Lesson: Reduce Reuse Recycle – The First R, Reduce

Objectives:
Students will understand what the first of the three R’s (Reduce) means and why it is important.
Students will act out a scene from a script and determine the main idea of the script
Students will discuss a script and support their conclusions with evidence from the text.
Students will work collaboratively to write scenes that teach others.

Materials:
Pictures or videos of landfills, copies of the script

Lesson Sequence:
Ask students “What is garbage?” “Where does garbage go?” (Chart responses)
Show pictures or videos of landfills
Ask students “Why is it important to reduce the amount of garbage we create?”
Introduce the word Reduce and ask students what it means. Play the song Reduce Reuse and Recycle and ask students what definition the song gives. (“Reduce means use less and less”) Ask students to articulate what Reduce means in their own words and give examples.
Have students act out this scene:

Setting: restaurant, lunchtime

Customer 1: Order anything you want, this one’s on me!
Customer 2: What? You don’t have to pay for my lunch!
Customer 1: I forgot your birthday last week, this is my treat.
Customer 2: Wow, you’re treating me to lunch at Stuff Yer Face? Are you sure you can afford such a fancy place?
Customer 1: You’re pushing your luck, y’know that? Order before I change my mind!
Customer 2: I don’t know, there are so many choices on this menu. How about a Ceasar salad with grilled chicken.
Customer 1: You got it!
Sales Clerk: Welcome to Stuff Yer Face, may I take your order?
Customer 1: Yeah, he’ll have a Ceasar salad with grilled chicken, I’ll have the turkey sandwich, sweet potato fries and a large ice tea. Do you want anything to drink?
Customer 2: Just water, I’ll go get some napkins.
(Customer 2 walks over to the dispensers and takes a large stack of napkins)
Captain Reduce: Stop, Captain Reduce says…if you take less there will be more!Customer 2: Who are you?
Captain Reduce: I’m Captain Reduce! Why are you taking so many napkins?
Customer 2: I don’t know, in case something spills?
Captain Reduce: You can always take more later, but it’s hard to put things back once you’ve taken them or used them. If you take less there will be more. That’s the lesson of Reduce. If you take less napkins there will be more trees because napkins are made from trees. If you take less napkins there will be more space because it reduces the amount of garbage in the landfill. There will be more space for things we all enjoy…like parks, lakes and forests! Remember the most important R is REDUCE! That’s why I show up first!
Customer 2: Thanks Captain Reduce!
Captain Reduce: Just doing my job. (flies away)
Customer 1: Food’s here! I’m just going to get some ketchup packets for my fries. (starts taking a lot of ketchup packets)
Customer 2: Stop! If you take less there will be more!
Customer 1: If I take less, there will be more? That doesn’t make sense.
Customer 2: The most important R…Reduce! If you take less it will reduce the amount of garbage in landfills and there will be more space to run around. If you take less there will be more of the resources used to make it.
Customer 1: If I take less there will be more, in a weird way that does make sense, thanks!
Customer 2: Don’t thank me, thank Captain Reduce!
Customer 1: Who’s Captain Reduce?
Customer 2: He’s the superhero that showed up while you were ordering our food.
Customer 1: (laughs) The superhero?
Customer 2: (serious) Yeah, he flew away just before you came back, otherwise I would have introduced you.
Customer 1: (stops laughing) Now you’re starting to worry me.

Questions about the text:

What did students notice about the scene above? What is the most important line in the scene? Give reasons why you think this.
Setting, characters, plot: What is the setting of the scene? Why is it important to the story?
Making Inferences: What does Customer 1 mean when he says “This one’s on me?” What does customer 2 mean when he says “are you sure you can afford such a fancy place?” What does Customer 1 mean when he says to Customer 2: “Now you’re starting to worry me”
What does Captain Reduce mean when he says if you take less there will be more? Can you give examples of how using less of something will ensure there is more of something else? What lines from the scene help you understand this concept? Extension: Introduce the term oxymoron or paradox. How is the line “if you take less there will be more” like an oxymoron or a paradox?
Why was this scene written? What is its tone? Give evidence to support why you think this.
Ask students to form small groups, collaborate and write a scene to illustrate a situation in which someone could Reduce or use less. Examples include but are not limited to using too much paper in the classroom, using a bag at the store when you only have a few items and are able to carry them, using too much water, using the car when you could walk (using too much gasoline)

Structure of the Scene:
Exposition: introduce the setting and the characters, make sure the dialogue allows the audience to infer where they are and what time of day it is.
Problem: Show one of the characters taking too much or using too much.
Climax/Solution: Have Captain Reduce step in and explain why it’s important to use less.
Character Arc – Show how the character has changed: Have another character start to take too much and have the character that spoke to Captain Reduce teach the other character about the importance of the first R, Reduce.

