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Created byMarcy Hartzler
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The E-Waste Alchemist: Engineering the Sustainable Smartphone

Grade 7Science15 days
★★★★★
5.0 (1 rating)
In this 7th-grade science project, students investigate the complex lifecycle of smartphones, from the geological processes that create rare minerals to the environmental crisis of electronic waste. By performing 'tech autopsies' and mapping global resource distribution, learners explore the transition from natural resources to synthetic materials and the impact of high per-capita consumption on Earth’s systems. The experience culminates in an engineering challenge where students design the 'Phoenix Phone,' a modular prototype that utilizes circular economy principles to ensure 100% recyclability and long-term sustainability.
E-wasteCircular EconomyGeoscienceSustainabilityEngineering DesignMaterial ScienceResource Management
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we redesign the lifecycle of a smartphone—from its geological origins to its disposal—to ensure zero waste and protect Earth’s natural systems?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What are the specific natural resources required to build a smartphone, and how are they transformed into synthetic components?
  • Why are the rare minerals used in electronics distributed unevenly across the globe, and which geological processes caused this?
  • How does the increasing global demand for smartphones and high per-capita consumption affect Earth's ecosystems and resource availability?
  • What are the social and environmental consequences of mining for tech minerals versus the impact of electronic waste (e-waste) in landfills?
  • How can we use our knowledge of material properties to redesign a smartphone so that its components can be easily reclaimed and reused?
  • What would a 'circular economy' for electronics look like, and how does it change our relationship with natural resources?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Identify and map the geological origins of key smartphone minerals (e.g., cobalt, lithium, gold) and explain the specific geoscience processes that caused their uneven global distribution.
  • Trace the lifecycle of a smartphone component from raw natural resource extraction to its synthetic form, describing the physical and chemical changes involved.
  • Analyze data to evaluate how per-capita consumption of electronic devices and the resulting e-waste impact Earth's ecosystems and human societies.
  • Apply engineering design principles to create a smartphone prototype or lifecycle model that utilizes a 'circular economy' approach to ensure 100% recyclability.
  • Construct a formal argument supported by evidence to advocate for sustainable mineral sourcing and waste management practices in the tech industry.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-ESS3-1
Primary
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth\'s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.Reason: This is the core of the geological research phase of the project, where students trace minerals back to their origins and the processes (like plate tectonics or hydrothermal activity) that placed them there.
MS-ESS3-4
Primary
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth\'s systems.Reason: This standard directly aligns with the project\'s focus on the environmental footprint of smartphones and the necessity of moving toward a circular economy due to consumption habits.
MS-PS1-3
Primary
Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.Reason: Students will investigate how raw minerals are transformed into the synthetic materials found in phone screens, batteries, and circuits, and evaluate the societal impact of this process.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (Engineering Design)

MS-ETS1-1
Secondary
Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.Reason: As students redesign the smartphone for recyclability, they must work within the constraints of current technology and the criteria of 'zero waste' and functionality.

Common Core State Standards (ELA/Literacy)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7
Supporting
Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).Reason: Students will need to create models or diagrams showing the lifecycle of their redesigned phone and the global distribution of minerals.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Smartphone Autopsy: Who Killed the Earth?

Students arrive to find the classroom transformed into a 'Forensic Tech Lab' where they must perform a 'medical autopsy' on a 'deceased' smartphone. Using jeweler’s screwdrivers and magnifying glasses, they identify the 'organs' (components) and use a provided 'Chemical DNA' chart to trace those parts back to the raw, jagged minerals and geological processes that created them.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

The Mineral Genealogist: Mapping the Earth's Deep Secrets

In this foundational activity, students act as geological detectives. They will research three critical minerals found in smartphones (e.g., Cobalt, Lithium, and Gold) to discover why they are found in specific locations around the globe. Students will investigate the past and current geoscience processes—such as volcanic activity, tectonic plate movements, or ancient seabed formations—that led to these unevenly distributed 'pockets' of wealth.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Choose three specific minerals used in smartphone production (e.g., Tantalum for capacitors, Lithium for batteries, Neodymium for magnets).
2. Research the top three global locations where these minerals are mined and identify the geological features of those regions (e.g., the Andes Mountains, the African Rift Valley).
3. Investigate the 'why': Write a scientific explanation for each mineral explaining the geoscience process (e.g., 'Lithium is found here because of the evaporation of ancient salt brines in tectonic basins').
4. Plot these locations on a world map, using color-coded pins to represent different minerals and geological processes.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn Interactive Geological Origin Map (digital or physical) featuring 'Mineral Profile Cards' that explain the specific geoscience processes responsible for each deposit.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity directly addresses MS-ESS3-1 by requiring students to provide a scientific explanation for the distribution of minerals based on geological processes like plate tectonics, hydrothermal activity, and sedimentary deposition. It also supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 by integrating technical research with a visual mapping model.
Activity 2

The Synthetic Synthesis: Transmuting Ore into Innovation

Students will trace the 'alchemy' of smartphone components. They will choose one internal component (like the screen or the battery) and document its transformation from raw earth to high-tech synthetic material. This activity highlights the transition from natural resources to synthetic products and the societal impacts (both positive and negative) of this industrial 'transmutation.'

