The Three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Summary
Primarily a language lesson that focuses on the
three R's concept (reduce, reuse, recycle). Through
brainstorming and sentence practice, students come up with ways
they can actively help the environment in their daily lives.
Level: *
Grammar
Words containing the prefix "re", Sentence Structure: Re( ) __________ instead of
______________.
Materials
Scrap paper, some examples how to follow the three
R's (cloth bag, plastic mug, etc).
Procedure
- Introduce the lesson with a quick
explanation of the three R's concept to students on
the blackboard. Draw the triangular arrow symbol and
write out the three R's in this order: reduce,
reuse, recycle.
- Ask students if they know what the prefix
"re" means. If they don't know, it means
"to do something again".
- Word Game: In pairs or small
groups, give students five minutes to write down as many
words beginning with "re" as they can think of
that will help the environment, for example: rebuild,
redesign, recreate, refill, renew, repair, refix, retell,
reform, recover, regain, relive (one class I taught
was able to come up with 67 words). Allow students to use
dictionaries.
- The group with the most words wins the
game. Ask them to read out their words to the rest of the
class and jot them down on the blackboard (hold onto
these words and use them as possible poster ideas for
Earth Day or another event).
- "Re" Sentences: In the
same groups, students write 2-3 sentences with their
"re" words on how we can all protect the
environment using this sentence model:
Re(word) _____________ instead of ______________.
e.g.,
Repair
broken appliances instead of
buying new ones.
Ask your JTE for help explaining this sentence
structure. Ask some students to read their sentences to the rest
of the class.
Review
If you use
anything in your daily life to reduce, reuse or recycle, bring
these different objects to class and do a short "show and
tell". For example, reusable chopsticks in a case, portable
coffee mug, bento box or reusable lunch bag, recycle box, reused
bottle for water/juice, cloth shopping bag. Nothing is better
than learning by example, and students get a kick out of seeing
all the weird things their ALT does!
Contributed
by
Samantha Berman, Kagoshima-ken ALT, 1999.
