Waste Disposal: Computers and the Environment

Middle School Module

Waste Disposal: Computers and the Environment is a SEPUP module designed for use in grades 8–12. The module contains a series of 8 activities that provide approximately 3 weeks of instruction.

This module focuses on toxic waste produced during the manufacture and disposal of technology such as computers. Students etch simulated circuit boards. They then conduct several activities to investigate dilution, precipitation, and metal replacement as options for handling the resulting toxic waste. They consider a variety of options for handling obsolete computers and learn about integrated waste management. Students then select a computer company from which to purchase school computers. Students are assessed on their ability to use evidence and identify trade-offs when making a decision.

Each module includes a Teacher’s Guide containing reproducible student pages and a kit containing the equipment required to conduct the activities with five classes of 32 students. The Teacher’s Guide provides specific strategies to facilitate and assess student learning.

What else would you like to know about this module?

• Table of contents

• Equipment kit contents

• Sample activity from this module (165K pdf)
  (To read pdf files, get Acrobat Reader from www.adobe.com)

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Module Overview

Table of Contents

Kit Contents

Ordering Information