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Science Launch G5 / Week 11 / Thursday
4/6
Week 11 · Protect Our Planet

Thursday

Cans that come back
// Communities use science to protect resources
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: Cans that come back

Raven brings a bag of empty cans to the workshop. Rocket tests each one with his magnet.

"These do not stick," he says. "Aluminum, like we learned in Week 3!"

Raven nods. "And aluminum is great to recycle," she says. "What do you notice on the bottom of the bag?"

Rocket finds a note from the town: "Rinse cans. No need to crush." He reads it aloud.

Nova blinks. "Every can you recycle saves something you cannot see," she says. "Would you like to find out what?"

Recycling saves energy

To recycle means to turn used materials into new products.

Making aluminum from scratch takes a lot of energy.

Recycling aluminum uses less than 5 percent of the energy needed to make it from scratch.

So recycling cans protects metal resources and saves energy too.

Making aluminumEnergy used
From scratch100 percent (all of it)
From recycled cansLess than 5 percent
RECYCLING REASONING
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Making new aluminum from scratch takes 100 units of energy. About how much does recycling take?
How can you check if a can is aluminum?
StatementTrue or false?
Recycling aluminum saves energy.?
Aluminum cans stick to magnets.?
Recycling turns used materials into new products.?
WHY THIS EXERCISERecycling aluminum protects metal resources and uses far less energy than making it new.
Connect it
In Week 2 you learned matter is never lost.
Recycling keeps that matter in use instead of in the trash.

Small can, big savings

Making aluminum from scratch takes a lot of energy.

Recycling a can takes less than 5 percent of that energy.

So every recycled can saves energy and keeps metal in use.

RECYCLING THINKING
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What does the town note say about crushing cans?
What does it mean to recycle?
Making new aluminum takes 200 units of energy. Recycling takes less than how many?
Recycling aluminum uses less than ____ percent of the energy of making it new.
A magnet does ____ pull an aluminum can.
A CAN'S SECOND LIFE
  • ?The can goes in the recycling bin.
  • ?Someone finishes a drink.
  • ?They rinse the can.
  • ?The aluminum is made into a new product.
WHY THIS EXERCISERecycling turns used cans into new products.
Try it
With a grown-up, look at your recycling bin.
Test a few clean cans with a magnet.
Sort them into aluminum and not aluminum.
Draw a four-panel comic of a can's second life, from finishing a drink to becoming a new product.

You connected magnets, matter and energy to a real community choice. Tomorrow we will put it all together.

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