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    Households and the Environment Survey – Secondary level teacher’s kit

    Theme 1: eWaste and Environmental Trends

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    Overview:

    Information from Statistics Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey revealed that disposal of electronic devices that have reached the end of their useful lives is a significant issue for Canadians. Some of these items contain materials that are harmful if put in a landfill; these items are considered household hazardous waste.

    In this theme, students will explore the impact that unwanted electronic products, or eWaste, have on the environment. They will use Statistics Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey to investigate eWaste in Canadian households.  Students will also analyse data to identify trends related to eWaste, survey their peers, compare survey results to the national and provincial averages, and investigate the environmental impact of the hazardous materials found in electronics waste.

    Suggested Grade Level:

    • Grades 9-10

    Topics:

    • Science
    • Mathematics

    Cross-curricular Connections:

    • English Language Arts
    • Technology Education

    Materials:

    Lesson 1: Introduction to Electronic Device Waste

    • 2011 Households and the Environment Survey: Table 19

    Lesson 2: Canada’s Electronic Device Waste

    • Handout: Graphing Sheet
    • 2009 Households and the Environment Survey: Table 19
    • 2011 Households and the Environment Survey: Table 19

    Lesson 3: Compare Canada to the Classroom

    • Handout: eWaste Survey

    Lesson 4: Long-term Impact of Electronic Device Waste

    • Handout: Hazardous Materials Presentation
    • 2011 Households and the Environment Survey: Table 19
    • Rubric: Hazardous Materials Assignment

    Assignments:

    • Create an impact statement.
    • Analyse data and graph trends.
    • Conduct a peer-survey and identify variables.
    • Present information about household hazardous materials.

    Lesson 1: Introduction to Electronic Device Waste

    Lesson

    Estimated Completion Time: 1+ hours

    Learning Objectives:

    Science:

    • Assess the impact of human activities on the sustainability of ecosystems, and evaluate the effectiveness of courses of action intended to remedy or mitigate negative impacts.
    • Investigate factors related to human activity that affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and explain how they affect the sustainability of these ecosystems.

    Geography:

    • Identify various ways in which communities in Canada dispose of their waste material, and describe potential environmental impacts of these methods.

    Assignment:

    • Create an impact statement.

    Activity:

    Introduce the concept of household hazardous waste to the class by having the class brainstorm all of the hazardous materials in their homes. These could include:

    • Leftover or expired medications
    • Medical sharps
    • Paints and solvents
    • Engine oil and anti-freeze
    • Batteries
    • Compact Fluorescent lights (CFLs)
    • Fluorescent Tubes
    • Cleaning agents

    If it was not mentioned while brainstorming, propose the idea of electronic devices as hazardous waste. There are several chemicals and materials, such as lead and cadmium, found in common electronic devices that can be extremely hazardous to the environment and to humans. Electronic device waste is sometimes referred to as “eWaste.”

    Continue to brainstorm with the class by compiling a list of electronic devices that they have in their home.

    This could include:

    • Computer
    • Cell Phone
    • Television
    • DVD player
    • Videogame console
    • Cable/satellite box
    • Satellite dish
    • Remote control
    • Printer
    • Scanner
    • Modem
    • Wireless Router
    • Digital clock
    • Microwave oven
    • Tablet computer
    • Calculator
    • Telephone
    • Mp3 player
    • Digital camera

    Divide the class into small groups. Have groups investigate three of the electronic devices on the list to try and ascertain:

    • What is the average lifetime of these devices?
    • Are any hazardous materials found in these devices?
    • How many devices of this type will the average household dispose of in a ten year period?

    Have students use Table 19 of the Statistics Canada 2011 Households and the Environment Survey to identify:

    • What percentage of households in their home-province had a dead or unwanted computer to dispose of?
    • In what ways did households in their home-province dispose of their computers?

    Have students brainstorm and create an Impact Statement about some of the possible effects that Canadian eWaste disposal tendencies may have. This could include:

    • Environmental impact of hazardous materials in landfills
    • Environmental impact of electronics recycling programs
    • Social and economic impact of useable electronics being discarded

    Guiding Questions:

    • Are you surprised by your findings? Why or why not?
    • How does this affect the way you think about the electronics you use?
    • Will this affect your future behaviour? In what way?

