This page provides additional detail and instruction for 4th grade teachers actively participating in the field trip program. Each teacher is assigned a StopWaste staff liaison. This liaison serves as your guide and support to all things related to your field trip program and required action project. Reach out to your liaison at any time with questions or concerns.

Meet Our Educator Team

Pre-Trip Requirements

You will receive an email with digital PDF copies of your pre-field trip materials including permission slips. The StopWaste permission slip is required even if you have district permission slips.

If you have not received these materials, let your StopWaste liaison know as soon as possible. Bring signed permission slips and chaperone safety waivers with you on the day of the field trip.

All students should complete this online pre-survey. This helps ensure our educators can deliver the best possible field trip experience.

Email your StopWaste liaison a class list along with the names of the chaperones. If possible, add phonetic pronunciations and preferred pronouns.

We are required to have this list on file while your group is on site to comply with our safety protocols and in case of emergency.

Before sending us your class list, mark students into 4 colored groups (Red, Orange, Blue, and Green), and assign at least one chaperone to each colored group.

Schedule a 15-20 minute Zoom or phone check-in to discuss how we can best support your class's action project, which is a requirement for participation. Your StopWaste liaison will coordinate this check-in with you.

Ensure that students and chaperones wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes (no Crocs), long pants, and dress appropriately for the weather. Spare shoes and pants may be available to borrow on the day of your field trip, but not guaranteed. Anyone not in the proper attire may not go on the walking portion of the facility tour.

Pre-Trip Lessons and Activities (Optional)

Have a class discussion about what students know and want to know about the transfer station, waste, the 4Rs, and more. Share the filled out chart with your StopWaste liaison to help them better facilitate your class's field trip experience. After your field trip you can discuss with the class what they learned.

Download

Get to know StopWaste as students explore what they care about, what they connect with, and how their own knowledge, skills, and life experiences align with the mission of the League of 4Rs Action Heroes - to protect the earth by taking action to reduce waste.

Learn what happens to things that we decide to throw away by following an Alameda County family from their home in Oakland to the Davis St. Transfer Station.

Explore the 4Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot - as you follow youth from around Alameda County who are putting the 4Rs into practice in their own lives.

Post-Trip Requirements

Provide feedback about the field trip program and your collaboration with StopWaste staff.

Program Feedback Survey

We require all participating teachers and students to take action to bring the 4Rs message to your school community and beyond. You may choose any action project and our staff can support in any capacity we can.

The following are examples of action projects with guides and templates you can use:

After completing an action project, submit an action report back form to summarize how you and your students took action.

Action Report Back Form

Have your students complete this 15-20 minute survey. Note that it looks similar to the post-survey students completed prior to the field trip.

Student Post-Survey

Post-Trip Activities and Resources

This activity journal guides students from garbologist to food rescue action heroes! Learn about the impacts of wasted food and how students can take action to reduce wasted food.

Download the Journal

Students author letters about what they learned and how they took action after the field trip. Letters can be addressed to other students at the school, families, or even StopWaste. The templates below are aligned to Common Core standards.