Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goals: Younger students build an understanding of their personal impact at school by looking at the classroom waste sorting system. They collect data about the school’s renewable and non-renewable waste system. Students rethink the concept of waste and take action to reduce their personal impact. Older students build an understanding of their personal impact on the planet by looking at how rubbish enters the marine environment. They make comparisons between areas they know well and the estimated area of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and they rethink their ideas about waste and take action to reduce the impact of their personal attitudes and behaviours on the environment.

Teacher content information: Even with recycling schemes across Australia, we send more and more rubbish to landfill every year. The very words "throw it away" speak of our vague idea that rubbish just disappears. But there is an environmental cost. Everything ends up somewhere and we are all responsible. Throwing stuff away is not just a case of putting it ‘out of sight and out of mind’. Most of the stuff that we throw away takes quite a while to decompose, and some items are actually dangerous to store in landfill.

These activities will get your students thinking about the waste stream that starts in your classroom, from the moment someone decides that something is - or isn't - waste.

Cool Australia presents Waste from Cool Australia

See what other schools are doing by exploring a case study here.

Glossary:

Renewable resource - a natural resource, such as solar energy, water, or wood, that is never used up or that can be replaced by new growth.
Non-renewable resource - a resource that cannot regenerate or be replaced.
Litter - waste that has been allowed to escape into our environment, potentially causing pollution and other problems.
Waste - any material that is no longer needed for its original purpose.
Rubbish - waste that needs to be stored as landfill. It is the material that can’t be recycled, reused or composted.
Green waste - plant-derived material that will decompose.
Recyclable - waste from which useful material can be extracted for reuse or recycling.
Landfill - a site that stores disposed waste material.

More information: Waste Fact Sheet, Waste Infographic, Waste Digital Toolbox

This resources includes different activities for younger and older students.

Student and classroom organisation

Part 1: Tune In – For younger students (Foundation - Year 2)

Preparation: Print one copy of the Which bin does it go in? worksheet for each student.

Step 1.

Point out the different containers that are used to collect different types of waste in the classroom:

Paper reuse container
Paper recycling container
Bottle and can recycling container
Food scraps bin or bucket (for composting or chooks)
Rubbish bin

(Note: You may not have all these containers in your classroom. It doesn’t matter; just point out what you do have in place and what you could have in the future.)

Step 2.

Draw a picture of each waste collecting container in your classroom on the board. Label each with its name. Work with the students to list the items of waste that could be placed in each container. Using the Which bin does it go in? ask students to list three items of waste that go into each of the containers. Students can work independently or in pairs, and can write or draw items of waste.

More connecting lessons: Our Classroom Waste Plan, Cutting Waste in the Classroom

Part 1: Tune In - For older students (Year 3 - Year 6)

Overview: In this activity, the level of assistance given to students will vary according to their ages and abilities. Students can work independently or in pairs, depending on age and ability. Students can cut up the maps of their home state and see how many would fit into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Teachers may like to use prepared cut-outs for this activity.

Preparation: Print one copy of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Worksheet for each student.

Step 1.

Get your students to watch the video The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (http://vimeo.com/11704000). This video introduces students to some important problems caused by rubbish getting into our marine environments and introduces the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Step 2.

Use a 'Think, Pair, Share' routine to get students to estimate the size of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Once they have an answer, ask students to write their estimated figure on the board. Now, write on the board the estimated size of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - researchers estimate it to be between 700,000 and 15,000,000 square kilometres. Ask students to compare their estimates with these figures and discuss their assumptions.

Print a copy of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Worksheet for each students You may need to do a few extra maps of Australia.

Step 3.

Ask students to estimate how long it takes to cover certain distances. Questions you might ask include: Who in the class has been on the longest car journey? What changes in the landscape did you seen on a long journey you have taken? If you were sailing through nothing but rubbish for that same amount of time, how would you feel about what the landscape looked like? What would that make you wonder about our waste management habits?

Step 4.

Discuss with your students why we need to think about waste differently. Highlight the idea that everything we now consider rubbish began its existence as a natural resource. Explain that our Earth has a limited amount of resources. Ask students what 'closing the loop' means. This refers to the continuous lifecycles of resources. Examples of closing the loop include the use of recycled materials instead of raw materials during the manufacturing of new products. Can students apply the concept of ‘closing the loop’ as a possible solution to marine pollution, such as that presented in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

Part 2: Act - Enviroweek Waste Warrior Project Action Planning

The aim of the Waste Warrior Action is to encourage students to explore their day-to-day waste management habits and to encourage others to make better choices. Students will begin to understand that waste footprints can be drastically reduced by simply making better choices about resource use.

There are many different activities that students can elect to undertake. The table below details some activities your students can do. Students will follow a project-based learning style that allows them to develop skills from a range of educational areas.

Table 2: Fun ideas that students can organise during Enviroweek

Waste free lunches	Rubbish free lunches result in reduced litter while encouraging students to eat more natural whole foods. Provide your students with a letter for their parents/guardians that explains the rubbish free lunch and suggested menu items.
No paper waste week	Encourage teachers and students to do double sided printing or avoid printing altogether. Students can use their workbooks rather than printed worksheets. They can also recycle paper for other uses such as composting and mulching.
Plastics-free week	Ban the use of water bottles, straws or other plastic items from use during this week. Students can think about where they use plastic in their day to day lives - such as when they buy things from stores or in food wrappings. Say 'No thanks' to plastic bags.
Waste art gallery	Hold a waste art competition where students make artwork out of litter. Alternatively, students can collect school yard waste and display it as an art installation to demonstrate the type and volume of waste in the local community.
Make the world's biggest recycled paper chain	Raise awareness by making a paper chain with the paper waste from the school. See if it reaches right around the school or classroom. Make sure you use glue rather than staples and then turn your paper chain into worm food.
Hold a Swap Shop	Share your stuff Bring a pre-loved book, toy, uniform or item of clothing and swap it Trade home-grown produce, plants and seedlings
Trade skills, time and space	Share your services SKILLS - Older students mentor young students for toy repair, gardening and reading TIME - Everyone pitches in for a school-yard clean up SPACE - Neighbourhood Early Learning Centres, primary and secondary schools collaborate and share space including gardens, halls, sports facilities and storage places

Planning a Project

Which activity are the students going to do for their Waste Warrior Challenge? Have students help you write a descriptive outline of your plan. Write these stages on the whiteboard and get students involved in a discussion. If they are capable, ask for volunteers to come up and write short notes that address each of these elements of your plan:

Identify the people who will be hearing or seeing the message.
Decide on one clear message that you want to deliver.
Write or create your message.
Present the message to the people you are targeting.

Tips: You may not be able to achieve all the ideas that students come up with. Decide as a class which ones you can implement. Don't forget to document your Enviroweek journey with pictures and videos!

We recommend that students in Foundation and Years 1 & 2 work as a whole class, because the Challenges suggested will affect everyone in the classroom. You should lead them in this activity.

Part 3: Share

Students are to think of one tip to help reduce waste. They create a poster with text and pictures that show how people can help reduce waste. Ensure that the tips they include are related to the actions they take during Enviroweek. When the posters are complete, ask students to take turns to present their work. Display the posters in prominent positions around the school.

Other ways to share

Share what you have done in the school newsletter or the local paper.
Explain your project at a school assembly.
Share what you have done with parents, cleaners, the school council or the school leadership team.

Enviroweek - The Impacts of Waste

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