What to Do About Trash?
Podcasts
Grades4, 5, 6, 7, 8Chemistry, Biology, Civics
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Tumble Media
What it is
- This 22-minute podcast episode investigates the problem of trash and two different science-based solutions.
- Students learn about how engineers use mealworm gut microbes to break down plastic into building blocks for new plastics and how kids can advocate for better waste policies regarding composting.
Teaching tips
Preparation:
- Note that there are multiple ads throughout the podcast.
- For more active listening, pre-select a few points of the podcast to pause at and ask students questions.
- Explore the resources listed under the podcast in the Tumble Media website.
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this podcast in a unit about food webs to focus on decomposers and the breakdown of organic substances.
- The episode pauses partway through to pose questions directly to listeners about which disposal option they prefer; pause to let students discuss or write a quick response before continuing.
- Provide students with the transcript and a few guiding questions so they can follow along, highlight, and take notes on paper.
- Run a classroom composting experiment where students track the breakdown of different materials over time.
Options for Action:
- Have students research their own city or town's waste and composting options, then draft a letter to a local official or design a school composting campaign.
From the scientist review
This highly accessible podcast focuses on novel technologies to recycle plastics and what children can do to reduce the trash produced by themselves, their schools and their communities. The discussion is grounded in sound science, with dialogue from researchers. The positive climate impacts of recycling are clearly detailed. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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