• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Make Your Own Paper Students investigate the papermaking process by trying it themselves. Students are Activity thrilled to find that they can make paper and that their product is practical, as well as beautiful. See the PLT website, www.plt.org, to watch a video of the paper-making 51 process used in this activity. Levels OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES Grades 1-8 Subjects n Students will describe the steps of the paper- n Ask younger students to write the directions Science, Social Studies, making process and identify the elements and for making paper on the piece of recycled paper Language Arts, Visual Arts outputs of the process. that they made. n Concepts Have students use concept mapping, graphics software, or write a script for a n By reducing waste and recy- video that explains the papermaking process. cling materials, individuals and societies can extend the value and utility of resources and can promote environ- mental quality. (2.7) The process begins when trees, grown BACKGROUND Skills especially for papermaking, are harvested Observing, Organizing and transported to a paper mill. At the Information, Comparing and Paper is a simple material. It is essentially mill, large machines strip away bark and Contrasting a mat held together by a fiber’s rough- shred the logs into millions of chips the ness, and can be made from almost any size of breakfast cereal. The wood chips fibrous material such as cotton, hemp, travel on conveyors to gigantic “pulp Higher Order Thinking, Paired/ flax, wood or recycled paper. And yet, this Cooperative Learning, Realia/ cookers,” where chemicals and steam are Hands-on Learning simple product has a tremendous effect added. The mixture is heated and pres- on our lives. Imagine how different your surized, breaking the chips into smaller day would be without paper! and smaller pieces and finally forming a Graphics Software dilute water suspension of wood fibers We use paper for countless things in called pulp. The pulp then passes through Materials our everyday lives, including newsprint, cleaners and screens and sometimes goes Scrap paper torn into 1” x 1” magazines, schoolbooks, photocopies, through a bleaching process that will give (2.5 cm x 2.5 cm) pieces (paper computer printers, envelopes, stamps, it the whiteness needed for the grade of towels, construction paper, and tissue and sanitary products, bags, boxes, toilet paper work well; a large paper being manufactured. Other chemi- bowl; a wooden frame 5” x 7” (13 containers, food packaging, gift wrap, cals such as dyes, pigments, sizings, or cm x 18 cm) or 8” x 10” (20 cm wallpaper, disposable dishes, lamp- resins are sometimes added to provide x 25 cm); nylon or wire screen; shades, and as an art medium. Industrial the paper or paperboard (thick paper for staples; a plastic basin at least uses include gaskets, speaker cones, 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) in capacity, boxes) with the appropriate finish. that is larger than the frame; liquid and gas filters, insulation, and fric- cloth dishtowels (felt, blot- tion devices. The pulp is then pumped through pipes ting paper, or newspaper may to a paper machine where it is sprayed substi tuted, blender; sponge; The process for making paper was strainer; colored paper, pieces of onto a wide, moving wire screen. After colored thread, or dried flowers invented in China in the second cen- the water in the pulp drains through (optional) Variation: scraps of tury A.D., and all paper was made one the holes, a damp mat of wood fibers construction paper, newspaper, sheet at a time until 1798. With the remains; this is the paper. It is picked water, blender, 9” x 14” (23 cm Industrial Revolution and the papermak- x 36 cm) cake pan, 8” x 13” (20 up from the end of the moving belt and cm x 33 cm) piece of window ing machine, papermaking became a dried over steam-heated rollers. screening, two 16” x 16” (41 cm x major industry that pro vides countless 41 cm) pieces of wood products, from books and newspapers to Commercial papermaking affects the packaging and note pads. Some modern Time Considerations environment in several ways. The energy machines can make a sheet of paper 26 Preparation: 30 minutes plus needed for papermaking comes primarily time to gather materials feet (8.8 m) wide and nearly 40 miles (64 from fossil fuels, which are nonrenew- Activity: two 50-minute periods km) long in just one hour! While the tech- able. Burning those fuels can put carbon nology has changed dramatically over dioxide and other pol lutants in the air. Related Activities the centuries, the basic steps are simple Paper Civilization However, for public safety, there are state enough for your