Urban Environmental Quality and Human Health: Conceiving a Sustainable Future

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 08.07.04

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale
  3. Objective
  4. Student Activity 1
  5. Polymers and Plastics
  6. Impact of Plastics on the Environment
  7. Impact of Plastics on Health: DEHP and BPA
  8. Recycling Plastics
  9. Student Activity 2
  10. Schools and Their Food Trash
  11. What Can We Do?
  12. Student Activity 3
  13. Notes
  14. How Plastics Breakdown in Landfills
  15. Implementing District Standards
  16. Bibliography for Teachers
  17. Students Resources
  18. Classroom Resources

Our Environment: A World Away?

Michell Carter

Published September 2008

Tools for this Unit:

Students Resources

Crow, James Mitchell. "Intelligent Food Wrappers with Nanotechnology." Nano Werk. January 2007.

http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1280.php (accessed July 20, 2008).

New technology for food wrappers

IDES: The Plastics Web. "Recycling Codes."

http://www.ides.com/resources/plastic-recycling-codes.asp

Recycling table

"Laptop Lunches: Bento-ware for Everywhere." http://environment.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=environment&cdn=newsissues&tm=123&gps=470_1051_1020_567&f=00&su=p504.1.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.laptoplunches.com/

(accessed July 14, 2008).

Two moms in California became concerned about all of the food packaging waste in schools so they developed a reusable container system to cut down on waste. The site details their experience including cost and statistics of packaging waste in schools. It also catalogs their products.

National Energy Education Development Project. Museum of Solid Waste. 2006 http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/plastics.html

How plastics are made and the benefits associated with its use

Non-Toxic Life. "Safe Plastics." 2008.

http://www.nontoxiclife.com.au/pdf/SAFE%20USE%20OF%20PLASTICS%20QUICK%20GUIDE.pdf (accessed July 21, 2008).

Chart of safe plastics

"On the Trail of Captain Trash." Satya. April 2007. http://www.satyamag.com/apr07/moore.html (accessed July 9, 2008).

A great site for children to read and explore what is happening to our trash. Captain Plastic specifically details the issue of plastics in our oceans.

SavvyMom Media, Inc. "It's Your Choice: Alternatives to Plastic."

http://www.savvymom.ca/index.php/newsletter/its_your_choice/2

Alternatives to plastic

Silverman, Jacob. "Why is the World's Biggest Landfill in the Ocean?" http://science.howstuffworks.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm

(accessed July 14, 2008).

There is an area twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii that is plastic waste. This article explains how this happened and the impact on the environment. There are links to videos on the matter as well.

Smith, Elizabeth. "Drink Safe - The Dangers of Plastic." Ezine Articles.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Drink-Safe—The-Dangers-of-Plastic&id=1269652

One mom's realization of the dangers of plastics and what she did about it

Stanley, Vincent. "Safest Reusable Plastics for Holding Food and Water." May 2005. http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/108/plastic (accessed July 14, 2008).

National Geographic's Green Guide recommendations on plastic that is safe for packaging food and water.

West, L. "How School Lunch Packaging Waste Adds Up: Moms Create a Recyclable Solution to School Lunch Waste."

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/school_lunch.htm (accessed June 20, 2008).

Two moms get together to solve the problem of school lunch packaging waste.

Wikipedia. "Leachate." October 6, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leachate (accessed July 14, 2008).

The history and definition for leachate

Zandonella, Catherine. "The Bisphenol-A Debate: A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans." May 2006. http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa (accessed July 20, 2008).

The dangers of BPA and how to avoid

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