Activity: Clean Up – Bugging The Litterbugs – Lower Primary

Quick summary: Students create a litter campaign. They explore why litter is bad for our environment and identify local sites where they often observe litter. Students create a tagline to convince the community not to litter.

Following this activity is an ideal way for your school to take part in Schools Clean Up Day or a Clean Up on any day of the year. You’ll be joining thousands of amazing teachers and educators in making a difference and creating positive environmental change.

 

Learning intentions:

• Students will understand that litter can negatively impact our environment.
• Students will know how to identify a local litter hot spot, and create a campaign to address the litter at that site.

21st century skills: 

              

Australian curriculum mapping

Content descriptions: 

Foundation HASS:

• The reasons why some places are special to people, and how they can be looked after (ACHASSK017).
• Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI009).

Foundation Science:

• Living things have basic needs, including food and water (ACSSU002).

Year 1 HASS:

• The natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location, how they change and how they can be cared for (ACHASSK031).
• Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI026).

Year 1 Science:

• Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211).

Year 2 HASS:

• Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI042).

Year 2 Science:

• Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (ACSSU031).
• People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035).

Year 3 HASS

• Reflect on learning to propose actions in response to an issue or challenge and consider possible effects of proposed actions (ACHASSI060).

Syllabus outcomes: GEe-1, GEe-2, GE1-1, GE1-3, GE2-4, STe-8NE, ST1-11LW, ST1-12MW.

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking.

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.7, OI.9.

Relevant parts of Foundation HASS achievement standards: Students recognise why some places are special to people. They reflect on their learning to suggest ways they can care for a familiar place.

Relevant parts of Foundation HASS achievement standards: Students suggest how the environment affects them and other living things.

Relevant parts of Year 1 HASS achievement standards: Students describe how places can be cared for and reflect on their learning to suggest ways they can care for places.

Relevant parts of Year 1 Science achievement standards: Students describe changes in their local environment and how different places meet the needs of living things.

Relevant parts of Year 2 HASS achievement standards: Students describe sites of significance in the local community and explain why places are important to people, and reflect on their learning to suggest ways to care for places and sites of significance.

Relevant parts of Year 2 Science achievement standards: Students describe changes to objects, materials and living things.

Relevant parts of Year 3 HASS achievement standards: Students reflect on their learning to suggest individual action in response to an issue or challenge.

Topic: Clean Up, Waste, Recycling.

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work Clean Up Australia – Primary Curriculum.

Time required: 60+ mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – lead class discussions, oversee campaign creation.

Resources required:

• Device capable of presenting a website to the class.
• Reducing Waste Flashcards (optional)
• Materials for the campaign (e.g. poster-making materials, a device with a camera for making a clip)
• Waste Breakdown Rates Factsheet (optional)
• Waste In Nature Flashcards (optional).

Keywords: Clean Up, litter, nature, litterbugs, campaign, community.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.