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select one specific smartphone component (e.g., the touch-sensitive screen).
2. Identify the raw natural resources required to make it (e.g., silica sand, potassium ions, aluminum).
3. Outline the industrial processes used to create the synthetic version (e.g., the fusion-draw process for glass or chemical vapor deposition).
4. Research and describe one positive societal impact (e.g., global communication) and one negative societal impact (e.g., toxic byproducts of chemical processing) of creating this material.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Material Metamorphosis' Infographic that illustrates the step-by-step transformation from raw ore to a finished smartphone component.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with MS-PS1-3, as students gather information to describe how synthetic materials (like Gorilla Glass or circuit boards) come from natural resources and impact society. It emphasizes the physical and chemical changes that occur during the manufacturing process.
Activity 3

The Consumption Curve: Predicting the Pulse of the Planet

Students will analyze the 'dark side' of the smartphone lifecycle: consumption and waste. They will investigate data regarding how many smartphones are produced annually and the volume of e-waste generated. Students will explore how our 'upgrade culture' accelerates the depletion of the minerals mapped in Activity 1 and the resulting damage to Earth's systems, such as soil leaching and groundwater contamination from landfills.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Analyze a dataset of global smartphone sales from the last 10 years to calculate the rate of increase in consumption.
2. Research 'E-waste Graveyards' (like Agbogbloshie) to identify how discarded synthetic materials impact local soil and water systems.
3. Calculate your own 'Digital Footprint' by estimating the number of devices in your household and their expected lifespan.
4. Construct a formal argument that links high per-capita consumption to specific environmental consequences, using evidence from your research.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'State of the System' Argumentative Brief that uses data charts and evidence to argue why current consumption patterns are unsustainable for Earth’s systems.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with MS-ESS3-4 by requiring students to construct an argument supported by evidence. They must analyze how the increase in smartphone consumption (per-capita consumption) leads to resource depletion and environmental degradation (impact on Earth's systems).
Activity 4

The Phoenix Phone: Engineering the Infinite Lifecycle

Applying everything they have learned about mineral origins, material synthesis, and environmental impact, students will now play the role of 'E-Waste Alchemists.' They must redesign the smartphone to exist within a 'circular economy.' This means the phone must be designed for easy disassembly, using materials that can be 100% reclaimed and repurposed, effectively 'mining' the old phone to build the new one.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Identify the 'design flaws' in current phones that make them hard to recycle (e.g., industrial glue, non-removable batteries).
2. Define your design criteria: All components must be accessible with standard tools, and all materials must be either biodegradable or infinitely recyclable.
3. Draft a blueprint for your 'Phoenix Phone,' labeling the alternative materials used and how they will be recovered at the end of the phone's life.
4. Construct a physical or digital model showing the 'modular' nature of your design (e.g., components that snap together rather than being glued).
5. Present your 'Circular Lifecycle' to the class, explaining how this design solves the consumption and resource problems identified in previous activities.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 3D 'Exploded View' Prototype (physical model or digital CAD) of a 100% recyclable smartphone, accompanied by a 'Circular Lifecycle Flowchart.'

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity synthesizes MS-ETS1-1 (Engineering Design) with the environmental goals of MS-ESS3-4. Students must define the criteria (100% recyclability) and constraints (maintaining phone function) to create a solution that minimizes human impact on the environment.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

The E-Waste Alchemist: Smartphone Lifecycle & Design Rubric

Category 1

Geological Origins & Geoscience Processes

Focuses on the geological origins of smartphone components and the natural processes that shaped Earth's resource distribution.
Criterion 1

Scientific Explanation of Mineral Distribution

Measures the student's ability to explain the uneven distribution of Earth's minerals through specific geoscience processes (MS-ESS3-1).

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides a sophisticated explanation linking mineral locations to complex geoscience processes (e.g., specific tectonic plate interactions, hydrothermal vents). Maps are precisely plotted with comprehensive mineral profile cards that demonstrate deep geological insight.

Proficient
3 Points

Provides a clear explanation linking mineral locations to geoscience processes (e.g., volcanic activity, sedimentation). Maps are accurately plotted and profile cards explain the 'why' behind the locations.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies mineral locations and mentions geological processes, but the link between the two is inconsistent or lacks detail. Map is mostly accurate but profile cards are incomplete.

