interject fun – This should not be a drudgery…it is real time data for a
real cause!
S – Serve Others – Be aware of everyone in your group, include
everyone’s ideas, compliment others
H – Here and Now – Keep focused on the task at hand, be a self-directed
learner, what needs to be done?
Consequences:
? Loss of technician responsibilities
Monitoring Group Work
~ Feedback forms:
~ TRC form: What we accomplished, what we need to do next class,
questions we have.
How do we give feedback?
~ create an environment that suggests “without positive and negative
feedback we grow stagnate” Feedback pushes us to produce the best
quality work.
- Environment to develop “expertise”
When we encounter a problem in a subject area where we know little, the problem is a problem. We read and reread the problem statement. We identify the goal. We explore the problem to try to discover what is really pertinent, what is important and what can be neglected. We work backwards by focusing on the “goal” and trying to see what we need to do to connect the goal to the given information. We try many different things. We make mistakes…many mistakes. This describes “problem solving”…the process most of us will use when we encounter the problem in PBL.
- Student Performance – Assessment
So that brings me to today. This weekend as I was taking a walk, I got to thinking about the PBL again. My focus went to how will I implement these ideas into my math classroom. I don't really want to give up a bunch of class time to integrate this PBL when I don't know if it will give the desired outcome...the best impact on student learning. It hit me on my walk...could it be the crisp fall air?...I would use the PBL strictly in 8th hour during Moving On Up. The class, Moving On Up, is designed to review for the state assessment. In the past, I have had to come up with new ideas to review for the state assessment. This PBL could act as our review as I have identified that it could hit 11 out of the 15 tested indicators. I found several willing people to listen to my thinking, and the more I talked about my plans, the more it became clear to me that starting small is what I need to do. I need to work the bugs out. Get all the gears in motion. Tweak here and there or if need be, totally reconstruct what did not work. Later on, parts of the PBL can be used as a review of specific indicators in March for the regular math classes. Or better yet, if all goes well, it may be something I use again next year.
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