Understanding By Design

Recycling Paper Project

Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By

Recycling Paper Project

Science
Beth and Shari

Grade Level
Time Frame

5th Grade
2 Weeks (10 days)

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards
NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
5-ESS3-1: Earths Systems
5-ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth
Systems

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment
Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday live have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and
communities are doing things to help protect Earths resources and environment

STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve
problems.
11.A.2a
11.A.2b
11.A.2c
11.A.2d
11.A.2e

Formulate questions on a specific science topic and choose the steps needed to answer the questions.
Collect data for investigations using scientific process skills including observing, estimating and measuring.
Construct charts and visualizations to display data.
Use data to produce reasonable explanations.
Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.

STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences.
12.E.2c

Identify and classify recyclable materials.

STATE GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.
13.A.2c
13.B.2a
13.B.2d

Explain why keeping an accurate and detailed record is important.

Explain how technology is used in science for a variety of purposes (e.g., sample collection, storage and treatment; measurement; data collection, storage and retrieval; communication of information).
Compare the relative effectiveness of reducing, reusing and recycling in actual situations.

Understandings
Overarching Understanding

Students will understand

How much paper waste exists in the school
The benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling
paper
The process of how paper is recycled once it leaves
the school

Related Misconceptions

Essential Questions
Overarching

How much paper does

our classroom and
school community use?
What types of paper
products does our
school use the most?
In what ways can our
school help to reduce,
reuse and recycle the
paper products within
the school that are

Topical

How many trees would it

take to produce enough
paper for our school to use
for an entire year?
How much would our school
save if we started a paper
recycling program?

Students may not know

That we wont always have an abundant amount of
natural resources available to produce paper
products
Even though they are only children, they can make
an huge impact by reducing, reusing and recycling
paper products

collected?

Knowledge
Students will know

Skills
Students will be able to

Basic vocabulary terms related to the recycling

process
Understand the process and importance of
reducing, reusing and recycling paper
The human impact on the Earths resources/system
Differentiate between paper trash and recyclables

Describe how people change the Earths surface

and how negative changes can be controlled
Participate as active listeners in group learning
activities
Use their organizational skills in preparing,
presenting and summarizing information
gathered in group activities
Select and organize information when preparing
for an oral presentation
Use visual aids when preparing for an oral
presentation

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Performance Task Description
Create an infographic poster that will inform the school about the paper recycling process
and present an oral Prezi presentation to their proposing different ways on how they can
Goal reduce, reuse and recycle paper products in the school
Other Evidence

During the unit on the recycling paper project, there will be a vocabulary worksheet on terms related to recycling.
Students will include important pieces of information that they have been researching. The teacher will be
evaluating each group by their collaborating projects and notes.

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Where are your students headed? Where
have they been? How will you make sure the
students know where they are going?

The students will be learning about the recycling process of paper. They will begin
with a solid understanding of reducing, reusing and recycling products. Students
will work as a group (with technology) on research with minimal guidance needed.
Students understand teamwork and can work collaboratively with a small group.
Students can solve problems and answer questions by applying knowledge and
facts to the situation or scenario. Students can make inferences and find evidence
to support generalizations.

How will you hook students at the beginning

of the unit?

A variety of videos and websites will be included throughout the unit. While there
will be some discussion, the primary method of instruction will be small group,
hands on, and experiential learning.

What events will help students experience

and explore the big idea and questions in the
unit? How will you equip them with needed
skills and knowledge?
How will you cause students to reflect and
rethink? How will you guide them in
rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?

The students will use video sources to learn from and explore. Combining the
online resources and small group discussions will deepen the understanding of the
subject of recycling.

How will you help students to exhibit and

self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge,
and understanding throughout the unit?

Students will complete various reflections on their group Word document notes. In
small group work there will be time given for revisions and editing in order to have
the best material produced and shared with the class. There will be both
computer and performance based assessments over the course of the project.

How will you tailor and otherwise personalize

the learning plan to optimize the engagement
and effectiveness of ALL students, without
compromising the goals of the unit?
How will you organize and sequence the
learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of ALL
students?

For students with learning disabilities, well have provisions based on IEPs
available. All students will use viewing guides on the computer to keep them on
task during various lessons.

Students will work in small groups where they will need to collaborate and present
ideas and opinions. There will be a group presentation where the students will
need to share the finished products which will have been edited and refined during
the creation and revision process period.

Learning activities will vary widely from day to day which will keep students
engaged. There will be hands on activities, presentations, and many lessons that
are not lecture based.

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)