Paper Recycling

Context

SCIENCE/ Materials production

I didn´t have the resources for the materials that the teachers´guide suggested that we should produce, so I came up with my own idea.

Resources/Materials needed

• Old newspapers, copies, toilet tissue
• Food colour, spices (not necessary, only for colouring)
• A big pot
• Water
• A source of heat
• A stick
• A wire net (in our town they selled wire mosquito nets for windows in metres)
• A piece of cloth (like the one you use for cleaning)
• A string to make a clotheshorse

Steps

1)      Making the paper pulp

• ·        Tear the old papers to very small pieces (as small as possible)
• ·        Mix the pieces of water with hot water
• ·        If you want coloured paper, add the food colour/spices.
• ·        Boil the paper in the water for two hours or longer
• ·        If you want white paper, you have to change the water and boil the papers again
• ·        Let the paper soak in the water for 24 hours.

2)      Mincing the paper pulp

• ·        Get your fingers dirty! Put them into the paper pulp and try to crush and tear the pulp to produce a fine substance

3)      Prepare the working place

•       ·Put up the string to dry the papers later
• ·        Put the piece of cloth on the table/floor (wherever you are working)
• ·        Put the glass bottle next to it
• ·        Cut out a nice piece of wire net
• ·        Add water to the paper pulp: If you ¼ of the pot is filled with paper pulp, add water to fill 2/3 of the basin

4)      Drawing paper

• ·        Mix the paper pulp again
• ·        Die the net vertically into the mixture, then underwater, turn it to be horizontal
• ·        Pull the net out of the mixture slowly and horizontally
• ·        Let the water drip off, holding the net at an ancle
• ·        If you want, decorate the paper with dried grasses/spices
• ·        Put the net vertical, tip it over on the cloth
• ·        Roll the glass bottle over the net to solve the paper from it
• ·        If it does not work so well, dot the net slightly with a wet swam (I didn´t need that)
• ·        Let the paper dry on the cloth
• ·        Hang cloth and paper up to dry

Homework

As in town they only selled me the wire net in metres, I had a lot of wire net left. So I cut out several pieces and borrowed them to learners who wanted to try paper recycling at home. Two out of 27 really did!

Next lesson

I bring the dried, self-recycled paper into class and also colour makers. Every learner is allowed to sign with his or her name. (I remind them to please write small, because there has to be space for everyone) Then we hang our piece of art up in the classroom!