Capital Press Reading Activity

Another in the series of Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom non-fiction text examples to be used in your classroom. These will be available every Friday morning at 7 a.m. during the school year.

These questions are designed to use in conjunction with a selected article from the Capital Press. To obtain access to an e-edition of Capital Press FREE to educators and students visit http://capitalpress.or.newsmemory.com/nie.php/ For more information about this program and ways to use it in your classroom visit the program webpage. 

Article: From drywall to soil amendment (Page 2)
Printable PDF 

Questions:

1. What is the basis of Urban Gypsum's business?
2. How is this business solving a challenge? 
3. How is the recycling process zero waste? Why is this important?
4. How is this process more efficient than other ways to obtain gypsum?
5. How is this innovative process beneficial to all involved parties? 

Answers: 

1. Urban Gypsum takes drywall from construction sites that contains gypsum and processes it into a four-like powder that can be used for agricultural and industrial uses. 
2. The challenge faced by the construction industry was that drywall was going to landfills and costing companies to dispose of. This takes a product that still has value and recycles it to create a usable product. 
3. Machinery takes the paper backing off the drywall and separates the gypsum. The paper backing is collected and used to make other products like animal bedding and packaging. This is important because it is not going to the landfills and creating an additional revenue stream. 
4. Gypsum is mined in Nevada, Utah and Canada. Normally to obtain gypsum in the Northwest it would need to be transported, adding a significant cost, almost double, according to the article. 
5. Answers will vary. Creating a product for agriculture, keeping drywall out of landfills and creating a business opportunity for this family. 

Archives of past editions are available here. 

We welcome feedback or ideas to make this program as effective as possible! Please direct your questions or suggestions about this program to Jessica Jansen, Executive Director Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom  jessica.jansen@oregonstate.edu.