PITCH-IN CANADA
Resource Centre

Re-Think Activities
An educational Unit for children up to Grade 4
Written by Valerie Thom, B.Ed. and edited by Allard W. van Veen, APR, Fellow, CPRS

This unit has six chapters, each filled with information, ideas and projects. Words in bold and in italics are featured in the glossary which you can reach by clicking here

LITTER AND OUR ENVIRONMENT: ACTIVITY 2 -   A Garbage Story                                             1 – 3

Skills: story writing

Time: one class period

Learning Objective: students will consider how litter becomes litter.

Materials and Equipment: one piece of litter for each student.

1. Have students bring a piece of litter to class (emphasize safety when picking up litter—see APPENDIX 8 for safety guidelines) OR bring in samples of litter for the students.

2. Ask students to imagine the life story of their piece of litter:

• Where did it come from?
• How did it become a piece of litter?
• Who was responsible for turning the wrapping, can, etc. into litter?
• What might have happened to the piece of litter if it hadn’t been thrown down?
• What might have happened to it if it hadn’t been picked up?

3. Ask students to write, then illustrate, the life story of their piece of litter.

RE…Think

Discuss with the students:

• Do we have to have litter?

For Older Students:

With older students, you may wish to arrange a debate, asking students to argue for or against littering.

Click here to return to the Index for Chapter 6 and more activities

Click here to return to the Index for Re-Think