Elimination of Waste

Sixth graders could be heard saying, "I guess I'll just draw poop" and laughing with their partners as they found symbols of waste.  But, don't worry, it's perfectly relevant as they discuss the elimination of waste as one of the characteristics of life.  And, while those students are drawing "waste" and using fecal emojis, it brings to mind that the elimination of waste is not just a characteristic of life, but it's also a characteristic of learning.  In learning, we have the wade through the junk to get to the heart of what's real.  Whether it's eliminating incorrect answers on the ASPIRE test or brainstorming ideas where only one reigns supreme, the elimination of waste is a valuable learning tool.  

Consider how you can eliminate the waste in your classroom:  Are there lessons/units that no longer meet your standards?  Are there timebound traditions that are near and dear to your hear that no longer meet the needs of our students?  As educators, we don't just teach about the elimination of waste, we need to model it.

Elimination of Waste Emoji - a perfect addition to the 8 characteristics of life project

Students plan their 8 characteristics of life project, including the elimination of waste as one characteristic

Giving feedback on student-created books to eliminate the waste of unnecessary/irrelevant information

Students brainstorm, write, and plan, eventually eliminating the waste of ideas that won't lead to a polished product.

2 truths and a lie - students eliminate the waste of ideas that are untrue about the historical event. 

Topographical Maps - students eliminate the waste of the wrong map as they connect the correct rock to the correct map.

Conferencing with students - a way to eliminate the waste of misconceptions (and not wasting a perfectly good half-moon table).

Kahoot - eliminating the waste of inaccurate information

Students plan their perfect school in Spanish, eliminating the waste of subjects that they don't deem necessary.