This year at McKim Middle School, two grade 5/6 classes are going Beyond Recycling. The students are embarking on multi-month learning journey where they will learn all about energy, water, food, transportation from a middle school kid’s perspective. But before going beyond, Mrs. Turcon’s class spent some time learning about recycling and other types of waste.
The students first took a deep dive into their classroom garbage bin, identifying which items are true waste, and what can go elsewhere – as recycling, compost, food waste, or re-useable items. We discussed Kimberley’s new curbside recycling pick up, and how it accepts different items than the preciously existing yellow bins. This was an eye-opening exercise, with students exclaiming “I didn’t know that!”, or “wait – THAT can get recycled?”.
Following this, students learned how waste has changed over time and how plastics are made, before diving into a creative action project: turning trash into treasure!
Using recyclables or other materials destined for the landfill, students created useful items including a bag, windchime, cabinet, and a posable art mannequin.
