Bag Breakdown

Bag Breakdown

Lesson 6 of 11 in this unit

  • Secondary
  • Year 7 - 8
  • Science
  • Environmental
  • Sustainability
  • ...

Lesson summary

In this activity students conduct a simple experiment to determine the decomposition rates of four types of typical shopping bags: biodegradable plastic, non-biodegradable plastic, reusable shopping bag and paper. Students will test the bags over several months in three conditions: buried underground, in the sun and in water.

Learning intentions:

Students will...

  • learn that the bags that we use to carry all the things that we buy are very convenient, but their inappropriate disposal can have major impacts on the built and natural environment
  • understand that choosing the right bags to carry our things is just as important as choosing the right things in the first place.

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Plan
Student Worksheet

Lesson details

Curriculum mapping

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 7 Science:

  • Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124)
  • Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS125)
  • Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS130)
  • Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS133)

Year 8 Science:

  • Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS139)
  • Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS140)
  • Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS145)
  • Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a problem, including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identify improvements to the method (ACSIS146)
  • Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS148)

Syllabus OutcomesSC4-4WS, SC4-5WS, SC4-6WS, SC4-7WS, SC4-9WS

Resources required

Each group will need the following items:

  • 3 biodegradable plastic shopping bags
  • 3 non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags
  • 3 paper bags
  • 3 reusable plastic or cloth shopping bags
  • 12 short wooden or metal stakes
  • 4 buckets
  • 4 rocks
  • Water shovel
  • Mallet
  • Camera
  • Access to student worksheet

Additional info

This is an original Cool.org lesson. Facts and figures in these lessons may have changed since this lesson was published. We always endeavour to update our resources in a timely manner, but if you see an error or issue in our resources please get in touch with us.

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