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Get in the scrap with the national WWII Museum

A nationwide call of patriotic participation to the School children of America to organize scrap drives.

Welcome to Get in the Scrap

Inspired by the scrapping efforts of students during World War II, Get in the Scrap is a national service learning project for students in grades 4-8 all about recycling and energy conservation.

Through this program your students will be empowered to positively impact the environment, like students 70 years ago played a positive role on the Home Front in securing victory in WWII.

How to Get Started

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  • Tell us about you

Earn points for your classroom

Each lesson and activity is assigned a point value. When you complete the activity, track your progress on the classroom chart. Your classroom chart has four levels, at increments of 25 points each. As each new level is achieved, your class will be rewarded with a prize.

Download the Planning Doc

Share your Progress

After each new level is achieved, share your progress on Twitter with the hashtag #getinthescrap.

Be sure to also tag the Museum (@WWIIEducation).

Get Prizes

We have a network of over 250 schools who have participated in Get in the Scrap! Post along to social media as your classroom completes activities and receive prizes for all of your hard work.

Next deep dive into the activities!

Get Started
Child

Get in the Scrap Course Overview

Below are the activities you can choose from to reach your 100 point goal. Some are quick, some take a little longer. There’s something for everyone! Resources are organized by the number of points they’re worth.

Sort through this course by

8 Point Resources

Preview

Key Themes

Palette and paintbrush

Art

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Scroll and feather quill

History

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

The government produced thousands of posters that encouraged people to join the Army and Navy, not waste food, volunteer their time, and help pay for the war by buying war bonds. Many posters encouraged people to get involved in scrapping efforts. These posters are known as propaganda posters and your students will design their own to decorate the classroom and school.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Palette and paintbrush

Art

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Saving energy is as easy as flipping a switch! So why do so many of us leave the lights on when we’re not in a room? Let’s fix that problem by making eye-catching switch plates.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Have students conduct a simple home energy audit using the form provided. This will get them focused on a variety of simple ways they can start conserving energy at home. You can also adapt this form to conduct a school audit.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Two speech bubbles

Teamwork

Pencil writing

Writing

Learning how to communicate by writing a clear, concise, properly formatted letter can fulfill many curriculum needs. Why not combine your letter-writing lesson with this Get in the Scrap! activity?

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Two speech bubbles

Teamwork

Pencil writing

Writing

Many kids don’t feel like they can make a difference in helping the environment. A memory jar will give them the opportunity to record all they do and accomplish.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Sometimes finding a recycling bin can be a real maze! This is a fun activity that encourages students to be more conscious of where recycling bins are located across their schools and communities.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

How much do your students already know about recycling and energy conservation? Test how your students’ knowledge about environmentalism grows throughout the Get in the Scrap! project by using this pre- and post-test.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Math symbols in grid

Math

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Create a Möbius strip — a three-dimensional object with only one side — to reinforce the concept at recycling.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Whether you call them cootie catchers or fortune tellers, this paper origami activity can teach your students about recycling and energy conservation through fun and games.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Leaf with circle arrows around it

Energy Conservation

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Pencil writing

Writing

Let’s have some fun mixing recycling, energy conservation, parts of speech, and your students’ imaginations. The wackier the better—the stories come out funnier that way.

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Scroll and feather quill

History

Math symbols in grid

Math

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Schedule a 20-minute Skype session to learn all about scrapping in World War II. Get ready to calculate how much recycled material was collected to make critical supplies for the war effort.

 

Register for Skype

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Palette and paintbrush

Art

Scroll and feather quill

History

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Students will learn about the role of victory gardens in World War II and plant their own vegetable in a tin can that they’ll scrap themselves!

Download

Preview

Key Themes

Palette and paintbrush

Art

Math symbols in grid

Math

Plastic bottles in basket

Scrapping

Students can save loose change while saving the planet when they make individual water-bottle piggy banks. And why not make a big one for the classroom to save up for a well-earned treat?

Download

Check in to Share Your Progress

Stay in Touch

Share your classroom’s hard work in any of the following ways to receive your class rewards.

Use #GetintheScrap on social platforms.

  • Tell us about you

  • Tell us about your class

Participants across the country

Joined:

Get in the Scrap FAQ

As you complete lessons and activities, track your points using your classroom chart and stickers. Share your progress and prizes for your students will be shipped to your school.

  • Level 1 (25 Points) Get in the Scrap! silicone bracelets
  • Level 2 (50 Points) Get in the Scrap! garden grow stick
  • Level 3 (75 Points) Get in the Scrap! wagon ink pen
  • Level 4 (100 Points) Get in the Scrap! Recycled lanyard and teacher tote bag

This project is specifically designed for upper elementary and middle school students, grades 4-8.

Get in the Scrap! Is a partnership between The National WWII Museum and the Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation Service Learning Program. There is no cost for your class or school to participate.