Activity Introduction
Quick summary: Students will investigate the production and recycling of aluminium using deodorant cans as a context. They will investigate the costs of manufacturing aluminium from raw materials and compare these to recycling figures. Students will identify relationships showing direct proportion and use relevant formulas to calculate values related to aluminium production and carbon emissions.
This activity has been developed in partnership with Visy. For over 70 years Visy has been committed to finding sustainable solutions for Australia’s recyclables and helping to reduce local landfills. Visy collects, receives and sorts paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, steel and aluminium from households, businesses and schools with the purpose of reusing these products in the re-manufacture of new packaging products.
Learning intentions:
- Students will understand the impact of recycling aluminium
- Students will be able to recognise directly proportional quantities
- Students will able to apply direct proportion formulas to solve problems related to the production of aluminium from raw and recycled materials.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 9 Maths
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Solve problems involving direct proportion. Explore the relationship between graphs and equations corresponding to simple rate problems (ACMNA208).
General capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and creative thinking, Ethical understanding.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.8.
Relevant parts of Year 9 Mathematics achievement standards: Students interpret ratio and scale factors in similar figures.
Topic: Recycling, Sustainability.
Unit of work: Visy Education – Secondary Mathematics.
Time required: 70 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – teachers will need to guide students through various parts of this lesson, particularly the introduction, to ensure students understand the background knowledge.
Resources required:
- Student Worksheets (one per student)
- Device capable of projecting images to the class
- Aluminium Factsheet
- Aluminium Recycling Process – Diagram
- Raw Materials Chart
- Empty or full deodorant can (or a few).
- Scales.
Keywords: Recycling, aluminium, aerosol cans, rate, ratio, direct proportion, deodorant cans.
The information and statistics included in this document are approximate and have been simplified for educational/illustrative purposes. They should not be relied upon for any other purpose.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.