    Lesson 2: Canada’s Electronic Device Waste

    Lesson

    Estimated Completion Time: 1+ hours

    Learning Objectives:

    Science:

    • Assess the impact of human activities on the sustainability of ecosystems, and evaluate the effectiveness of courses of action intended to remedy or mitigate negative impacts.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic nature of ecosystems, particularly in terms of ecological balance and the impact of human activity on the sustainability of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
    • Analyse and interpret qualitative and/or quantitative data to determine whether the evidence supports or refutes the initial prediction or hypothesis, identifying possible sources of error, bias, or uncertainty.

    Mathematics:

    • Develop and apply reasoning to make mathematical conjectures, assess conjectures, and justify conclusions, and plan and construct organized mathematical arguments.

    Geography:

    • Identify various ways in which communities in Canada dispose of their waste material, and describe potential environmental impacts of these methods.
    • Describe ways in which communities can improve their environmental sustainability.

    Assignment:

    • Analyse data and graph trends.

    Activity:

    Have students review Table 19 of the Statistics Canada 2009 Households and the Environment Survey to identify:

    • In 2009, what percentage of Canadian households had eWaste to dispose of?
    • In 2009, what percentage of households in their home-province had eWaste to dispose of?

    Hint: If there is insufficient data regarding the trends for students’ home-provinces, have them use the national data.

    Have students compare the results found in Table 19 of the Statistics Canada 2009 and 2011 Households and the Environment reports. Prompt students to:

    • Use Handout: Graphing Sheet to create a graph that compares the percentage of Canadians who had unwanted eWaste to dispose of in both years.
    • Identify any trends they observe.

    Following these trends, have students predict what percentage of households in their province will have had unwanted eWaste to dispose of in the current year.

    Guiding Questions:

    • What trend did you notice when comparing the data for 2009 and 2011?
    • What do you think this trend implies about our use and disposal of electronics?

    Following these trends, have students predict a percentage of households, nationally and in their home-province. Who will have unwanted eWaste to dispose of in the current year.

    Have students add these predictions to their graph.

    Guiding Questions:

    • Do you think that people your age are more or less likely to have unwanted electronics? Why or why not?
    • Do you think that people your age are more or less likely to dispose of unwanted electronics using an environmentally conscientious method? Why or why not?

    Handout: Graphing Sheet

    Use the template below to graph the rates of households who have unwanted electronics waste (eWaste) in their homes.

    Handout: Graphing Sheet

    Description for Handout: Graphing Sheet

    Lesson 3: Compare Canada to the Classroom

    Lesson

    Estimated Completion Time: 1+ hours

    Learning Objectives:

    Science:

    • Formulate scientific questions about observed relationships, ideas, problems, and/or issues, make predictions, and/or formulate hypotheses to focus inquiries or research.
    • Investigate factors related to human activity that affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and explain how they affect the sustainability of these ecosystems.

    Mathematics:

    • Develop and apply reasoning to make mathematical conjectures, assess conjectures, and justify conclusions, and plan and construct organized mathematical arguments.
    • Make connections among mathematical concepts and procedures, and relate mathematical ideas to situations or phenomena drawn from other sources.

    Geography:

    • Identify various ways in which communities in Canada dispose of their waste material, and describe potential environmental impacts of these methods.
    • Describe ways in which communities can improve their environmental sustainability.
    • Identify actions that individuals can take to live more sustainably, and explain the benefits for their local community.

    Assignment:

    • Conduct a peer-survey and identify variables.

    Activity:

    Have the class use Handout: eWaste Survey to complete the electronic device waste component of the Households and the Environment Survey.

    As a class, track the students’ survey results, and calculate the class average.

    The students will each be administering this survey to a group of their peers. Have students create a hypothesis as to whether their sample group will differ from the provincial average in the 2011 survey, the provincial average they predicted for the current year, and the class average they just calculated. Their hypothesis should answer:

    • Why do they think they will be the same or different?
    • Will their findings be higher or lower than the provincial average?

    Have each student use Handout: eWaste Survey to survey ten other students in their grade.

    Hint: Instead of using the eWaste Survey, add an additional challenge by having students develop their own survey questions to administer to their peers.

    Have each student analyse their results to determine what percentage of the class had unwanted electronics products in need of disposal. After they have done this, average the class’s findings to find the “grade average.”

    Have students graph their findings alongside their predicted trends.

    • What does the graph show?
    • Was their hypothesis correct or incorrect?

    Have students brainstorm variables that may impact their findings. Possible variables include:

    • Age
    • Location
    • Sample size
    • Socio-economic status
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender

    Have students identify how these variables could change their findings.

    Guiding Questions:

    • Why do you think it is important to identify variables in your survey?
    • How might these variables change the data you collect?
    • Which variable do you think most significantly impacts your data?

