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Garbology

Workshop Overview

This hands-on workshop will guide participants through several thematic activities involving garbage. The activities are focused on grades 6-8 but can and have been adapted for ages as young as 3rd grade. Two copies of Reality Education’s book, Garbology, will be given to the participating school or district. *

*Please note, there is a 200-copy limit for the worksheets in the book. Reproduction or use by an entire district is prohibited. If districts would like to purchase additional copies of Garbology, they may be obtained through Reality Education.

Workshop Outline

1. Curriculum Design – What’s the difference? A quick overview.
   1. Training: The difference between discipline based, parallel, thematic, interdisciplinary and integrated curriculum
2. Statistical Facts on Trash
   1. Training: What’s the big idea about trash anyway? Taking a look at the statistics.

1. A Closer Look at Trash
   1. Small Group Activity: Participants will open up their "trash bag" and create a list of the contents. All trash is clean and surgical gloves will be made available.
2. Using Math with Trash
   1. Training: Guess the statistics on the amount of trash thrown away and recycled.
   2. Small Group Activity: Perform various statistical analyses on the type of trash found in your container.
   3. Large Group Activity: Combine groups statistics.
   4. Training: Explanation of next classroom activity and examples of student graphs
   5. Training: Discussion of other math activities involving garbage:
      1. Analyzing line graphs of how our garbage has changed since 1800.
      2. Perform other statistical analysis of the class information such as the mean, median, mode and range.
      3. Sort types of plastic based on the recyclable label
3. Garbage around the World (Social Studies)
   1. Training: Explanation of social studies activities
      1. The Almanac Search – Finding the perfect place for decomposition
      2. The City Council Proposal
      3. Discussion topics relating to recycling and trash
      4. Germany’s Green dot program – Research discussion
      5. Cafeteria Investigations – Which is the best lunch tray?
4. Language Arts Garbage
   1. Training: Read poem Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
   2. Training: List several writing activities.
   3. Small Group Activity: Create a trash limerick
   4. Large Group Activity: Share trash limericks
   5. Training: Show examples of student poems
5. Science Garbology
   1. Training: Lists of activities in Science
      1. Setting up a recycling center
      2. Creating a video
      3. Setting up experiments
      4. Invention Conventions
6. Other Curricular Areas
   1. Training: Lists of Activities:
      1. Music – writing a song
      2. Art – trash sculptures
      3. Culminating activity: A parent Evening of Trash –
7. Group Discussion: Lists other activities that surround this topic.
8. Question and Answers