Beginning
1 Points

Identifies minerals and locations but fails to explain the geoscience processes involved. Map is inaccurate or missing key information.

Category 2

Synthetic Synthesis & Materials Science

Evaluates the understanding of how raw materials are chemically or physically altered to create high-tech components and the consequences for society.
Criterion 1

Material Transformation & Societal Impact

Measures how well students describe the transformation of raw natural resources into synthetic smartphone components and the resulting societal impacts (MS-PS1-3).

Exemplary
4 Points

Expertly traces the chemical/physical metamorphosis of a component. Analyzes nuanced societal impacts (economic, environmental, and ethical) with high-quality visual representation.

Proficient
3 Points

Clearly traces the industrial process from raw ore to synthetic material. Identifies both positive and negative societal impacts with a well-organized infographic.

Developing
2 Points

Traces some steps of the material transformation but lacks detail on the specific industrial processes. Societal impacts are mentioned but not fully explored.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides a minimal description of material change. Societal impacts are missing or incorrect. Infographic is disorganized.

Category 3

Consumption Patterns & Environmental Impact

Focuses on data analysis and the construction of scientific arguments regarding human impact on the environment.
Criterion 1

Evidence-Based Argumentation on Consumption

Assesses the ability to use data to argue how per-capita consumption and e-waste impact Earth's systems (MS-ESS3-4).

Exemplary
4 Points

Constructs a compelling, evidence-based argument using complex data analysis (e.g., growth rates, leaching statistics). Links local consumption habits to global environmental degradation with high sophistication.

Proficient
3 Points

Constructs a logical argument supported by data and research. Clearly explains how increasing consumption leads to resource depletion and e-waste issues.

Developing
2 Points

Presents an argument with some data support, but the connection between consumption and environmental impact is weak or generalized.

Beginning
1 Points

Makes claims about consumption without supporting evidence or data analysis. Fails to link consumption to Earth's systems.

Category 4

Engineering Design & The Phoenix Phone

Assesses the application of engineering principles to solve the e-waste crisis through innovative product redesign.
Criterion 1

Circular Economy Engineering Design

Evaluates the design of a smartphone prototype that adheres to circular economy principles, criteria, and constraints (MS-ETS1-1).

Exemplary
4 Points

Redesigns the smartphone with innovative modularity and 100% recyclable material choices. Thoroughly addresses all design constraints while maintaining functionality. The lifecycle flowchart is comprehensive.

Proficient
3 Points

Redesigns the smartphone for easy disassembly and recycling. Effectively addresses criteria and constraints. The prototype and flowchart clearly demonstrate a circular lifecycle.

Developing
2 Points

Proposes a design with some recyclable features, but fails to address key constraints or the 'modular' nature of the solution. The circular economy concept is only partially applied.

Beginning
1 Points

Design lacks recyclability features or fails to function as a smartphone. Criteria and constraints are ignored. The lifecycle remains linear rather than circular.

Category 5

Scientific Modeling & Communication

Focuses on the student's ability to communicate complex scientific data through various visual media and models.
Criterion 1

Integration of Visual & Technical Information

Evaluates the ability to integrate technical and quantitative information into visual models like maps, infographics, and 3D prototypes (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7).

Exemplary
4 Points

Visual models are professional, highly accurate, and seamlessly integrate technical data. Models enhance the viewer's understanding of complex relationships between resources and products.

Proficient
3 Points

Visual models are clear, accurate, and include necessary technical information. Effectively uses diagrams and charts to communicate scientific concepts.

Developing
2 Points

Visual models are present but may contain inaccuracies or be difficult to interpret. Some technical information is missing or poorly integrated.

Beginning
1 Points

Visual models are messy, inaccurate, or fail to include required technical data. Information is presented in a way that is confusing to the reader.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

How did learning about specific geoscience processes (like tectonic plate movements or ancient salt brines) change the way you look at the "hidden" ingredients inside your phone?

Text
Required
Question 2

How confident do you feel in your ability to apply engineering design principles to create products that support a circular economy?

Scale
Required
Question 3

After analyzing the 'Consumption Curve' and e-waste data, which stage of the smartphone lifecycle do you believe is the most urgent for society to redesign?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Mining and Resource Extraction (The Geological Origin)
Manufacturing and Synthetic Processing (The Chemical Transformation)
Consumer Upgrade Habits (Per-Capita Consumption)
Disposal and Landfill Management (The E-Waste Impact)
Question 4

If you were the CEO of a major tech company, what is the first 'circular economy' policy you would implement based on your Phoenix Phone design, and why?

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Optional