Unit 9: Waste Not, Want Not
Outline
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This project was funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
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Unit 9: Waste not, want not
Outline Time allowance: 3 hours Key themes: • How much is thrown away as waste • What recycling is and what can be recycled • The effect of increased consumerism on global health • How we can individually reduce our waste VCAL Unit Level: • Personal Development Foundation 1 • Personal Development Foundation 2 • Personal Development Intermediate • Literacy: Reading and Writing Foundation & Intermediate • Literacy: Oracy Foundation & Intermediate • Numeracy: Foundation & Intermediate
Outline ...........................................................................................................................2 Overview of Learning Activities .....................................................................................2 Session Plan....................................................................................................................3 Learning Outcomes ........................................................................................................4 Resource Requirements.................................................................................................5 Main Learning Objectives ..............................................................................................5
Overview of Learning Activities This unit is designed to assist students to identify the issues associated with waste management. The introductory activity, the “Waste and recycling overview”, enables students to develop an overview of the energy and resources that go into packaging materials, and includes a recycling quiz. The slideshow “Recycling Decisions” provides stimulus material for students to identify and clarify the recycling processes in their municipality. Using a combination of printed materials and practical examples, students identify which materials are recyclable in their area. “Plastics and recycling bingo” is a reading and comprehension activity followed by a short bingo game to sharpen plastic identification skills. In “How long does rubbish last?” students predict the decomposition times of different materials. The video download “The Story of Stuff” is a clever and engaging American production which introduces students to the concept of lifecycle analysis and encourages them to think critically about the effects of the accelerating rate of resource consumption. The concepts are explained in simple terms with the aid of diagrams that are very accessible to students. A worksheet and discussion questions will assist the students to clarify the major ideas. Finally, the activity “4Rs. Where RU?” enables students to assess their own waste management practices and identify short and long term improvement strategies.
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3. Plastics & recycling bingo
Break 4. Team building game
5. How long does rubbish last? 6. The Story of Stuff
7. 4Rs: Where r u?
30 minutes
20 minutes 10 minutes
20 minutes
20 minutes
3:00 hours
30 minutes
2. Recycling decisions
40 minutes
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Have fun Work together Estimate the decomposition times of different materials Describe some of the effects of world consumption patterns on global environmental health Come up with ways to reduce waste
Identify what can be recycled in your area Identify what can not be recycled in your area Identify different types of plastics
Students make estimates of the time taken for different types of rubbish to decompose, and then discover the facts. Clever and engaging documentary outlining the production, distribution and consumption of goods and waste generated. Introduces a global perspective on material consumption and the impact on global environmental health. Survey to assess current individual waste management practices, followed by a discussion to identify areas of personal improvement.
Groups are given a set of cards with pictures of different types of rubbish. They need to divide them up into things which can and can’t be recycled. A reading and comprehensions activity to identify different types of plastics followed by a bingo game where students practice their skills. Any team building game
Date: Start time: 9.00am Finish time: 12.00pm Time allowance: 3.00hrs Key themes: • How much is thrown away as waste • What recycling is and what can be recycled • The effect of increased consumerism on global health • How we can individually reduce our waste SS = slide show WS = student worksheet HO = student handout AG = teacher’s activity guide Time Topic Learning Outcomes Activity brief description (As a result of this unit, students should be able to…) 10 minutes 1. Waste and recycling • Describe factual Individuals undertake a true or false survey to discover some of overview the facts about waste information about current waste practices
Unit 9: Waste Not, Want Not
Session Plan
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AG/WS: ‘4Rs: Where r u?’
AG/WS: Plastics & recycling bingo HO: Clean Up Australia Plastics (to be downloaded) Team games book or internet resource AG: How long does rubbish last? AG/WS: The Story of Stuff Video download “The Story of Stuff”
AG/WS: Waste and recycling overview SS: Waste and recycling overview Computer & data projector AG: Recycling decisions SS: Recycling decisions Computer & data projector
Resources
Learning Outcomes PD F1‐2 = Personal Development ‐ Foundation Unit 1 Outcome 2 RW3 = Reading and Writing Outcome 3; O= Oracy; N = Numeracy Session/Activity Learning Outcomes VCAL Learning Outcomes (As a result of this (foundation level listed only – for intermediate see the learning unit, students should outcomes matrix) be able to…) 1. Waste and • Describe factual PD F1‐3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established goal recycling information overview about current waste practices 2. Recycling PD F1‐2: Solve problems specific to an established goal • Identify what decisions PD F1‐3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established goal can be recycled PD F1‐4: Demonstrate skills specific to an established goal. in their area PD F1‐5: Demonstrate teamwork skills • Identify what RW6: Reading for practical purposes can not be recycled in their RW7: Reading for knowledge 02: Oracy for knowledge area 04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving 3. Plastics and • Identify different PD F1‐2: Solve problems specific to an established goal recycling PD F1‐3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established goal types of plastics bingo PD F1‐4: Demonstrate skills specific to an established goal RW3: Writing for knowledge RW6: Reading for practical purposes RW7: Reading for knowledge 02: Oracy for knowledge 04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving N6: Numeracy for interpreting society – numerical information 5. How PD F1‐2: Solve problems specific to an established goal • estimating the long PD F1‐3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established goal decomposition does times of different RW3: Writing for knowledge rubbish RW6: Reading for practical purposes materials last? RW7: Reading for knowledge 02: Oracy for knowledge 04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving N6: Numeracy for interpreting society – numerical information 6. The • Describe some of PD F1‐3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established goal Story RW3: Writing for knowledge the effects of of Stuff RW4: Writing for public debate world RW6: Reading for practical purposes consumption patterns on global RW7: Reading for knowledge 02: Oracy for knowledge environmental 04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving health 7. 4Rs: PD F1‐3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established goal • Come up with Where RW3: Writing for knowledge ways to reduce R U? RW6: Reading for practical purposes waste RW7: Reading for knowledge 02. Oracy for knowledge 04. Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving N6: Numeracy for interpreting society – data
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Resource Requirements Facilities and Equipment Computer & data projector
Unit Materials 1. Activity Guide: Waste and recycling overview Slideshow: Waste and Recycling overview 2. Activity Guide: Recycling decisions Slideshow: Recycling decisions 3. Activity Guide: Plastics and recycling bingo Handout: Clean Up Australia plastics fact sheet (available from www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/cua_plastic_recycling_fact_sheet.pdf) Worksheet: Plastics Worksheet: Recycling bingo 5. Activity Guide: How long does rubbish last? 6. Activity Guide: The Story of Stuff Worksheet: The Story of Stuff “The Story of Stuff” 20 minute video, available for download from www.storyofstuff.com/downloads.html 7. Activity Guide: ‘4Rs: Where r u?’ Worksheet: ‘4Rs: Where r u?’
Main Learning Objectives • • • • • • • • •
Develop greater awareness and critical thinking about waste disposal Understand how energy and resources are used to create packaging materials Understand the importance of recycling to conserve resources Develop knowledge about local recycling services Develop skills in identifying types of materials, including different types of plastics and their recycling symbols Predict the rate of decomposition of different materials Develop solution‐oriented thinking about waste Understand the global impacts of consumer society Increase waste reduction behaviours: refuse (avoid), reduce, reuse and recycle.
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