5 th -6 th : Electronic Jeopardy

Transcription

1 Objectives: The students will learn the lifecycle of electronic devices, the environmental impacts of new age electronic waste (e-waste), and the disposal options at the end of an electronics' useful life. Students will gain an understanding into the toxic as well as the valuable elements contained within electronics that can be reclaimed through recycling. Using an E-waste Jeopardy game students will review with their peers the concepts learned in class. Fun Fact: Electronic waste, e-waste, is the single fastest growing contributor to the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. E-waste is growing at 3 times the pace of all other solid waste. E-waste makes up 70 percent of all toxic waste in landfills! Time: Two hours. Materials: Paper, pencil, and index cards. Instructions: 1. The Electronic Lifecycle: Have an open class discussion about the electronic life-cycle. We will use cell phones due to the nature of their high volume, short useful life, and rapid disposal. a) Materials Extraction- Cell phones are made up of about 40 percent metals, 40 percent plastics, and 20 percent other materials such as ceramic. Obtaining these materials requires a significant amount of mining which reduces scarce natural resources and creates pollution. b) Manufacturing- After the materials are gathered, they must be processed, formed, and assembled into components to make the final product, a cell phone. c) Packaging and Transportation- Packaging makes up 1/3 of the total garbage in landfills and consumes natural resources such as trees for paper and oil for plastic. Transporting the cell phones to the store also uses significant fossil fuels to fuel the trucks, planes, freightliners, or trains they are transported on. d) Useful Life- The consumer uses the cell phone and must keep its battery charged. Fossil fuels and natural gas are the main sources of electricity used to charge cell phones. The average cell phone user only uses a cell phone for 18 months. e) End-of-life- That 18 month, old cell phone will be replaced by a new one that will undergo the same electronic lifecycle. The old cell phone must now either be discarded in the trash, recycled through a responsible recycler, stockpiled in homes or offices, or donated (or sold) to a second user extending its useful life.

2 Instructions continued:. 2. The teacher will extend the discussion by explaining that cell phones (and electronics) contain many extracted Earth metals that have harsh environmental and health impacts. Some of the metals include: a) Mercury is a chemical found in many cell phone components including the screen and is highly toxic to humans. Minimal mercury exposure can cause speech, hearing, and walking impairments, and mercury pollution can get in the air and water sources therefore polluting our fish populations. (A leading cause of mercury poisoning in humans is through the consumption of fish). b) Lead is found in the circuit boards of many electronics and cell phones. When the cell phones and electronics end up in landfills the lead content can seep out into the soil, or be released into the air if the waste is burned in an incinerator. c) Gold and Nickel are metals found in the circuit boards, and nickel is also found in some batteries. These metals are considered scarce natural resources and should be responsibly recycled to prevent further deterioration of natural resources and pollution from the mining. Due to the value of these metals they are often times extracted through primitive open air methods in 3rd world countries and can harm the workers and citizens as they breath in chemical fumes and the polluted air. 3. The end-of-life disposal alternatives will be discussed and assessed to determine pro s and con s of each alternative. a) Discarded in the trash (landfill)- Most consumers dispose of their old electronics by throwing the products in the trash because it is easy. In fact, 82 percent of TV's and computer products are trashed, and 90 percent of cell phones are trashed. This is hazardous because elements such as lead and mercury contained in these products can leach out through landfills into surrounding soil and water sources. Natural resources such as gold and nickel are lost, and new metals must be extracted. b) Reuse (donated or sold)- The reuse method is applauded by environmentalists as the best option to dealing with waste, especially e-waste. Responsible recycling companies practice reuse by distributing their functioning electronics worldwide to provide affordable technology to underdeveloped nations. Cell phones are of great reuse value due to their transportability and ability to increase the ever-important communication infrastructure within underdeveloped nations.

3 Disposal Options continued: c) Recycled- Only 18 percent of TV's and computer products are recycled, and only 10 percent of cell phones are recycled. There are two categories of recycling: Responsible Recycling- There are many companies that use recycling policies outlined by the EPA's Guidelines for Materials Management and the Basel Action Network. These are stringent guidelines that provide for the most environmentally friendly recycling process that reclaims metals and is referred to as above ground mining. Above ground mining provides for a non-destructive source of scarce natural resources that would otherwise be mined and above ground mining causes less pollution than mining. Irresponsible Recycling (Dumping)- There are also companies that claim to be e- waste recyclers but do more harm than good to the environment and human health. These companies use primitive recycling processes that directly expose workers to toxic fumes and produces extensive environmental damage. These open air methods produce significant air, water, and soil pollution as chemicals are burned in open facilities and chemicals are dumped into streams and ground soil. d) Stockpiled (Home or Office)- It is estimated that about 800 million cell phones are stockpiled in consumer homes and businesses. Stockpiling is of particular concern to environmentalists because electronics lose value rapidly and eventually percent of the stockpiled electronics will end up trashed and sent to landfills. 4. Students will write down vocabulary from the electronic lifecycle, metals in electronics, and disposal methods. Students should take notes on all the concepts so they have the information on hand for the next step. 5. Students will play a group game of E-waste Jeopardy. The students will each use 5 index cards to write questions and answers about the e-waste topics covered in class. The teacher will then divide the class into 3 groups. While in the groups, students will take turns sharing their cards and determining which ones will go on the Jeopardy board and under which category they fit. Each group can choose 5 questions to post. On the other side of the card, students will write,,,, according to the level of difficulty of the question. Then students will all be the contestants and the teacher will be the host. Students will provide the answer to the host s question after their group has chosen a question on their turn.

4 Extension Activity: Teachers and students can coordinate a cell phone recycling fundraiser with schools4recycling to get hands-on experience in e-waste recycling and earn cash and prizes for their class or school. Teachers can make accessible to students the Electronic Waste Power Point (interactive E-waste Jeopardy game on Assessment: The students showed interest in the topics by taking notes, and successfully wrote 5 questions and answers to play the E-waste Jeopardy game. National Education Standards: Science NS Science as inquiry: Abilities to do scientific inquiry, Understandings about scientific inquiry NS Properties and changes of properties in matter, motions and forces, transfer of energy NS Science and technology: Abilities of technological design, Understandings about science and technology NS Personal and social perspectives: Natural hazards, Science and technology in society English NL-ENG.K Reading for perspective: Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information. NL-ENG.K Evaluation strategies: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts NL-ENG.K Communication skills: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g. conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes NL-ENG.K Communication strategies: Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes NL-ENG.K Applying knowledge: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g. spelling, punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. NL-ENG.K Evaluating data: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. NL-ENG.K Developing research skills: Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g. libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge NL-ENG.K Applying language skills: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g. for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information). Technology NT.K Social, ethical and human issues: Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.

5 E-Waste Jeopardy Electronic Lifecycle Metals in Electronics Disposal Methods