Ask students to choose parts and act out their scenes in front of the class.
Ask students “What did you like from their scene and why did you like it?”
If the students have done the improvisation in lesson 1 ask them: “What’s the difference between improvisation and using a script? Which do you prefer and why?

Common Core Connections for Reduce Reuse Recycle Lesson 2: The First R, Reduce
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

Lesson: Reduce Reuse Recycle: The Second R, Reuse

Objectives:
Students will understand what the second of the three R’s (Reuse) means and why it is important.
Students will act out a scene from a script and determine the main idea of the script
Students will discuss a script and support their conclusions with evidence from the text.
Students will work collaboratively to write scenes that teach others.Ask students “What does Reuse mean?” “Why is it important to reuse things?”

Lesson Sequence

Listen to Reduce Reuse Recycle and ask students what is the definition the song gives? (“Reuse means “use that thing again”) Ask students to articulate in their own words what Reuse means and give examples

Ask students to act out this scene.

Setting: restaurant, lunchtime

Customer 2: But Captain Reduce is real, it’s just that he..
Customer 1: I know you already told me, he was there when you were taking the napkins and then he flew away just before I got there.
Customer 2: You don’t believe me do you.
Customer 1: I believe you…
Customer 2: You do?
Customer 1: I believe you…are out of your mind!
Customer 2: Fine, don’t believe me, but one of these days Captain Reduce will show up and you’ll owe me a huge apology!
Customer 1: I can’t wait for that day!
Customer 2: By the way, thanks for buying me lunch!
Customer 1: Happy belated birthday my friend!
Customer 2: I’m stuffed and I only ate half of my salad. Maybe I’ll take it home for dinner tonight.
Customer 1: Yeah, the portions here are huge, I only ate half of my sandwich and half of my fries. I’ll get a box and a bag to take it home. Do you want me to get you one?
Customer 2: Sure! (Customer 1 walks away)
Captain Reduce: Stop! If you take less there will be more! Why are you taking a box home, when you could carry it home in your arms!
Customer 2: Sorry Captain Reduce, I thought about that but I can’t carry a salad home in my arms too messy! Plus I rode here on my bike I will need my hands to steer. There’s no way around it I’ll need a box and a bag to take it home.
Captain Reduce: Well if you can’t reduce, you need to move on to the second R, Reuse, May I introduce you to my brother, Sergeant Reuse!
Sergeant Reuse: (flies in) Sergeant Reuse at your service, I’ll take it from here Captain Reduce!
Costumer: Wait Captain Reduce, my friend doesn’t believe you’re real, could you just stay until he gets back!
Captain Reduce: Sorry, I have too much trash to prevent! (flies away)
Sergeant Reuse: So you say you need a box and a bag for your salad?
Customer 2: Anything wrong with that?
Sergeant Reuse: And how many times will you use this box and bag?
Customer 2: Well, they’re kind of flimsy and I can’t wash them out very well so I’ll probably only use them once.
Sergeant Reuse: Sergeant Reuse says: If you make it last, you make less trash! What if billions of people on this planet only used things once and then threw them away.
Customer 2: It would create billions of pounds of trash!
Sergeant Reuse: Now what would happen if billions of people did that every day?
Customer 2: It would create trillions of pounds of trash!
Sergeant Reuse: That’s exactly what’s happening! Here, why not use this resealable washable container in which to put your leftover salad. And use this cloth reusable bag to carry it in. Find containers that you can use over and over and over and over again…containers that last! If you make it last, you make less trash!
Customer 2: Thanks Sergeant Reuse!
Sergeant Reuse: Here, take a reusable washable container and a cloth bag for your friend too. My job is done here!
Customer 2: Wait, can’t you stay…
Sergeant Reuse: Sorry! So many people to teach and so little time! (flies away)
Customer 1: It took a while but here’s a styrofoam box to put your salad in and a plastic bag.
Customer 2: Stop! If you make it last, you make less trash!
Customer 1: What are you talking about now?
Customer 2: How many times do you think we’ll be able to use this styrofoam box and this plastic bag?
Customer 1: Once, they’re not made to last longer than that.
Customer 2: Why not use this resealable, washable container and this cloth bag? We could use them every time we come to a restaurant and have leftovers. Reusing makes less trash for the planet. How many bags and boxes will we need if we only can use them once?
Customer 1: A whole lot! That makes sense! Find containers we can reuse because
Customer 1 and 2: If you make it last, you make less trash!
Customer 2: That’s what Sergeant Reuse taught me!
Customer 1: And who is Sergeant Reuse?
Customer 2: He’s Captain Reduce’s brother. He showed up right when you left to get the to-go box and the bag.
Customer 1: And let me guess, he just happened to leave just before I came back.
Customer 2: Yes and Captain Reduce was here as well. You missed them both!
Customer 1: Now it’s official, you’ve gone totally bonkers

Questions about the text:

Ask students the following questions. What did you notice about the scene? Why did the author write this scene? What was the main idea? What is the central lesson from the scene. Which lines tell you about the main lesson from this scene?

