Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune in: Are all plastics the same?

25 minutes

Find out: Different types of plastic

15 minutes

Take action: Similarities and differences between plastics

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune in: Are all plastics the same?

Step 1. Explain

Stop whatever you were doing, look around and count the number of things you can see that are made of plastic or have plastic in them. Did you check your shoes? What about your clothes? Many fabric types have plastic in them (such as polyester). What about your pen? The switch on the wall? Your drink bottle? That little sticker on your apple?

List these items on the board - how many did you see? Don't forget to check the labels on your clothes, your shoes and schoolbags - many of these items are also made of plastic!

Step 2. Discuss

Now discuss the following with students:

What do you already know about plastic?
What is it made from?
Teacher notes: Plastic can be either 'synthetic' or 'bio-based'. Synthetic plastics are derived from crude oil, natural gas or coal. Bio-based plastics (meaning they come from natural materials) come from renewable products such as carbohydrates, starch, vegetable fats and oils, bacteria and other biological substances. However, the vast majority of plastic in use today is synthetic because of the ease of manufacturing methods involved in processing crude oil. The growing demand for limited oil reserves is driving a need for newer plastics from renewable resources such as waste biomass or animal-waste products from the industry.
What happens to it when we no longer want or need it? Can it be recycled?
Teacher notes: Plastics can be recycled! Some are easier to recycle than others (for example, plastics made from one material compared to single-use plastics that can have multiple layers of different materials, making it harder to reprocess). Correct disposal of products, one they are no longer wanted and needed, is required. Correct disposal ensure there is no pollution and the discarded products can be sorted and recycled into material ready to be reused in other products.
What is good about plastic?
Suggested answer: Plastic is durable, tough, lightweight and long-lasting. It can be moulded into almost any shape and turned into any colour. It is cheap to produce and can be transported all around the world. That is why it is almost everywhere!

Find out: Different types of plastic

Step 1. As a class, read through the Student Worksheet. As you read, take the time to check students' understanding of terms and concepts.

Extend: You may want to start a vocabulary list and invite students to add any new or unclear words to the list. You could then work together to create definitions for these words. This could help to satisfy the literacy requirement for this lesson.

Step 2. As a class, come up with a definition for 'engineered polymers'. You might break down the term in this way:

Engineered: deliberately made rather than happening naturally
Poly: Think about words like polyglot (able to speak many languages) or polygon (a two-dimensional figure that has ‘many’ sides and angles). Students should be able to see the link between 'poly' and 'many'.
Mer: meaning part or segment (you might have to give students this one!)
Therefore, an engineered polymer could be something that has been deliberately constructed from many small parts.

Take action: Similarities and differences between plastics

Step 1. Display the range of plastic items you have collected and invite students to examine the items.

Discuss:

what are some of the differences between the types of plastic?
what are some of the similarities?
can you recognise these types of plastic? Where have you seen them before?
are there any that you are unfamiliar with?
do we think there is any difference in how these plastics are made?

Ensure that all students have the chance to handle the pieces of plastic, and in particular, the plastic pipe. They will need to be familiar with the pipe for the next activity.

Step 2. Independently, students choose a soft plastic, such as a plastic bag or a lolly wrapper and compare this to the plastic pipe.

Using the Venn Diagram template provided, students compare the similarities and differences between the two types of plastic they are investigating. It could be useful for students to start by examining the two types of plastic in terms of how they would describe them. For example, are they:

light or heavy?
hard or soft?
pliable or rigid?
smelly or scent free?
shiny or matt?
smooth or rough?

They should add any descriptive words they come up with to the relevant parts of their Venn diagram.

Some other terms you could suggest to the class include:

durable
robust
lightweight
doesn’t crack or break easily
recyclable

Step 3. Students can share their Venn diagrams with a classmate. Did they get the same results?

Reflection

Direct student attention to the plastic examples you brought to the lesson. Focus on the plastic pipe.

Now discuss:

why do you think this type of plastic has been chosen to make pipes?
are there any other types of plastic that would work well as a material for a pipe? Explain your reasoning.
what would be the challenges in using the different types of plastics? Explain your reasoning. (Hold up the styrofoam or the soft plastics)
are there any other materials - apart from plastic - that you think could work well as a pipe material? Explain your reasoning.

Differentiation

Some opportunities for differentiation are included throughout this lesson.

What is the Best Type of Plastic for a Pipe?

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