Hook

__Lesson Title:__ What’s all this?! __Grade Level:__ 4th __Subject:__ Social Studies __Time needed:__ 30 minutes __Materials:__
 * Various **clean & safe** recyclable materials (such as paper, cans, milk jugs, etc. **no glass**)
 * Bag to hold recyclable materials
 * Elmo projector
 * Paper(to record student thoughts)
 * Pen/marker

__Essential Standards:__

Social Studies: 4.G.1.2 Explain the impact that human activity has on the availability of natural resources in North Carolina. 4.G.1.3 Exemplify the interactions of various peoples, places and cultures in terms of adaption and modification of the environment.

Technology: 4.TT.13 Use technology tools to present data and information

__Procedures:__
 * Prior to beginning the lesson, the teacher should have his or her recyclable materials gathered in a bag.
 * As the lesson begins, the teacher should begin “littering” the materials throughout the classroom.
 * Drop items on the floor, student desks,and on various classroom surfaces.
 * Throughout the littering process it is not necessary to reveal what it is the students will be learning about yet. However the teacher can say comments such as “Oh I don’t need this…” or “I’ll just throw this over there…”
 * Once the teacher has finished “littering” ask the following questions. (Make sure to allow students time to think and do not immediately call on someone):
 * What was I doing?
 * Is it okay to litter?
 * What effect was my littering having on our classroom?
 * If everyone littered what effect might this have on our state? The world?
 * Once the group has come up with hypotheses regarding the above questions, pose one more “What could I do withthese materials //instead// of littering them throughout our classroom?” Encourage students to take a few minutes to brainstorm with a shoulder buddy.
 * After the students have had time to brainstorm, ask for volunteers to share their thoughts. Be sure to write these suggestions down, displaying them to the entire class using an Elmo projector. (Most suggestions will likely fall under repurposing, reusing, or recycling the materials.)
 * Congratulate the students on a job well done and inform them that they’ve just learned about one of the most important aspects of this unit; recycling! Explain that just throwing things away is **not** the only action that can be taken (give some of the student ideas as example of alternatives). Inform the students that **all** of the materials you had littered can in fact be recycled. Explain to the students that over the course of the next two weeks they will be learning fun and interesting information about recycling, natural resources, and conservation.

__Differentiation:__ Since this is the first lesson of a new unit the teacher may need to provide clarification of directions or even additional instructions. Students will be working within a group throughout this activity which will encourage peer support during this new experience. Information is being presented in both auditory and visual fashions, allowing equal opportunity for all learners. Also, should there be ELL students in the class another option for differentiation is to label the various “littered” materials in the student’s native language. __Assessment:__ Students will be assessed using the Rubric for Group Work. The teacher should be circulating throughout the room during brainstorming/pair share to ensure students are on task and actively developing ideas.