Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune in: What is the circular economy?

30 minutes

Find out: Investigate the reasons why plastic pipes can be part of the circular economy

40 minutes

Take action: Communicate your findings about pipes

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune in: What is the circular economy?

Step 1. Option: Where students haven't completed this lesson, work through the following presentation: About the Linear Economy and Circular Economy - Presentation

Step 2. Work in pairs to respond to the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What is a linear economy? Use the example of paper to demonstrate the stages of the linear economy (how does paper fit with the stages of take, Make, Use, Dispose, and Waste?).
Why is it important to shift to a circular economy? Use the example of paper to demonstrate the benefits of moving to a circular economy.

Once complete, invite students to share their thoughts with the class. You can use this information to clarify student understandings.

Step 3. Now explain the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

In Australia, our population is set to reach 40 million by 2059 (source). This means significant growth in infrastructure, residential and commercial projects within the building industry, and critical infrastructure to deliver water to drink and to help grow our food.
An important product used in these projects is pipes. However, you wouldn’t think about them or the essential role they play because most of them are hidden under the ground or behind walls, and therefore, you don’t even realise they are there. Today the vast majority of pipes installed are made of plastic, and there are several reasons for this.
Plastic pipes have many uses; they deliver safe drinking water, gas and electricity to our homes and communities, protect the wires and cables that deliver internet services, are used in irrigation systems essential for growing food and carry away sewerage, rainwater and stormwater, protecting our community. And because we require pipes to have a long service life (over 100 years), they need to be durable, safe, have exceptional chemical resistance, be recyclable and easy to handle and install.

Step 4. Share the following images (also available in this presentation and on the Student Worksheet):

Using these images as inspiration, invite students to work in pairs to respond to the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Why do you think it is important for plastic pipes or any product to fit the circular economy framework?
What impact would it have on the environment if you didn’t use plastic pipes?

Find out: Investigate the reasons why plastic pipes can be part of the circular economy

Step 1. Break the class into 3 groups (or a number of groups divisible by 3). Assign each group with a number from 1 to 3. Assign groups with one of the following questions based on their group number (questions also available on the Student Worksheet). Students will need to research the answers to these questions using the resources provided on the Student Worksheet. Suggested answers are provided below:

Question 1. Why are plastic pipes different from single-use plastic?

Suggested resource: PIPA – Long Life Not Single-Use

Suggested answers:

Critical for infrastructure and are designed to last - Plastic pipes are durable and have a very long service life, typically more than 100 years – making them the perfect choice for building and infrastructure materials.
Today, plastic pipes are still in their first life cycle.
Minimal waste ends up in landfill.
100% recyclable

Question 2. What are thermoplastic pipes?

Suggested resource: PIPA - Are made from materials that are engineered to be robust, reliable and recyclable

Suggested answers:

The vast majority of plastic pipes are made from a single material and therefore are easier to recycle compared to other materials.
There are three types of thermoplastic material - what are they?
How is this plastic different to packaging? Multiple layers.

Question 3. What would happen if we couldn’t use plastic pipes?

Suggested resource: PIPA - Heavier environmental impact if we couldn’t use plastic pipes

Suggested answers:

We would need more energy to produce alternative materials so more CO₂ emissions and more energy for transportation due to the higher weight of alternatives, resulting in increased CO₂ emissions.
Many irrigation systems would not be viable without plastic pipes and hence water efficiency would be reduced. Therefore, more water would be required to produce food, reducing river water flow which would impact the natural environment and wildlife.
Plastic pipes perform best regarding failure rates and leakage. An increase in failures and leakage in water supply systems leads to the wastage of water. An increase in failures or leakages in sewer systems would lead to environmental pollution.

Differentiation: Groups that finish quickly could answer more than one question. In addition, students who require extension could answer their questions in full sentences. This could help to satisfy the literacy component of this lesson.

Step 2. Each group should share their answers with the class. Where you have more than three groups, groups can form larger groups where students from groups 1, 2 and 3 are represented.

The aim here is to understand the sustainability of plastic pipes and how they fit into the circular economy.

Take action: Communicate your findings about pipes

Working independently, students will now create a representation of a world where pipes weren’t sustainable and didn’t fit into the circular economy.

They might produce a short piece of creative, descriptive writing, an artwork, or they could use any other medium they prefer to work in.

To further prompt thinking, students should consider:

What if pipes were made from single-use plastics?
Where would pipes go once they are removed from the ground (think about the model of the circular economy from earlier)? How would this process be managed?
What would be the economic and social impacts?
Would plastic pipes potentially be replaced with a different material, such as steel, bamboo or paper?
If pipes were made from different products, how would this affect their performance? How would this impact the wider environment in the sourcing and manufacturing of this material?

Differentiation: You could adjust the number of questions students are required to consider in the piece they produce, or they could work in pairs or small groups to complete the task.

Reflection

Invite students to share their work and discuss their thinking in groups or with a friend using the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

How was the information in this lesson connected to what I already knew?
How did this information in this lesson extend my thinking?
What do I still find challenging about what we looked at in this lesson? What questions do I still have?

Differentiation

We trust that teachers are the best equipped to know how to cater to the diversity in their classes. At Cool Australia, we incorporate a variety of differentiation strategies into each lesson. Firstly, each lesson in this unit appeals to an array of different learning preferences. Learning activities can be completed in a number of different ways - if a student feels more comfortable speaking rather than writing, there are opportunities to accommodate this. In lessons that feature group work or learning stations, we trust that teachers will use their discretion in knowing how to best organise their students in accordance to positive working relationships and ability. Graphic organisers and scaffolds are often included so students can ‘visually think’ and keep a record of their work. While our lessons are designed to be 55 - 60 minutes in length, we trust that teachers will manipulate lesson and segment times according to the needs of their students.

What is a Sustainable Pipe?

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

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