What Do We Leave Behind?

Annya Hosseini, Carlee Hutcheon, Sean Lewis,

A grade 4 interdisciplinary excursion into English, Social Studies, Faith Perratt, Christine Riddell, Erica Roth for EDUC 540
Science, Math, and Art.

Unit Overview Rationale

It is a shocking fact that worldwide, only Key Understandings
8% of plastic is being recycled. This
leaves a whopping 91% of plastic waste Key understandings we want students to come away with
Stage One: Waste,
what is the problem? to find its way into the world's at the end of this unit:
ecosystems. Because plastic takes up to  Our waste production is connected to how we live our
daily lives.
400 years to degrade, most plastic waste Why
still exists in some form, and is  Our waste affects the environment both locally and
globally.
negatively influencing the health of
 We have the power to make positive changes in the
Interdisciplinary ?
Stage Two: What
people, animals, and environments world. When addressing the
actions can we take to around the world (Parker, 2007). The issue of inappropriate
reduce waste?
way in which we, as individuals and disposal of waste it is
global citizens, go about addressing the most effective to take an
world-wide problem of excessive waste
Stage Three: How has Assessment Differentiation interdisciplinary
will determine the state in which we
our relationship with
leave our earth. We have the power and Throughout the creation of this unit we approach because it is
land changed over
time? How does that
potential to create a cleaner world,
Summative Formative kept the following statement from
Universal Design for Learning: Theory and impossible to gain a well
relate to our waste Assessment Assessment
production? leaving a legacy of change and Students will be creating a Formative Assessment will
Practice (2014) in mind: “In a well
designed learning environment, systematic rounded understanding
digital Curiosity Cabinet be integrated throughout
environmental activism. and developing a the unit to aid the
variability is planned for from the very
beginning, and diversity is expected, of the complexities of
rationale. To create the creation of the summative
digital Curiosity Cabinet project and guide the
appreciated, and developed. Learners of
all abilities and from all backgrounds are the issue without
the students will be development of the unit.
What is the problem? What can we do to collecting various images, This will be done through
provided with optimal levels of challenges
and scaffolds and are supported in making connections
Stage Four: What is make a change? Within this unit Grade 4 facts, writing projects, and
other elements of their
use of Blog posts/
journals, graphic
developing learning expertise.” (Meyer,
Rose, Gordon, p.68). As we planned our across multiple
your legacy? How can
we effect change? students will explore the issue of research throughout the organizers, guiding unit we integrated our methods of
disciplines.
progression of the unit. questions, class differentiation in accordance to Universal
excessive waste, its effects locally and The rationale will be the discussion, mind mapping, Design for Learning. Through use of a
students vision of how we and performance tasks. universal planning procedure, providing
globally, and the vast potential can change for the future. through scaffolding, considering student
choice and interests, and using strategic
individuals, communities, and societies assessment, we addressed diversity within
have to make a difference. this unit.
“Because society is changing at a rapid pace, the future of today’s learners
cannot be predicted with certainty. Alberta students need to learn in ways that
develop their capacities to discern and react to novel and complex situations.
Dealing with an unpredictable future necessitates an approach that must move
away from “prescriptiveness” and embrace the principle of diversity and
variation, while providing students with attitudes, values, skills and knowledge
they need in order to achieve success and fulfillment as engaged thinkers and
Legend
Math Unit Learning Activity Timeline ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit” (Parsons & Beauchamp, 2010, p.
10). ​
Language Arts

Science

Social Studies Decomposition Lab Visiting Artist: Brian Jungen

Provocation
Fine Art  students will examine problematic
images of waste, watch trailer of A Plastic
Ocean, and participate in a reflective
Cross-curricular Competencies activity with classroom garbage to begin
questioning waste.
Field Trip to City of Calgary Waste
Management Landfill
 Students will select items and observe how
they decompose over time. Students will record
their observations and graph them.
Novel Study
 Students will partake in a study of Andy
Mulligan's novel entitled Trash.
Group Inquiry Project
 Students will research a type of waste and
how it is disposed
 This visit will hopefully cause the
students to reflect on humans’ relationship
to nature and how object acquire meaning.
This visit will act as a prompt for students
to create their own artwork.
Art Project
 Students will re-purpose plastic bags in
a variety of ways
Visit from Treaty 7 Elder
Showcase
 This visit will come to engage in a
 Students will present their work to
discussion with students about
an expert panel (the experts we have
relationships with the land. They will
connected with throughout the unit)
discuss how our use of the land has
changed over time and will inquire about and will be encouraged to remain For references and further information please see website
the adoption of more sustainable, eco- committed to the changes they have
friendly practices. identified as being necessary.

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