Plants and Compost: Let’s Break it Down

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

• critical thinking
• collaboration
• curiosity
• reflection

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description:

Year 1 & 2 - science

Syllabus outcomes:

Year 1 - Science

• identify the basic needs of plants and animals, including air, water, food or shelter, and describe how the places they live meet those needs (AC9S1U01)

Year 2 - Science

• recognise that materials can be changed physically without changing their material composition and explore the effect of different actions on materials including bending, twisting, stretching and breaking into smaller pieces (AC9S2U03)

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability

Relevant parts of Year 1 achievement standards: By the end of Year 1 students identify how living things meet their needs in the places they live.

Relevant parts of Year 2 achievement standards: Students identify ways to change materials without changing their material composition.

UN SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

• Blackboard or whiteboard
• Device to show videos to students
• Optional: a bin of rubbish and a tarp.

These lessons were created in partnership with Planet Ark and Coles.

Coles is a Major Sponsor of Planet Ark's National Recycling Week, which was established in 1996 to encourage Australians across the country to engage in recycling education - improving recycling habits and keeping valuable resources out of landfill. They became involved with Planet Ark's National Recycling Week as a part of its Sustainability Strategy to minimise its environmental footprint.  

The strategy includes two focus areas, Together to Zero and Better Together. Together to Zero sets out ambitions across the key sustainability areas of climate change, waste and hunger. Better Together ensures the wellbeing of employees, suppliers and community and works towards positive social change. Its goal is to support all Australians lead healthier, happier, and more sustainable lives.

Click here to find out more about National Recycling Week and the Schools Recycle Right Challenge. 

Level of teacher scaffolding: high - facilitate discussion and lead activities.