Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

45 minutes

Part B: Understanding Cartridge Recycling

5 minutes

Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1

Share the following image with students (also available on the Cartridge Recycling Resource Sheet):

Invite students to look closely at the image and to reflect on what information in this image is new to them and what they already knew.

Step 2

You can then lead students in a discussion about what the image means and how effectively the critical information has been presented and communicated. Consider the following questions in your discussion:

How well has the information been presented and communicated?
What could be improved?
In what ways are these images more effective than a simple flowchart or a number-based graphic organiser?

Part B: Understanding Cartridge Recycling

Step 1

Next, distribute the Cartridge Recycling Resource Sheet to pairs of students and invite them to read the article printed on the sheet.

In addition, each student should find one more article about the recycling of a different product (e.g. phones, plastic bags or batteries) and explore key facts and stats about these items and identify what these items are recycled into. Studens can find their articles from online newspapers (such as ABC News, The Guardian or The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age) or from the Planet Ark website.

Step 2

Once complete, invite students to work in pairs to discuss that they found interesting or important in their articles. Ask them to share what they found and explain how the different products compare.

Step 3

Now distribute one copy of the Cartridge Recycling Student Worksheet to each student and ask students to complete the activities on the page then hand them in for marking.

You could always distribute completed worksheets amongst student for peer assessment.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to respond to the following:

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

Differentiated Learning

Extension activity:

Students requiring extension may like to use the data provided in this lesson to create a complex table that combines at least two of the data sets provided on the Cartridge Recycling Student Worksheet. For a real challenge, have them explore how much of the three data sets they can incorporate into a single table.

Provisions for Learning Support:

Copy the LS - Cartridge Recycling Student Worksheet as a replacement set of activities for students with learning difficulties. NOTE: the LS - Cartridge Recycling Student Worksheet can be used as a replacement for the Cartridge Recycling Resource Sheet as well if desired. Alternatively, students with learning difficulties could work with an adult supervisor to complete the more complex tasks on the Student Worksheet. They may require additional time.

Homework

Students could take inventory of all the printer cartridges used by their family in the past twelve months. This may need to be estimated from memory. They should record the disposal methods used for each cartridge, separating them into individual types if multiple types were used. They should come to the next lesson prepared to share this data with their classmates and make comparisons. They should consider how their family’s behaviour stacks up against national cartridge recycling trends.

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?

National Recycling Week - Working with Data Tables

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