Teaching Sequence

Step 1

See, Think, Wonder and background discussion

Show students the picture of the flowers in the tin cans. Get them to complete a 'See, Think, Wonder' thinking routine. This routine encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations. It helps stimulate curiosity and sets the stage for inquiry. They can fill in their personal response on the Student Worksheet, or simply complete it as a class discussion.

Next, ask the class what ‘recycling’ is. Have any of the students ever recycled before? Ask them to give examples of what they have recycled within their home or at school. Encourage students to think about new and creative ways in which they can recycle and reuse, for example, make jewellery out of plastics, paper, or pot plants from milk bottles.

Step 2

You could also talk to students about how reusing and recycling are important but that we should also be trying to avoid creating any waste. For example:

In addition to being unsightly, waste can cause big problems for our environment. Take plastic waste for example; when plastic waste enters our oceans it can be mistaken for food by marine mammals and birds. In addition, plastic never truly breaks down (unlike other waste materials – like paper or glass – break down eventually). Plastic just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces. These can enter the marine food chain, which means we end up eating them.

So what can we do about this? The good news is that we can call do something. The Waste Hierarchy can help you understand what to do:

The best thing we can do is to avoid creating waste: this means being careful about the products we buy and choosing those that can be recycled or composted or those whose packaging can be recycled or composted. And then, when you do create some waste, make sure it goes in the bin, or if you can, reuse it before you recycle it. Recycling is great and we want to be able to recycle as much as possible, but it's important to remember that recycling requires the use of energy for processing, remanufacturing and transport. That's why it's great to reuse something as much as you can before recycling it.

Step 3

Let’s recycle and recreate!

Investigate litter in the playground, then divide the class up into small groups and ask them not to separate the rubbish but to keep it in the same bag. Allow 10 minutes for rubbish collection.

Meet again and as a class and separate the rubbish into reusable, recyclable and waste. Note: With the items sorted into the 'waste' pile, you could invite students to think about how these items could be avoided being created in the first place (i.e. is there a more environmentally-friendly alternative available?).

Have groups form again and allocate each group five pieces of reusable waste. Give the group 20 minutes to design and create a new product from their material. Also supply, scissors, glue, paint, string etc. for the group to use communally. Students could make an art piece, pot plants for the garden, a storage facility for keys, a new hat, or another creative piece. Encourage students to be inventive and try to use all the materials that were given to them.

Step 4

Presentation and discussion

Have each group present their new product and encourage a class discussion about what they have created, what is it used for, does it work?

After the group presentations, discuss:

Where in the Waste Hierarchy their product fits
Why the product has saved energy use or space in a landfill?
Do the students think they will continue to recycle?
In what ways can they encourage other students in the school to recycle?

Talk about practical ways in which we can reuse items on a daily basis, for example, milk bottles used as a watering can or to make a bird feeder.

Step 5

Resourceful rubbish

Ask the students to develop a one-minute television commercial to promote their new product. Students could make up a song, dance, poem, or play to advertise their new product and that explains how their product fits in the Waste Hierarchy.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to respond to the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

I used to think...
But now I think...

Extension

Compare - Design a comparative table of the effects of different rubbish items on the environment. Compare, paper, plastic, glass and non-recyclable items. Analyse the results.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Clean Up Australia - Resourceful Rubbish

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