School tours of the award-winning state-of-the-art Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos offer students an opportunity to learn first-hand what happens to their recyclables, yard trimmings, food scraps, and garbage at a working Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and Transfer Station. Now you can do it from the comfort of your classroom or home!
Please note that due to the subject matter and in order to provide the best educational experience to your students, RethinkWaste is now requiring a 2-part tour for grades 3 – 6. Teachers will be required to select two separate tour time slots when scheduling the tour below. We recommend scheduling your 2 tour visits 1-3 weeks apart.
If you are interested in booking a tour for your 7th-grade class or higher, please click here.
Scroll down or click below to find more information on:
#
Virtual Tour Information
Each tour session is an hour and fifteen minutes long via Zoom. Grades 3 – 6 MUST schedule 2 different tour time slots for the full curriculum and tour experience. Teachers can schedule a tour here. Tours are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. We recommend scheduling your 2 tour visits 1-3 weeks apart.
Tours are typically held at 10am or 1pm, Monday through Friday.
To inquire about alternative tour dates and times, please email tours@rethinkwaste.org with requests.
Standard Tour includes:
- Required: Pre-tour lesson for students to get them thinking about waste! Teachers can choose from a variety of Common Core aligned lessons provided by RethinkWaste.
- A virtual “visit” to the Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) accompanied by live narration from RethinkWaste Staff.
- Interactive discussion and activity about resource conservation and the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot/Compost).
Virtual tours are limited to one classroom (approximately 40 students and adult chaperones) per timeslot.
#
Virtual Tour Activity Options
Please let us know what activity you would like your class to participate in when you schedule your tour.
- Sorting Game: Students will have the opportunity to practice sorting a bag of waste as a group. The waste examples will include common, everyday items as well as a few tricky ones that will require students to use their critical thinking skills to choose the proper bin (compost, recycling, or garbage) for where the item belongs.
- Waste Scavenger Hunt: Students search around their living space for example waste items and work together to decide which bin the items belong in.
- Waste Pictionary: Students draw example waste items, identify the items, and choose which bin the items belong in.
The tour program seeks to engage students and increase their knowledge through active learning experiences. The curriculum goal is to educate kids in resource conservation and 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot/Compost) behaviors so that they will be empowered to conserve resources in their lives and practice recycling at their schools and residences.
Tour activities and lessons are based on best practices in environmental education and align with California State Common Core Standards.
#
Pre- and Post-Tour Lessons
Schedule A Virtual Tour Below
Please note that due to the subject matter and in order to provide the best educational experience to your students, RethinkWaste is now requiring a 2-session tour for grades 3 – 6. Teachers will be required to select two separate tour time slots when scheduling the tour below. We recommend scheduling your 2 tour visits 1-3 weeks apart.