Content Area and Grade Level

The Recycle Challenge was designed to be used primarily with grades 4-8. However, parts of it were used with other grade levels. Rather than write the activities that comprise The Challenge in a rigid cookbook fashion we tried to develop resources, identify existing resources, and construct the flow of The Challenge to make it simple to modify for any grade level interested in teaching about recycling using The Challenge format. Our goal was to provide a framework around which it would be easy to integrate thinking about recycling into the curriculum.

The state standards we addressed in the development of the activities are listed below. However, it is quite easy to address additional standards by expanding or going into more depth on the activities that comprise the standards.

Standards Addressed (Based on Arizona Department of Education Standards)

Science Standard 1: Science as Inquiry

Grades 4-8

1SC-E3. Organize and present data gathered from their own experiences, using appropriate mathematical analyses and graphical representations.

Grades 4-5
PO1. Organize gathered data into an appropriate format
PO2. Construct a representation of data (e.g., bar graph, line graph, frequency table, Ven diagram)

Grades 6-8
PO1. Construct a representation of data (e.g., histogram, stem-and-leaf plot, scatter plot, circle graph, flow chart)
PO2. Interpret patterns in collected data

Science Standard 2: History and Nature of Science

Grades 4-8

2SC-E1. Describe how science and technology are interrelated

Grades 4-5
PO1. Describe how science has helped technology change over time
PO2. Describe how technology has helped science change over time

Grades 6-8
PO1. Describe a technological discovery that influences science
PO2. Describe a scientific discovery that influences technology
PO3. Determine scientific processes involved in a technological advancement

Science Standard 3: Personal and Social Perspectives in Science and Technology

Grades 4-8

3SC-E3. Identify a specific need and propose a solution or product that addresses this need, taking into consideration various factors

Grades 4-5
PO1. Identify a human or environmental need
PO2. Describe the various factors affecting the need
PO3. Propose a solution or product that addresses the need

Grades 6-8
PO1. Design a solution or product that addresses a need and considers the factors of an environmental or human problem

3SC-E4. Implement a proposed solution or design and evaluate its merit

Grades 4-5
PO1. Evaluate the possible strengths and weaknesses of a given solution to a problem

Grades 6-8
PO1. Apply a proposed solution to a problem
PO2. Evaluate the merit of a proposed solution

Science Standard 4: Life Science

Grades 4-8

4SC-E7. Explain and model the interaction and interdependence of living and non-living components within ecosystems, including the adaptation of plants and animals to their environment

Grades 4-5
PO1. Describe the components of an ecosystem
PO2. Describe how living and non-living components interact within an ecosystem.
PO3. Describe how living and non-living components are interdependent within an ecosystem
PO4. Explain how plant species adapt to their environment.

Grades 6-8
PO1. Explain the role of living/non-living components in an ecosystem.
PO2. Create a model of the interaction of living/non-living components within an ecosystem.

Science Standard 5: Physical Science

Grades 4-8
5SC-E3. Show that energy exists in many forms and can be transferred in many ways.

Grades 4-5
PO1. Identify various types of energy sources.
PO2. Describe how energy is transferred.

Grades 6-8
PO2. Describe how energy is a property of a substance.
PO3. Explain ways in which energy is transferred.

Technology Standard 1: Fundamental operations and Concepts

1T-E1. Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated operation of technology components
PO2.Retrieve and save information remotely (e.g., network servers, Internet, Intranet, peripheral devices)

Technology Standard 2: Social, Ethical and Human Issues

2T-E2. Exhibit legal and ethical behaviors when using technology and information and discuss consequences of misuse
PO1. Follow the rules for deciding when permission is needed for using the work of others,, (e.g., some sites specify whether permission is required or not, some work is in public domain)
PO2. Obtain permission to use the work of others
PO3. Provide complete citations from electronic media (e.g., use age-level appropriate, district developed standardized reference formats for citing source of information)