    Handout: eWaste Survey

    Use these survey questions to track the amount of eWaste used by your classmates.

    1. In the past 12 months, did you have any of the following unwanted electronic products to dispose of?
      1. Computers
      2. Printers or fax machines
      3. Televisions or computer displays
      4. Audio-video equipment (includes DVD players, VCRs, speakers, portable digital music players)
      5. Cellular phones
      6. Electronic gaming equipment
      7. None of the above
    2. What did you do with your computers? Did you…
      1. Put them in the garbage
      2. Take or send them to a depot or drop-off centre
      3. Return them to a supplier/retailer
      4. Donate or give them away
      5. Repair or sell them
      6. Still have them
      7. Other
    3. What did you do with your televisions or computer displays? Did you…
      1. Put them in the garbage
      2. Take or send them to a depot or drop-off centre
      3. Return them to a supplier/retailer
      4. Donate or give them away
      5. Repair or sell them
      6. Still have them
      7. Other
    4. What did you do with your audio-video equipment? Did you…
      1. Put it in the garbage
      2. Take or send them to a depot or drop-off centre
      3. Return them to a supplier/retailer
      4. Donate or give them away
      5. Repair or sell them
      6. Still have them
      7. Other
    5. What did you do with your cellular phones? Did you…
      1. Put them in the garbage
      2. Take or send them to a depot or drop-off centre
      3. Return them to a supplier/retailer
      4. Donate or give them away
      5. Repair or sell them
      6. Still have them
      7. Other
    6. What did you do with your electronic gaming equipment? Did you…
      1. Put them in the garbage
      2. Take or send them to a depot or drop-off centre
      3. Return them to a supplier/retailer
      4. Donate or give them away
      5. Repair or sell them
      6. Still have them
      7. Other

    Lesson 4: Long-Term Impact of Electronic Device Waste

    Lesson

    Estimated Completion Time: 2+ hours

    Learning Objectives:

    Science:

    • Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic nature of ecosystems, particularly in terms of ecological balance and the impact of human activity on the sustainability of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
    • Investigate factors related to human activity that affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and explain how they affect the sustainability of these ecosystems.
    • Assess the impact of human activities on the sustainability of ecosystems, and evaluate the effectiveness of courses of action intended to remedy or mitigate negative impacts.

    Geography:

    • Identify various ways in which communities in Canada dispose of their waste material, and describe potential environmental impacts of these methods.
    • Describe ways in which communities can improve their environmental sustainability.
    • Identify actions that individuals can take to live more sustainably, and explain the benefits for their local community.

    Assignment:

    • Present information about household hazardous materials .

    Activity:

    Ask students to refer back to the list of hazardous materials that they created in Lesson 1: Introduction to Electronic Device Waste.

    Distribute Handout: Hazardous Materials Presentation Assignment and review the assignment with the class.

    Break the students into groups of 2-3 members and have each group research the effect of one of these materials on the environment. Some of the hazardous materials found in electronics waste include:

    • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
    • Tetrabromo-bisphenol-A (TBBA)
    • Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
    • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)
    • Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
    • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
    • Arsenic
    • Barium
    • Beryllium
    • Cadmium
    • Lead
    • Lithium
    • Mercury
    • Nickel
    • Rare Earth Elements (Yttrium, Europium)
    • Zinc Sulphide
    • Americium

    Have each group present their findings to the class. Each group should include:

    • The name of the hazardous material
    • The hazardous material’s  purpose in electronics
    • A brief explanation of the type of devices in which the hazardous material is found
    • Any possible long-term effects of the hazardous material if it is disposed of improperly
    • These effects could include:
      • The long-term impact on the environment, caused by improper disposal of this material
      • The long-term impact on public health, caused by improper disposal of this material
      • The long-term impact on the environment caused by creating, extracting, or refining this material
    • Students should also investigate:
      • Is there an alternative to using this material?
      • Is there a safe method of disposal or recycling?
    • Using the results found in Table 19 of the 2011 Household and the Environment Survey data and the data generated in Lesson 3: Compare Classroom to Canada, each group should estimate how many households in Canada, in their home-province, and in their school community, have this sort of hazardous electronics waste in their home.

    Hint: Teachers can evaluate these presentations by using Rubric: Hazardous Materials Assignment Rubric.

    Guiding Questions:

    • What are some of the environmental concerns caused by improper disposal of this material?
    • Can this material have a negative impact on public health?
    • Are there environmental concerns related to recycling this material?
    • Is there a safe alternative? If so, why aren’t more companies using it?

