Community Action Environmental Science Project: Solid Waste

Are you interested in engaging high school students in environmental science topics such as solid waste in a self-directed and engaging way? This community action environmental science project on the topic of solid waste does just that.

Students will explore community issues related to solid waste using a student-directed project-based learning approach. Each student or small group will identify specific issues associated with municipal solid waste in the local or global community. Students will plan a course of action and act.

This project is a mix of project-based learning, problem-based learning, and service learning. This project is entirely student-directed from start to finish. Students make a series of choices from project topics to project design and execution. Students do all of this seamlessly with your guidance and the materials included in this resource.

Projects should be expected to take anywhere from 3-6 weeks. The range is wide because it depends on how much classroom time you dedicate to the projects, which brainstorming activities you implement, skill level, age level, etc.

This project was written and designed for secondary students. The project is advanced, requiring a degree of independence on the part of the students, such as being able to get themselves to an event or to speak with a community expert.

Community action projects:

• Result in meaningful learning experiences and opportunities for self-reflection and growth.
• Offer opportunities for the development of important social-emotional skills such as empathy and self-reliance
• Help learners build essential life and career skills such as collaboration and problem-solving
• Give students the tools to make a positive impact on the community long after they have completed the project, finished the class, or graduated from school

Product Includes:

• Teacher implementation guide
• Project topic brainstorming activities
• Supplemental materials for topic brainstorming activities (concept map + current events summary form)
• Two project proposals (1 - research the issue, 2- take action)
• Exploring solutions brainstorming guide
• Rubric 1: teacher-created rubric for project part 1 - researching the issue
• Rubric 2: student-generated rubric template for project part 2 - taking action
• Category and levels of mastery word banks for student-generated rubrics
• Daily check-in form
• Project reflection guide sheet

Relevant Experiential Learning Depot Products:

• Water Pollution: Problem-Based Learning Activity
• The Science of Climate Change Unit: Experiential Learning Bundle

Interested in free experiential learning resources to help you along?

• Experiential Learning Activity Tools Free Mini-Bundle - this bundle includes a community action project spreadsheet to help manage student projects such as this one
• Self-Directed Project-Based Learning Project Topic Brainstorming Activity

Relevant Blog Posts:

• Four Ways Students Can Take Actions in their Communities Today
• How to Implement High School Community Action Projects

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