NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Before they toured the Yonkers Material Recovery Facility (MRF), third-graders in Daniel Webster Magnet School operated their own mini-version of the refuse sorting plant in class.
By pulling a wide and verrry long strip of sturdy brown paper along three tables placed end to end, they created a conveyor belt onto which STEAM teacher Sandra Galano heaped cans, boxes, bags and more. As the pile moved down the line, several students each had one job. The student with a magnet pulled out cans and other ferrous metals. Others, wearing plastic gloves, picked out the items they were assigned to find. They worked until all the items were sorted into separate baskets.
“We learned about things that are attracted to magnets, which are iron, steel, nickel and cobalt,” said student Indiana Twist. “And we learned how to use magnets.”
The visit to the Westchester County plant in Yonkers last Friday capped the eight-week unit. During the studies, the students experimented to test the strength of magnets of different sizes, and the force they conduct through water and other materials, Galano said.
The lessons were in line with Next Generation Science Standards, which include learning about magnets and their real-world applications.
Students expanded their vocabulary by learning terms related to magnets and recycling. They honed math skills by weighing lunch waste and recyclables and graphing the results. They also learned about the importance of recycling and being kind to the environment.
“It’s important for Earth because if you litter too much, the Earth could get sick,” said student Kevin Sotelo.
Simply burning trash is no solution either, said student Emma Salierno.
“If we burn it into the air, it’s going to be bad for us,” she said. “So we need to recycle as much as possible.”