Technology Standard 3: TEchnology Productivity Tools

3T-E1. Use formatting capabilities of technology tools for communicating and illustrating
PO1. Use word processing editing tools to revise a document (e.g., cut and paste, tabs and margins, font size, font style, delete and undo, selecting, spell check, click and drag)
PO2. Design a word processing document with graphical elements (e.g., clip art, digital photographs, symbols, using text wrap, cropping, sizing, drawing tools)

3T-E2. Use a variety of technology tools for data collection and analysis
PO2. Create and use a spreadsheet to analyze data (e.g., use formulas, create charts and graphs)
PO3. Create a database with multiple fields to manipulate data in a variety of ways (e.g., sort, merge, list and report)

3TE3. Publish and present information using technology tools
PO1. Design and create a multimedia presentation or Web page using multiple digital sources (e.g., from camera, video, scanner, CD-ROM, Internet)
PO2. Publish or present the above production

Technology Standard 4: Technology Communication Tools

4T-E2. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication and publishing activities to create curricular related products for audiences inside and outside the classroom
PO1. Plan, design and present an academic product using technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation software, digital cameras, scanners, projection devices)

Technology Standard 6: Technology as a Tool for Problem Solving and Decision-making

6T-E1. Determine when technology is useful and select and use the appropriate tools and technology resources to solve problems
PO1. Base on a problem selected by the student, identify and use appropriate technology tools to:

• collect data
• interpret data
• develop a solution to the problem
• present findings

Mathematics Standard 1: Number Sense

Grades 4-8
1M-E3. Demonstrate proficiency with the operations of multiplication and division of whole numbers

Grades 4-5
PO2. Calculate multiplication and division problems using contextual situations

Grades 6-8
PO2. Calculate multiplication and division problems using contextual situations

1M-E6. Recognize that the degree of precision needed in calculating a number depends on how the results will be used and the instruments used to generate the measurements

Grades 4-5
PO2. Apply the appropriate strategy (e.g., estimation, approximation, rounding or exact numbers) when calculating to solve problem s
PO4. Interpret calculations and calculator results within a contextual situation

Grades 6-8
PO1. Express answers to the appropriate place or degree of precision (e.g., time, money, pi)
PO2. Apply the appropriate strategy (e.g., estimation, approximation, rounding or exact numbers) when calculating to solve problems
PO4. Interpret calculations and calculator results within a contextual situation

Mathematics Standard 2: Data Analysis and Probability

Grades 4-8
2M-E1. Construct, read, analyze and interpret tables, charts, graphs and data plots (e.g., box-and-whisker, stem-and-leaf, and scatter plots)

Grades 4-5
PO1. Construct bar graphs, line graphs, frequency tables and Venn diagrams
PO2. Interpret and analyze data from graphical representations and draw simple conclusions from the graphs

Grades 6-8
PO1. Construct histograms, stem-and-leaf plots, scatter plots, circle graphs, and flow charts
PO2. Interpret and analyze data from graphical representations and draw simple conclusions from the graphs
PO3. Choose an appropriate graphical format to organize and represent data

Mathematics Standard 5: Measurement and Discrete Mathematics

Grades 4-8
5M-E1. Estimate, make and use measurements (U,S, customary and metric) to describe and make comparisons

Grades 4-5
PO1. Measure length, volume and weight in both U.S. customary and metric units
PO2. Convert measurement units to equivalent units within a given system
PO 3. Estimate measurements for both U.S. customary and metric units within either system

Grades 6-8
PO3. Estimate measurements for both U.S. customary and metric units within either system
PO4. Compare estimated measurements between U.S. customary and metric systems

5M-E2. Select and use appropriate units and tools to measure to the degree of accuracy required in a particular problem-solving situation

Grades 4-5
PO1. State the appropriate tool to measure in a particular situation
PO2. State the appropriate unit of measurement in a particular situation
PO3. Measure to the appropriate degree of accuracy to solve problems

Grades 6-8
PO3. Measure to the appropriate degree of accuracy to solve problems