students to do in class. and federal guidelines that control emis- Project Learning Tree • PreK–8 Activity Guide 224 © Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. students might use stations so some students can make paper while others do a different activity. For younger students, you might ask a parent or aide to help at sta- tions, or have an activity for the rest of the class while you help small groups make paper. The papermaking process is a wet one, so plan to use a work space that won’t be harmed by moisture. You might want students to wear “wet gear”-an apron or smock, or old clothing. Remove any plastic or staples from the scrap paper, and tear it into small pieces (1-inch or 2.5-cm squares). Soak the paper in hot water in the large con- tainer for at least 30 minutes. Buy or build a wooden frame, which you will prepare for paper making. Tightly staple or tack nylon or wire screening to the frame, making a sions. Most of what you see coming the fibers deteriorate. After repeated “deckle,” which is the surface on which out of the mill’s smokestacks is steam, recycling, the fiber is no longer suitable you will layer the fibers. not pollu tants. Many mills recycle the for papermaking. waste paper they produce, and use wood waste to generate their own Producing recycled paper requires DOING THE ACTIVITY electricity for the process. about 40% less energy than produc- ing non-recycled paper. And making 1. Introduce the activity by asking stu- The wastewater from the paper- recycled paper produces 70% less water dents what they think paper is made of making can cause pollution problems. pollution and much less air pollutants, and how it is made. However, in the United States and such as greenhouse gases, particulates, Canada, the water discharged from and other hazardous pollutants. 2. Fill the blender halfway with mills is tightly monitored and con- warm water, then add a hand- trolled. Traditionally, the pulp-cooking In 2003, the United States, for the first ful of the soaked paper. Blend at process created strong odors, but most time ever, recycled more than 50% of medium speed until you no longer mills now have systems in place to alle- the paper it consumed. This means see pieces of paper, and the pulp viate this issue. that fifty million tons of paper did not has a soupy consistency. You can end up in the waste stream—equiva- blend in a piece of construction Most paper comes from trees, a renew- lent to two hundred and thirty Empire paper for color; or stir in short piec- able resource. Most of the trees used State buildings full each year. In total, es of thread, dried flowers, for paper are managed for that pur- recycling paper reduces the amount of or herbs for texture. pose. In commercial papermaking, solid waste produced in the manufac- more than half of the fiber comes from turing of paper by over 60%. 3. Pour the mixture into the large lumber mill residues and from paper basin and then fill the basin with that has been collected for recycling. warm water, mixing thoroughly until GETTING READY the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Paper is easily recycled, which helps Adding a few ounces of liquid starch reduce waste. However, no matter Decide how you will conduct the will help make the paper firm. how much paper we recycle, new trees activity. If you are short on still will be needed for paper products, materials or adult supervision, you because paper cannot be recycled can demon strate; but, ideally, you indefinitely. Each time paper goes should try to find a way for the stu- through the manufacturing process, dents to partici pate. Middle school Make Your Own Paper © Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. 225 4. Slide the deckle into the basin. Put Variation—Pictures 9. Press firmly on the top board to some pulp onto the screen and, still from Pulp squeeze out moisture. holding the deckle underwater, gently move it back and forth to get an even 1. Collect plenty of construction paper 10. Turn the paper press upside down. layer of fibers on the screen. scraps and sort them by color, tearing Take off the board, then the newspa- them into dime-sized pieces. per, and then, very carefully peel the 5. Lift the deckle out of the mixture, screen away from the paper. This is the keeping it flat. Allow it to drip until 2. Make different colored pulps. For back of your picture. most of the water has drained off. You each color, repeat this process: fill the should have a uniform layer of pulp blender half with paper pieces, and 11. Leave your picture face down on mixture on the deckle. Press the pulp half with water. Blend at medium the newspaper and put it in a warm, gently with your hand to squeeze out speed until smooth.

Load more

  4

Copy Link