NAME OF LESSON: Making Recycled Paper (while learning about environmental issues!)

 

Subject Area: Biology (environmental science)

          

Age or Grade: Middle school

          

Estimated Length: 2 class periods

          

Prerequisite knowledge/skills: none

          

Description of New Content:

History of paper production, how paper is recycled today, other things that are recycled, recycling pros and cons, where does all the garbage go?

          

Goals:

Students will work in groups to make their own piece of recycled paper from paper in the classrooms’ recycling bin.

          

Materials Needed:

Visit www.funsci.com/fun3_en/paper/paper.htm for photos of the screen that will need to be built, as well as some background information for the lesson.

2 large plastic containers (like large baking pans)

Blender (to be devoted to this activity, not food!)

Natural fibers: grasses, flowers, etc.

Hair dryer

Laundry starch

Paper to be “recycled”

Warm water in large bins

Place to store recycled paper so it can dry for several days

 

          

Procedure:

1.    Go over background information about paper and paper recycling.

2.   **paper that will be “recycled” should be soaked in water overnight or for a few days

3.   Tear paper into small pieces and fill blender to about half full, add some leaves and flowers, add warm water to 2/3 full

4.   Blend until it looks like thick soup, you have made pulp! Pour pulp into the large plastic pan, add more water plus ¼ cup of laundry starch (or several sprays from a can).

5.   Scoop the watery pulp into the screen, holding the screen over the second pan.  Spread the pulp into a thin layer and let the water drip off. 

6.   Blow dry the pulp, blot with a cloth, or cover with newspaper, until you’re able to pull off the piece of paper and set it aside to dry.  Complete drying will take a few days.

7.   Go over more content about how other items are recycled (reading the book Garbage Land, or Where does the Garbage Go? is a great start), and how garbage is treated.  Have students brainstorm recycling pros and cons and ways they (and businesses!) can reduce waste! (REMEMBER: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – in that order!)

 

 

Opener:

Pull out the class recycling bin and ask the students – why do we put paper in here? Ask students whether or not it’s a good idea to recycle paper?  Discuss the CO2, energy use and deforestation issues they have learned about in their textbook, and how they relate to recycling. How is paper made originally? (Cellulose source, usually plants, plus water and glue)  How is recycled paper made?  Could we do it in this classroom???

 

Development:

Continue with background discussion as outlined in procedure, and make recycled paper.  After the paper is done drying a few days later, have students compare how each class’s paper looks different.  Discuss that recycled paper that is sold is made to look uniform with machines and bleaching.  Other questions to tackle: what else is recycled?  What about toxic items (paint, batteries, computers?)? Where does our garbage go?

 

Closure:

Cut up the piece of paper so all students can take a piece home, and/or draw on it, and put it back in the recycling bin!

 

Evaluation:

Students can work on another environmental campaign in the school or classroom and be graded on their efforts: school gardens, composting, additional recycling, assessment of school energy uses, garbage and other waste creation, water usage, etc.

 

Extensions: see evaluation