Activity Introduction
Quick summary: Students will plan and participate in Schools Clean Up Day. In groups they will choose a site within the school or local community and make the necessary arrangements for the clean up. Students will collect data on what they find during the clean up and from this data they will determine some possible sources and solutions to their schools rubbish problem.
Alternatively, you may want to organise Schools Clean Up Day yourself and then get students to complete an analysis of the results.
Following this lesson plan is an ideal way for your school to take part in Schools Clean Up Day. You’ll be joining thousands of amazing teachers in making a difference and creating positive environmental change.
Learning goals:
- Students understand the impacts of litter.
- Students take responsibility for litter in their school community.
- Students will think of new ways to do things.
General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.3, OI.8.
Australian Curriculum content description: This lesson can be aligned with a variety of learning areas and year levels.
Time required: Start planning two weeks before Clean Up Day.
Resources required: Gloves and tongs for collecting waste, internet access, printed Student Worksheet, printed school maps, Schools_Clean_Up_Day_Groups.
Digital learning opportunities: Use the videos in the Clean Up digital toolbox to engage students.
Homework and extension opportunities: Get the students to research companies that reuse waste. What is happening both nationally and internationally in this area?
Keywords: Clean Up Day, food, packaging, waste, litter, recycle, reuse, reduce, rethink.
Safety: Ask students to review the Class Safety Code for working with litter. Students should wear rubber gloves and/or tongs when collecting and handling litter. For more on safety click here.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.