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PBL Unit Name: The Conservation of Trash
Facilitator Name: Laura Gardner
School Practicum Location: Ben Davis High School-Indianapolis, IN
Grade: 10th
Subject(s): Chemistry
Course Name: Chemistry
PBL Unit Description & Content Topics Addressed: Students will learn about materials and how these materials are disposed in their community. Through their research, students will learn about types of chemical reactions, the meaning of the law of conservation of mass and how to predict products of chemical reactions. Students will deliver a presentation on a material of their choosing and develop and advocacy strategy to raise awareness about the issues (or benefits) of their material. Ideally this advocacy strategy will be implemented in their school or community.
A. Learning Goals: Content Knowledge & Skills Addressed (Standards)
Indiana State Standards:
C.4.1 Describe, classify, and give examples of various kinds of reactions: synthesis (i.e., combination), decomposition, single displacement, double displacement, acid/base, and combustion.
C.4.2 Predict products of simple reactions as listed in C.4.1.
C.4.3 Balance chemical equations and use the law of conservation of mass to explain why this must be true.
Env.7.7 Describe and explain the product life cycle and waste stream and its implications to waste management.
Explain the difference between reduce, reuse and recycle.
B. Authenticity & Relevance (Real-World Connections) : As western culture moves towards more and more convenience, consumers are faced with the challenge of what to do with the waste. This problem will only be further exacerbated in the coming years. Students already make daily choices about items they consume, some which they have more control over than others. This project addresses this complex issue by considering various materials, chemical byproducts and environmental effects and asking students to develop an advocacy strategy to inform the public. Students will learn the role they can play in a global issue - be that through personal choice or institutional change.
C. Driving Question: How do we, as conscious consumers, advocate for the best materials to use in our disposable society?
D. Entry Event: Students will receive a letter from an environmental engineer overseeing a landfill operation in their community detailing the disposal of materials, the time they take to break down in a landfill, potential hazardous byproducts and the alternative choices we can make as consumers to mitigate this problem.
E. Benchmarks & Scaffolding: Students had various benchmarks and scaffolding throughout the project. Specific skills were taught through workshops (classifying and balancing chemical reactions, predicting products of reactions, information literacy and presentation skills). Technical skills were scaffolded through guided practice and labs. Students received feedback through check-ins with the facilitator and during practice presentations. Project check lists were provided to each group.
F. End Products: Students produced a presentation (many chose to use Google slides, though they were not limited to that) about their material that addressed various questions about its composition and disposal. Students were required to include and classify a chemical reaction involved with their material. They also developed a hypothetical advocacy strategy that they could implement in the school or community to raise awareness about their material and alternatives.
G. Formative & Summative Assessment Activities: The summative project assessment rubric is included above. Students also demonstrated their technical skills through various formative and summative assessments. Those are attached below.
H. Rubric: The Conservation of Trash Rubric
I. Employability (21st Century) Skills Addressed: Students were specifically taught and assessed on their information literacy and presentation skills.
Information literacy
Presentation skills
J. Community Partners:
Aaron Hacker, Environmental Scientist, SESCO Group | Contact: ahacker@sescogroup.com
Mr. Hacker helped me identify and simplify chemical reactions that occur in the waste industry. He provided various resources for me while I developed this project and created a small video for me about his involvement. During the PBL unit, Mr. Hacker visited the classroom, shared information about his job and consulted with students about their projects. (Note: Mr. Hacker was initially employed at Andrews Engineering when I developed the project, but now works for SESCO Group).
K. Inquiry: Students will develop an argument for whether their material is a 'good' or 'bad' material and share this through an advocacy strategy. Students must consider their audience and their goals of the advocacy strategy.
L. Student Voice & Choice: Students have choice in their material and in their proposed advocacy strategy. Students also are able to choose their role within their groups based on their preferences.
M. Required Materials and/or Tools: The facilitator will need access to a computer, PowerPoint and a projector. Students will need access to computers, the internet, Google classroom and general lab supplies.
N. Examples of Student Work: The following example is an 'A' final presentation and advocacy strategy developed by my students.
