Earth Science Projects, Lesson Plans and Experiments

Recycling Poem

Using Shel Silverstein's poem "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" is an excellent way to begin a unit on Recycling.  Sarah simply refused to take the garbage out.  Have the students read this funny poem and decide what Sarah could have done with her garbage.  What could have been recycled?  What could be put in the compost pile?  Poor Sarah met an awful fate for not taking the garbage out.  Would we end up like Sarah if we don't care for our environment?  The students then make a small closed compost pile or landfill with some of their lunchroom trash and garbage.  I have done this in the beginning of the school year and it is interesting to see what has decomposed over the period of a school year and what should have been recycled.
Submitted by: Kathy Davis - West Plains, Missouri