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'trash, firt
Objective J
To encourage students to think about what kinds of
materials they throw away.
Activity Description J
Students will create art from collected pieces of home
trash.
Materials Needed J
One copy of Parents' Note for each student
One tarp or drop cloth
Clean trash (brought in by students)
Possible Art Supplies :
—	Three to four sheets of colored construction
paper per student
—	Glue
—	Tape
—	Scissors
—	Markers or crayons
—	Glitter
social
studies
Key Vocabulary Words J
Waste
Product
art
Duration J
1 hour
Skills UsedJ
Observation/classification
Motor skills
Activity J
Step 1 : Photocopy and send students home
with the Parents' Note, which asks them to
help the students collect two pieces of "clean"
trash for class the next day.
* if distance learning, the student s can utilize
trash from their home, yard, playground,
parking lot,etc.
Step 2 : Lead students in a discussion of
what trash is, where it comes from and how it
ends up in the ocean.
Step 3 : Lay a tarp on the floor and have the
students sit in a circle around it. Ask them
to spread out their pieces of trash on the tarp.
Go around the room and ask each student to
describe what kind of trash they brought in.
If the trash was found outside, explore how
students knew the item was trash and how
they knew it didn't belong where they found it.
Encourage the students to compare and
contrast how the trash might end up in the
ocean.

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Step 4: Distribute the art supplies. The art
exercise for this activity can be conducted in
many different ways; below are a few age-
specific suggestions:
•	Have students make a trash rainbow by
organizing the trash into rainbow colors.
Students could draw the outline of the rain-
bow on the paper first, then paste their trash
in the appropriate color band on the mural.
•	Have students design a 3-D trash sculpture.
Ask them to think about the color and shape
of each trash item before gluing it onto the
sculpture.
•	Have students recreate their school mascot
with the trash.
Assessment
1.	Ask students to name three different items that
they or their family members often throw away.
2.	Have the students guess how many pieces of
trash are on the class trash mural. Discuss
with students that the mural is just a small
amount of what gets thrown away every day
in the world.
Enrichment
•	After students have brought in pieces of
trash, ask them to separate the items into the
following categories: paper, metal, food,
glass, plastic. Discuss whether these items
need to be thrown away or whether they can
be reused or recycled.
•	Have students determine how much of each
category of trash items they have collected.
Draw a trash can on the chalkboard and
have students come up and use a different
color piece of chalk to make hash marks in
the "trash can" for each type of trash item
collected.
2

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Parents' Note
Dear Parent,
Tomorrow we are undertaking an environmental education activity to
learn more about how trash ends up in the ocean and its impacts. I
have asked each student to bring in two pieces of "clean" trash for our
trash mural. In the interest of safety and sanitation, I wouid appreciate your
assistance in helping your child pick out two garbage items that are manageable ,
size and "clean" (no glass, jagged metal, food, or wet items). Good examples of
"clean" trash include: a cereal box, empty soda can, paper, plastic bag, wrapping,
packaging, plastic juice bottle, etc.
Thanks for your help!

Parents' Note
Dear Parent,
Tomorrow we are undertaking an environmental education activity to
learn more about how trash gets into the ocean and its impacts. I
have asked each student to bring in two pieces of "clean" trash for our
trash mural. In the interest of safety and sanitation, I would appreciate your
assistance in helping your child pick out two garbage items that are manageable
size and "clean" (no glass, jagged metal, food, or wet items). Good examples of
"clean" trash include: a cereal box, empty soda can, paper, plastic bag, wrapping,
packaging, plastic juice bottle, etc.
Thanks for your help!
4
Parents' Note
Dear Parent,
Tomorrow we are undertaking an environmental education activity to
learn more about how trash gets into the ocean and its impacts. I
have asked each student to bring in two pieces of "clean" trash for our
trash mural. In the interest of safety and sanitation, I would appreciate your
assistance in helping your child pick out two trash items that are manageable in t
and "clean" (no glass, jagged metal, food, or wet items). Good examples of "clean"
trash include: a cereal box, empty soda can, paper, plastic bag, wrapping, packaging,
plastic juice bottle, etc.
Thanks for your help!
a

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