PITCH-IN CANADA
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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 4 -  ***Where Is "Away"?                                 K – 3

Skills: experiment conducted over time

Time: two periods, separated by a season--one in winter, one in spring

Learning Objective: students will conduct a simple experiment to find out what happens when some types of litter are thrown "away".

NOTE: if not done, you may wish to do LITTER: ACTIVITY 1 as an introduction to this Activity. You may wish to do LITTER: ACTIVITY 9 as a follow-up to this Activity.

Materials and Equipment: samples of litter, including paper, metals, glass, food, etc.

1. On a snowy day, discuss the concept of throwing things "away" into the snow. Discuss what items are often found as litter.

2. Explain to the students that they will be conducting an experiment to find out what happens to items "thrown away" in the snow. Even though the items disappear under the snow, do they really disappear?

3. Have the students select a variety of items that could be thrown away by someone when outside, such as potato chip bag, and bring them to class.

4. Make a chart listing each item, and have the students predict what will happen to each item a few months after it is thrown "away".

5. With students, select a suitable site, undisturbed yet exposed to the usual weather. "Throw away" the pre-selected litter by burying it in the snow. Record date, time, and weather conditions.

6. Have each student, or as a class project, start a diary of the experiment. Take photographs or make drawings of the site to put into the diary.

7. Return to the site regularly, recording observations for the diary.

8. In the spring, when the snow has melted, conclude the experiment.

It is important that the experiment be concluded as soon as the litter has been exposed and before wind, water, people or animals can spread it around.

9. Discuss with the students:

• What happened to each piece of litter?
• Did any pieces move away from the original burial site?
• Did any pieces "disappear"?
• What were they made of?
• Did any pieces remain the same or almost the same?
• What were they made of?
• Is there an "away"?

10. Have the students complete their diary with their conclusions to the experiment.

RE…Think

Discuss with the students:

• Is there an "away"?
• What should we do with our litter in winter?

Is this any different from what we should do with our litter in the summer?

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

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