One of the important considerations in the study of economics is the allocation of scarce resources among seemingly limitless demands. North Americans especially have treated resources as if they were limitless and demand as something which must be fulfilled. This has led to two related problems. It is becoming very evident that resource stocks are finite. The waste materials generated by trying to fulfill consumer wants are difficult to handle. Attempts to recycle waste materials as resources have run into the problem of a large supply of materials and a low demand for the products.
In this unit, two concerns are considered. What is the best use for four major Saskatchewan resources: forests, soil, water, and natural gas? How can the solid waste we generate be best handled? This unit can be integrated with the grade 7 science core unit Renewable Resources in Saskatchewan and to some extent with the grade 7 social studies unit Resources.
Science writing and reading activities, as discussed in this Guide, should be incorporated into each lesson. Writing in personal, reflective journals, reading from newspapers and journals as well as from texts, and reporting on the activities of science class in a variety of ways are only three strategies through which students may refine their understanding of the concepts of science and develop their ability to communicate through the written word.
Science challenge, as described in this Guide, is meant to extend students' critical and creative thinking abilities in the context of the science concepts being studied. Activities involving science challenge should be incorporated into science lessons in each unit. The challenge is intended to give each student a chance to investigate an area of interest in more depth than would be possible for all students in a class to do. Science challenge is a key strategy for bringing the Adaptive Dimension to the classroom, and for encouraging independent learning.
Note: Many of the resources listed in Science: An Information Bulletin for the Middle Level - Key Resource Correlations describe activities or ideas for activities.
For each item listed in the three columns, propose methods of how the amount of that type of waste could be reduced. Next, for each item on the three lists, propose ways in which the item could be reused. Finally, propose ways that you could move items from column 2 into column 1 and from column 3 into column 1 or 2 by identifying uses or markets for the waste.
Factors: A9, B2, B12, C6, D4, F4, G6
Objectives: 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1
Assessment Techniques: presentations, extended open response test items, self and peer assessment
Instructional Methods: reflective discussion, problem solving
Tetra Pak Inc., Suite 5 3260 Viking Way, Richmond, BC V6V
1N6 (604) 276 2424 will supply information and their
argument for the use of the boxes in the form of a poster
titled "The Juice Box Story". Analyze the arguments
presented. Compare Tetra Pak's list of advantages to the
advantages you identified. Once this analysis is done,
decide whether your opinion has changed.
Imagine that you are an advertising consultant who has been
hired by the glass industry to promote the use of glass
bottles for packaging juice. Create a poster that would
meet
that requirement.
Is it possible that for some uses Tetra Pak boxes are the
appropriate choice and for other uses glass bottles are the
suitable choice? Must a decision be made that one packaging
method is best for all situations? Can a decision be made
that one packaging method is best for all situations? What
are some alternatives to either method for bringing juice
to
school for lunch? for buying juice or milk for family use
at
home? for selling juice in a cafeteria at a mall?
Factors: A9, B2, B5,
B13, C12, C19, D5,
F6
Objectives: 1.3, 2.4,
2.6, 3.4
Assessment Techniques: written assignments,
observation checklists, self assessment
Instructional Methods: reflective discussion,
surveys, problem solving, role playing
Factors: A9, B10, B18, C4,
C6, D4,
D5, G6
Objectives: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 3.2
Assessment Techniques: rating scale,
presentations
Instructional Methods: reading for meaning, role
playing, reports
Following are five possible divisions for the study.
Create a sheet publicizing your ideas and distribute the
sheet during the pre-Christmas season in your community.
Put the warm water into the pitcher so that it is about one
half full. Shred the paper so that it is in as small pieces
as possible. Add to the warm water, stirring slowly. Keep
adding paper and stirring until the mixture is the
consistency of thick soup. (A hand mixer might be useful if
the paper is not liquefying easily.) Put the lid on the
pitcher and shake to further liquefy the paper. Then pour
the mixture into the pan.
Slip one of the pieces of screen down the side of the pan
and under the mixture. Move it gently around until it is
covered with an even layer of paper. Then lift it out of
the
pan, taking care to keep it level. Place the screen on one
end of the towel and place the other piece of screen on top
of the mixture. Then fold the towel over top of the second
screen and press down hard to squeeze the water out of the
mixture.
Take the towel off the top screen and then carefully remove
the top screen. Place the bottom screen with its layer of
paper in a warm place to dry. When it is dry, carefully
separate the paper from the screen.
Experiment by adding some liquid laundry starch, some Epsom
salts, some 3 cm lengths of thread or some other substances
to the paper. Can coloured paper be produced. Will a little
alcohol added remove any of the ink from the paper?
Organize a system of collecting materials for use in the
compost pile. Assign tasks for maintaining and monitoring
the composting process. Decide how the finished compost
will
be distributed or used.
During the first afternoon period, ask the students to
measure the mass of the packaging? What is the mass of the
materials which can be reused? What is the mass of the
materials which can be recycled? What is the mass of the
excessive packaging that could be eliminated or replaced
with reusable materials?
Set goals for reduce the packaging used when lunches are
packaged for school. Ask those people who bring lunch
regularly to save and measure the mass of the packaging
each
day for the next two weeks. Present the information on the
various masses of packaging materials for the two week
period on a graph.