How is this scene different from the previous scene, how is it the same? Cite examples from the text that show similarities and differences.
Making inferences: Why doesn’t Customer 1 believe in Captain Reduce or Sergeant Reuse? What lines lead you to believe this.
What does Sergeant Reuse mean “If you make it last, you’ll make less trash!”
Making inferences: Why is Reduce the first R and why is Reuse the second R? In general, which R is most effective at making the amount of garbage on this planet smaller? Why?
Ask students to work in small groups to write a scene that shows how someone could Reuse. Examples include but are not limited to using a lunchbox instead of a paper lunch bag, buying a pen that can be refilled with ink rather than a disposable pen, bringing cloth bags to the grocery store instead of taking a single use paper or plastic bag.

Structure of the Scene:

Exposition: Introduce the characters and the setting. Make sure the dialogue has enough information so that the audience can infer where the characters are and what time of day it is.

Problem: Show one of the characters using something that is single use, or something that doesn’t last.

Climax/Solution: Have Captain Reduce show up and determine that since the character cannot reduce this is a job for Sergeant Reuse. Sergeant Reuse provides an alternative solution that involves using something again and again.

Character Arc: Have the character stop another character from using something once and throwing it away.

10. Ask students to choose roles and act the scenes out in front of the class.
11. Ask the audience to comment on what they liked about the scene and why.

Common Core Connections for Reduce Reuse Recycle: The Second R, Reuse
RL 3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL 3.2 Recount stories and determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
RL 3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters, setting or plot.

Lesson: Reduce Reuse Recycle: The Third R, Recycle

Objectives:
Objectives:
Students will understand what the third of the three R’s (Recycle) means and why it is important.
Students will act out a scene from a script and determine the main idea of the script
Students will discuss a script and support their conclusions with evidence from the text.
Students will work collaboratively to write scenes that teach others.

