Graph it Like You Mean it

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• critical thinking
• communication
• community engagement
• digital literacy
• ethical understanding
• initiative
• global citizenship

UN SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 

• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description:

Year 9, Mathematics

Students learn to:

• choose appropriate forms of display or visualisation for a given type of data, justify selections, and interpret displays in a given context (AC9M9ST04).

Relevant parts of Year 9 achievement standards: They compare and analyse the distributions of multiple numerical data sets, choose representations, describe features of these data sets using summary statistics and the shape of distributions, and consider the effect of outliers. Students explain how sampling techniques and representation can be used to support or question conclusions or to promote a point of view. 

NSW Syllabus outcomes:

A student:

• compares and analyses datasets using summary statistics and graphical representations (MA5-DAT-C-01).

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Digital Literacy, Ethical Understanding, Literacy, Numeracy

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion and support students in creating graphs and interpreting data.

• Device capable of displaying visual material
• Individual student devices
• Student Worksheet
• Visual Explainer

After completing this lesson plan, your school may like to take part in a Clean Up, which can take place on Schools Clean Up Day or any day that suits your school. As part of the Clean Up, asking your class to complete the Litter Report, which is included in your kit materials, will contribute greatly to Clean Up Australia’s data collection efforts. You’ll be joining thousands of amazing teachers in making a difference and creating positive environmental change. For more information on how you can get involved, download The Clean Up Australia Educator's Guide here. 

Students, Schools and Eco-Anxiety: Teaching and Learning for Eco-Optimism 

Quick Summary: This course unpacks global findings, focusing on eco-anxiety and how to tackle it. You’ll explore practical strategies and real-world examples that shift students from eco-anxiety to action.

It pairs perfectly with our lesson on waste and data, equipping you to help students turn concern into confidence and stats into change.