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

Skills: designing

Time: one class period

Learning Objective: students will consider the design of garbage cans; students will design garbage cans for maximum usefulness and practicality.

NOTE: this Activity can be done in conjunction with LITTER: ACTIVITY 3 which discusses the seven sources of litter which include inadequate garbage cans.  If your classroom, school, or community has a recycling program, you may wish to do REUSING AND RECYCLING: ACTIVITY 14 as well.

Materials and Equipment: supplies from the class "junk" pile.

Activity:

1. Discuss with the students the features that make a garbage can useful and practical:

• Shape
• Size
• Features such as lids, handles
• Decorations
• Sturdy
• Stable
• Portable
• Easy to lift
• Wind-proof
• Animal and bird-proof

2. Have students collect containers suitable for making into model garbage cans. Using the class "junk" pile, have students make and decorate their models. They may wish to include garbage can carriers/holders in their design.

RE…Think

Discuss with the students:

• Can we think of garbage systems of the future that might not even use garbage cans at all?
• Can we design such a system for a home, a school, an office, and a park?

Ask students to design the garbage systems of 2090, keeping in mind the need to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Students could build their systems, using "junk".

Students may wish to use larger containers to make litter bins that they can use in their bedrooms at home, or give to their parents to use as Christmas, Mother’s or Father’s Day presents.

Click here to return to the Index for Chapter 4 and more activities

Click here to return to the Index for Re-Think