The 4Rs of Waste

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

• creative thinking
• collaboration
• communication
• social skills

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description: 

Year 3 English

Students learn to: 

• extend topic-specific and technical vocabulary and know that words can have different meanings in different contexts (AC9E3LA10)
• use comprehension strategies when listening and viewing to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features (AC9E3LY05).

Year 4 English

Students learn to:

• expand vocabulary by exploring a range of synonyms and antonyms, using words encountered in a range of sources (AC9E4LA11)
• use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning, to expand topic knowledge and ideas, and evaluate texts (AC9E4LY05).

Relevant parts of Year 3 English achievement standards: Students use language features, including topic-specific vocabulary and/or visual features and voice features. They read, view and comprehend texts, recognising their purpose and audience.

Relevant parts of Year 4 English achievement standards: Students use language features including subjective and objective language, topic-specific vocabulary and literary devices, and/or visual features and features of voice. They read, view and comprehend texts created to inform, influence and/or engage audiences. 

NSW Syllabus outcomes:

A student

• reads and comprehends texts for wide purposes using knowledge of text structures and language, and by monitoring comprehension (EN2-RECOM-01)
• builds knowledge and use of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, and by defining and analysing words (EN2-VOCAB-01).

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy, Personal and Social Capability 

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium - Oversees class discussions and leads students in poster-making tasks and group card games.

UN SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

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

• 4Rs Card Game
• Poster making materials
• Student Worksheet (optional

This unit of lessons is designed for students to build their literacy comprehension skills while exploring the real-world issue of waste. Cool.org thanks our philanthropic funder, Eldon and Anne Foote Trust, through the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, for their generous contributions in creating these resources.

How To Teach Sustainability With Hope

Quick summary: This course will help you teach topics that relate to climate change and the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability.