This lesson is intended to involve the learners in a recycling project prompted and stimulated by their research as well as the results from the surveys conducted in Lesson One. In addition, the learners will be challenged to motivate others and provide an opportunity for those others to also become recyclers; good stewards for the common good
 

The learner will:

• reflect on the entire recycling project.
• recognize volunteers who assisted in the recycling project
• report on the recycling project to appropriate local medias
• develop a personal pledge/commitment to recycle.
• celebrate their involvement in this recycling project.
  

Anticipatory Set:
If you are able to obtain them, write the appropriate numbers on the display board, which reflect the collection totals for the recycling project.  As the students  enter the classroom, be occupied with looking at and preening yourself in a hand- held mirror. As they settle in, set the mirror aside and ask if anyone recalls from  their childhood the response of the mirror when asked by the wicked witch, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of all? ” Reflect on the diet commercial years ago that proclaimed the fact only the mirrors in amusement  parks, lie. Use these comments to springboard to the fact that mirrors typically reflect back what they “see” without any effect on the object. Said another way, “What you get, is what it ‘sees!’ " Announce that in today’s lesson they will have a  chance to do some reflecting, looking back and looking ahead.

Teacher Note: As an aside, ask the learners to remind you at the end of this lesson about the largest mirror in the universe; who is presently making it, how much it costs, why is it being made, and where it’s being made?

• Point to and share the recycling collection totals on the display board and have the learners reflect on the entire project from start to finish. Solicit “What Went Right” and “What Went Wrong” comments; positive and negative feelings; joys and frustrations, etc. Conclude this portion of the lesson by asking the students to share with you, while you capture their comments on the display board, what it is that they feel should be changed or not be changed if this project were to be done in another year with another class.
  
  
• Ask the learners what they felt was accomplished by this project and how important a role they felt individuals, businesses and volunteers outside the classroom played in making this project as successful as it was.
  
  
• Tell the learners that without the help of a great many individuals, businesses and volunteers outside the classroom that this recycling project would not have been as successful as it was and ask them if they feel that it would appropriate to somehow recognize these individuals, businesses and volunteers.
   
• Solicit input from the learners on how best to go about thanking these individuals, businesses, and volunteers for giving of their time, talents, and treasure to promote the common good and stewardship of our earth’s natural resources.
  
  
• Place the learners into three equal groups and assign each group one of the following responsibility tasks:

1. Write and deliver or mail “Thank You” notes to all the individuals, businesses and volunteers who assisted in the project.
2. Create a Bulletin Board type display in the school titled Our Recycling Project utilizing pieces and parts of the original posters/flyers/handouts, as well as photos taken by volunteer learners
3. Write up a "press release" to be given to the local newspaper, and/or a local recycling business(-es) involved in the project, to be used in one of their up-coming publications covering the details of the month-long project.

• Conclude the academic portion of this Unit by having the learners go on-line and explore two web sites that they had not had occasion to visit in Lesson One Recommended Web Sites (Attachment Two-Lesson One), and utilizing all the information and insights obtained during the study of this Unit, as well as their personal experiences with the recycling project, have them submit, if they choose to do so, a Personal Pledge/Commitment to Recycle Statement using My Personal Pledge/Commitment to Recycle (Attachment One) as the guide.
  
  
• Tell the learners you will keep these pledges until the end of the school year or semester, and then return them to the learners so they can revisit what they were able to do to fulfill their pledge.

Teacher Note: As an aside, assuming no one will know the answer to the questions posed  in the Anticipatory Set concerning mirrors, direct the learners to the following web site to obtain the answers to these questions:  http://www.universityscience.ie/
pages/scimat_Mirror_Mirror.php

• A local recycler (individual or family), a recycling business, or a non-recycling business that is involved in recycling it’s own ‘waste’ could be invited to the class to share their motivations for being involved in recycling.
• Learners could be challenged to identify some of the more nationally well known recycling programs/businesses, research and report their findings in a written and/or oral report to the class.
• Host a celebrative activity designed to ‘thank’ all the learners for their participation and hard work, ie. a pizza party, make your own ice cream sundaes, etc.