MMA Cadets Pick up Trash and Environmental Insights

In earth science class, Missouri Military Academy cadets cleaned up Mexico, Missouri, and learned about pollution by researching the litter they collected.

To begin the project, cadets walked the streets and area around campus to pick up trash. With bags filled with garbage, they headed back to the classroom and selected five types of trash to investigate. They then researched what the items were made of, how long they take to decompose and what harm they have on the environment. Next, cadets reflected on their own impact on the planet and how they will use the knowledge they gained from the project. Lastly, they created posters to share their learnings, and some cadets went beyond and made art from their leftover litter. Cadet Damian Moore turned a trash bag into a parachute while cadet Walter Farley constructed a pirate ship out of a bottle.

Earth science instructor Jessica Miller says through this project, she wanted cadets to be aware of the garbage they produce and encounter daily. “Even though we might think that residing in Missouri, we would have zero effect on the pollution in the oceans — that is quite a myth,” Miller says. “The litter around us and the decomposing of said litter creates pollution in many different ways.”

View photos of the cadets' finished posters for this project at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmXbYah6.