- The
Daily Waste Times
- Adapted from Waste - A Hidden
Resource, by Keep America Beautiful
-
-
Back to Trash Goes to School
- GRADE LEVELS:
9-12
-
- SUBJECT AREAS:
language arts
English
social studies
journalism
-
- CONCEPT:
Using the newspaper to increase awareness of waste management
issues.
-
- OBJECTIVE:
Students will be able to:
(1) describe qualities of a newspaper article that make it effective,
(2) define waste and identify local waste problems and practices,
and
(3) select one component of a newspaper which communicates about
the
issues of waste management.
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- MATERIALS:
newspaper articles on waste management
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- KEYWORDS:
issue, waste management
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- BACKGROUND:
The expression "The pen is mightier than the sword"
means that an idea can be advanced and attitudes can be changed
more effectively through the written word than through battles.
Historically, newspapers have played an important role in social
issues. On almost any given day there are references in the newspapers
to the issue of waste. Citizens are becoming more concerned about
what is happening to the tons of waste generated every day and
how this affects our environment. The major purpose of this activity
is to provide an opportunity for students to respond to the issues
of waste management through journalism.
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- PROCEDURE:
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- 1. With the students, analyze the components
of a newspaper (editorial, short article, photo story, etc.)
in terms of the qualities that contribute to the newspaper's
effectiveness or appeal.
- a. Assign to each student (or team
of students) one of the discussed components of a newspaper.
Each student (or team) will be responsible for producing an example
of the newspaper component assigned to him/her (or the team).
- b. Explain to the students that they
will be writing and publishing a special edition of a mini-newspaper
focusing on the issues of waste management.
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- 2. Review with the students the definition
of "waste" and discuss our attitude toward waste.
- a. Discuss waste management in terms
of waste disposal. Discuss current disposal methods (usually
dumping into a landfill); costs; regulatory agencies (Environmental
Protection Agency and State agencies); options that can reduce
the amount that must be landfilled (reuse, recycling, composting,
incineration); and the responsibility for managing waste (everyone's
responsibility).
- b. Ask each student or team of students
to read resource materials pertaining to waste and to read and
clip newspaper articles about waste problems. Post the newspaper
articles as they are clipped and brought in.
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- 3. Have each student write a short
article or editorial, or produce a photo story (or other newspaper
component) on an aspect of waste management.
- a. Compile the students' articles into
a mini-newspaper.
- b. Reproduce the mini-newspaper for
distribution in the school and/or community.
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- FOLLOW-UP:
- 1. Interview people who are involved
in waste management (e.g., elected officials, sanitary landfill
operators, recycling center personnel, representatives of industries
that use recycled materials) and write an article about your
findings.
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- 2. Collect photographs related to waste
(landfill sites, home waste ready for pick up, activities that
generate waste, recycling centers, etc.) and use the pictures
for other assignments or projects.
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- 3. Plan a class project of collecting
data and photographs concerning waste management and writing
an article for publication in a local or regional newspaper.
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- 4. Invite a reporter who has written
a waste management story to visit the class and discuss the article
he/she wrote.
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- 5. Critique some of the articles that
were collected from newspapers. What statements are misleading?
What do they make the reader think about?
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