Setting: country road, afternoon

Customer 1: Perfect day for a bike ride!
Customer 2: Yeah thanks for suggesting it, how many miles have we gone?
Customer 1: About 50.
Customer 2: Let’s stop for a bit, I’m thirsty.
Customer 1: Ok, but I’m all out of water, I’ll have to refill my bottle from that water fountain over there.
Customer 2: Sergeant Reuse would be proud!
Customer 1: Would you stop talking about your imaginary super friends? You’re a little too old for that.
Customer 2: You can have a drink from my bottle if you want.
Customer 1: (looks at it suspiciously) Do you have cooties?
Customer 2: We all have cooties, don’t we?
Customer 1: But some cooties are friendlier than others.
Customer 2: Do you want a drink or not?
Customer 1: Ok
Customer 2 hands Customer 1the water bottle and it drops
Customer 1: Oh no it’s cracked!
Customer 2: All the water’s leaking out! If I die of thirst it’ll be your fault!
Customer 1: My fault? When you hand something to someone you are supposed to make sure the person you’re handing it to has a grip on it before letting it go!
Customer 2: I thought you had it
Customer 1: Well I didn’t.
Customer 2: That’s obvious
Customer 1: Is it fixable?
Customer 2: Probably not.
Customer 1: I guess I’ll go re-fill my bottle from the water fountain.
Customer 2: Yeah, and you better share!
Customer 1: I will. (leaves)
Customer 2: I guess I’ll have to throw this re-usable bottle away and buy a new one.
Captain Reduce (flies in): Stop! If you use less there will be more. Can’t you just drink from the water fountain? Do you really need a water bottle?
Customer 2: Sorry Captain Reduce, I thought about that, but we’re 50 miles away from home and since I can’t take the water fountain with me I’ll need to take a water bottle so that I’ll have something to drink when I get thirsty later and there’s no water nearby.
Captain Reduce: Well, if you can’t Reduce, you have to move on to the second R, Reuse. You remember my brother Sergeant Reuse? (Sergeant Reuse flies in)
Customer 2: Hi Sergeant Reuse, it’s good to see you again.
Sergeant Reuse: Thanks Captain Reduce, I’ll take it from here.
Customer 2: Wait before you go…
Captain Reduce: Sorry, there’s so much trash to prevent!
Sergeant Reuse: So, I hear you are about to throw away a reusable bottle! If you make it last, you make less trash! So why not reuse the bottle, why are you throwing it away?
Customer 2: I did reuse the bottle, I must have reused this bottle hundreds of times, it’s lasted me four years, but I can’t reuse it any more.
Sergeant Reuse: Why not?
Customer 2: It’s cracked, my friend dropped it.
Sergeant Reuse: Well if you cannot reuse, then you must move on to the third R, Recycle! Allow me to introduce you to my sister….General Recycle! (General Recycle flies in)
General Recycle: I’ll take it from here, Sergeant Reuse. General Recycle, at your service!
Sergeant Reuse: Well my job is done here!
Customer 2: Wait before you go…
Sergeant Reuse: Can’t stick around, sorry, I’ve got a world to save!
General Recycle: So, you are going to throw away a re-usable bottle?
Customer 2: Is there something wrong with that?
General Recycle: Let me ask you this. Would you throw away money?
Customer 2: Of course not!
General Recycle: Then why would you throw away something you could recycle? Why not turn your trash into cash and keep the circle cycling!
Customer 2: I can get money for this cracked bottle?
General Recycle: Yes, because there are recycling centers that can turn your bottle into something else! That’s what recycling is, taking something someone doesn’t want anymore and using it to make something new.
Customer 2: Wow! Thanks General Recycle.
General Recycle: Your welcome, now I got to go!
Customer 2: Wait, can you do me a favor? (whispers something into her ear)
General Recycle: I can’t promise anything. (flies away)
Customer 1: Sorry about your water bottle. Here, I’ll throw it away for you!
Customer 2: Stop! We can turn that trash into cash and keep the circle cycling!
Customer 1: What are you talking about now?
Customer 2: Don’t you know, that bottle is recyclable. If we take it to a recycling center they will take it and turn it into something new and they will even give us money for it! They turn your trash into cash!
Customer 1: Wow, what are we waiting for let’s bike to the recycling center now! Let’s turn our trash into cash!
Customer 2: That’s what I learned from General Recycle!
Customer 1: Don’t tell me, another superhero was here while I was gone?
Customer 2: Yup, Captain Reduce and Sergeant Reuse’s sister!
Customer 1: Ok, this has gone far enough, you’re my friend so I let your crazy hallucinations slide, but now I’m getting you some help, you are not right in the head my friend.
(Captain Reduce, Sergeant Reuse and General Recycle show up)
You need serious help, but who can I get to help you?
Captain Reduce, Sergeant Reuse and General Recycle: We can help!
Customer 1: Su- Su- Su- Superheroes? (Customer 1 faints from shock)
CR, SR, GR: Don’t forget…Reduce Reuse Recycle!!
Customer 2: Thank you!
CR, SR, GR: No thank you
Customer 2: What for?
CR, SR, GR: For remembering the three Rs! (they all fly away)
Customer 1: Su – Su – Su – Superheroes
Customer 2: I kept trying to tell you.
Customer1: f-f-f-flying
Customer 2: Now I’m starting to worry about you my friend.

Questions about the text:

Ask students the following questions. What did you notice about the scene? Why did the author write this scene? What was the main idea? What is the central lesson from the scene. Which lines tell you about the main lesson from this scene?

How is this scene different from the previous scene, how is it the same? Cite examples from the text that show similarities and differences.
Making inferences:  Have Customer 1 and Customer 2 known each other a long time or a short time?  What evidence in the text makes you think so.
What does General Recycle mean “Turn your trash into cash and keep the circle cycling?
Making inferences: Why is Recycle the last R?  Why is recycling better for the planet than throwing something in the trash? Why is the order of the three R’s important?
Ask students to work in small groups to write a scene that shows how someone could Reuse. Examples include but are not limited to using a lunchbox instead of a paper lunch bag, buying a pen that can be refilled with ink rather than a disposable pen, bringing cloth bags to the grocery store instead of taking a single use paper or plastic bag.

Structure of the Scene:

Exposition: Introduce the characters and the setting. Make sure the dialogue has enough information so that the audience can infer where the characters are and what time of day it is.

Problem: Show one of the characters using something that cannot be re-used, but can be recycled.

Climax/Solution: Have Captain Reduce show up and determine that since the character cannot reduce this is a job for Sergeant Reuse. Sergeant Reuse shows up and determines that the since the character cannot re-use this is a job for General Recycle.

Character Arc: Have the character stop another character from throwing something recyclable in the trash.

10. Ask students to choose roles and act the scenes out in front of the class.

11. Ask the audience to comment on what they liked about the scene and why.

Common Core Connections for Reduce Reuse Recycle: The Second R, Reuse
RL 3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL 3.2 Recount stories and determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
RL 3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters, setting or plot.