National Recycling Week - Exploring Australia's New Recycling Labels

Australian Curriculum content descriptions: 

Years 7 & 8 Design and Technology:

• Investigate the ways in which products, services and environments evolve locally, regionally and globally and how competing factors including social, ethical and sustainability considerations are prioritised in the development of technologies and designed solutions for preferred futures (ACTDEK029)
• Analyse ways to produce designed solutions through selecting and combining characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment (ACTDEK034)
• Critique needs or opportunities for designing and investigate, analyse and select from a range of materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to develop design ideas (ACTDEP035)
• Generate, develop, test and communicate design ideas, plans and processes for various audiences using appropriate technical terms and technologies including graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP036)

Years 9 & 10 Design and Technology:

• Critically analyse factors, including social, ethical and sustainability considerations, that impact on designed solutions for global preferred futures and the complex design and production processes involved (ACTDEK040)
• Explain how products, services and environments evolve with consideration of preferred futures and the impact of emerging technologies on design decisions (ACTDEK041)
• Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)
• Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

Syllabus outcomes: T4.1.1,T4.1.2, T4.1.3, T4.2.1, T4.2.2, T4.4.1, T4.6.2, T4.3.1, T4.3.2, T4.5.2, D&T5.1.1, D&T5.2.1, D&T5.3.1, D&T5.3.2, D&T5.4.1, D&T5.5.1

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.8.

Relevant parts of Year 7 & 8 Design and Technologies achievement standards: Students explain factors that influence the design of products, services and environments to meet present and future needs. Students create designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts based on an evaluation of needs or opportunities. They develop criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to judge the suitability of their ideas and designed solutions and processes. They create and adapt design ideas, make considered decisions and communicate to different audiences using appropriate technical terms and a range of technologies and graphical representation techniques.

Relevant parts of Year 9 & 10 Design and Technologies achievement standards: Students explain how people working in design and technologies occupations consider factors that impact on design decisions and the technologies used to produce products, services and environments. Students create designed solutions for one or more of the technologies contexts based on a critical evaluation of needs or opportunities. They establish detailed criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to evaluate their ideas and designed solutions and processes. Students communicate and document projects, including marketing for a range of audiences.

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work National Recycling Week 7 & 8

Time required: 100+ mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – oversee class discussions and lead students in activities

• Student Worksheets – one copy per student

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

• Adaptability
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving

Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week started in 1996 to bring a national focus to the environmental benefits of recycling. This highly regarded annual campaign continues to educate and stimulate behaviour change by promoting kerbside, industrial and community recycling initiative. It also gives people the tools to minimise waste and manage material resources responsibly at home, work and school. In partnership with Planet Ark, we have developed lessons from early learning through to year 10 to help educators bring these important topics into the classroom.

National Recycling Week is held in the second week of November each year but you can recycle all year-round with these lessons which were designed to be used at any time. Click here to find out more about National Recycling Week and the Schools Recycle Right Challenge.