    Handout: Hazardous Materials Presentation

    For this assignment, groups of 2-3 members will investigate and present their findings related to a hazardous material that is commonly found in electronic devices and therefore, commonly found in eWaste.

    Some materials commonly found in electronic devices include, but are not limited to:

    • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
    • Tetrabromo-bisphenol-A (TBBA)
    • Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
    • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)
    • Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
    • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
    • Arsenic
    • Barium
    • Beryllium
    • Cadmium
    • Lead
    • Lithium
    • Mercury
    • Nickel
    • Rare Earth Elements (Yttrium, Europium)
    • Zinc Sulphide
    • Americium

    Your group’s investigation and presentation should explain:

    1. The name of the hazardous material
    2. The hazardous material’s  purpose in electronics
    3. A brief explanation of the type of devices in which the hazardous material is found
    4. Any possible long-term effects of the hazardous material if it is disposed of improperly

      These effects could include:

      1. The long-term impact on the environment, caused by improper disposal of this material
      2. The long-term impact on public health, caused by improper disposal of this material
      3. The long-term impact on the environment caused by creating, extracting, or refining this material
    5. Your group should also investigate:
      1. Is there an alternative to using this material? Is so, why are these alternatives being or not being used?
      2. Is there a safe method of disposal or recycling?
    6. Estimate how many households in Canada, in your home-province, and in your school community, have this sort of hazardous electronics waste in them. Use the data found in Table 19 of the 2011 Household and the Environment Survey data and the data generated in Lesson 3: Compare Classroom to Canada.

    Hazardous Materials Assignment Rubric

    Hazardous Materials Assignment Rubric
    Table summary
    This table displays the results of Hazardous Materials Assignment Rubric. The information is grouped by Level 1 (appearing as row headers), Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 (appearing as column headers).
    Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
    Attempts to explain the types of devices in which this hazardous material is found. Explains the types of devices in which this hazardous material is found. Clearly identifies key purposes that the hazardous material has in electronic devices, explaining the types of devices in which it is found. Clearly identifies key purposes that the hazardous material has in electronic devices, explaining the types of devices in which it is found and its role within those devices.
    Attempts to identify possible long-term impact on the environment caused by improper disposal of the hazardous material. Identifies possible long-term impact on the environment caused by improper disposal of the hazardous material. Identifies and explains possible long-term impact on the environment caused by improper disposal of the hazardous material. Identifies and explains possible long-term impact on the environment caused by improper disposal of the hazardous material, examining repercussions on the environment and on human activity.
    Attempts to identify possible long-term impact on the environment caused by creating, extracting, or refining the hazardous material. Identifies possible long-term impact on the environment caused by creating, extracting, or refining the hazardous material. Identifies and explains possible long-term impact on the environment caused by creating, extracting, or refining the hazardous material. Identifies and explains possible long-term impact on the environment caused by creating, extracting, or refining the hazardous material, including effects on a local and global scale.
    Attempts to identify alternative materials that could be used. Identifies alternative materials that could be used. Identifies alternative materials that could be used, and provides evidence why these alternatives might or might not be used. Identifies alternative materials that could be used, and provides economic, social, and environmental evidence why these alternatives are or are not used.
    Attempts to identify if there is a safe method for disposal of the hazardous material. Identifies if there is a safe method for disposal of the hazardous material. Identifies if there is a safe method for disposal of the hazardous material, and identifies why it is or is not being used. Identifies if there is a safe method for disposal of the hazardous material, and provides economic, social, and environmental evidence why it is or is not being used.
    Attempts to estimate how many households in Canada have this sort of hazardous material. Estimates how many households in Canada have this sort hazardous of material. Uses Statistics Canada data to estimate how many households in Canada have this sort hazardous material. Uses Statistics Canada data to estimate how many households in Canada have this sort hazardous material, providing examples of what the source of the hazardous materials might be.
    Attempts to estimate how many households in their home province have this sort of hazardous material. Estimates how many households in their home province have this sort hazardous of material. Uses Statistics Canada data to estimate how many households in their home-province have this sort of hazardous material. Uses Statistics Canada data to estimate how many households in their home-province have this sort of hazardous material, providing examples of what the source of the hazardous materials might be.
    Attempts to estimate how many households in their community have this sort of hazardous material. Estimates how many households in their community have this sort of hazardous material. Uses data from a survey to estimate how many households in their community have this sort of hazardous material. Uses data from a survey to estimate how many households in their community have this sort of hazardous material, providing examples of what the source of the hazardous materials might be.
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