Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students investigate the class waste collection system.

Learning goals:

  • Students understand that different types of containers are used in classrooms to collect different types of waste.

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 1 English:

  • Engage in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours, showing interest, and contributing ideas, information and questions (ACELY1656)
  • Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events, ideas and information in texts that they listen to, view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features (ACELY1660)

Year 1 Science: 

  • People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE022)
  • Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways such as oral and written language, drawing and role play (ACSIS029)

Year 2 English:

  • Listen for specific purposes and information, including instructions, and extend students’ own and others’ ideas in discussions (ACELY1666)
  • Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to analyse texts by drawing on growing knowledge of context, language and visual features and print and multimodal text structures (ACELY1670)

Year 2 Science:

  • People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035)
  • Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables (ACSIS040)
  • Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways such as oral and written language, drawing and role play (ACSIS042)

Syllabus Outcomes: ST1-11LW, ST1-9ES, ST1-4WS, EN1-1A, EN1-4A. 

Topic: Solid Waste

Time required: 60 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitates activity, photocopies worksheet.

Resources required: Art materials, student worksheet.

Digital technology opportunities: Digital sharing capabilities.

Homework and extension opportunities: This activity includes opportunities for extension.

Safety: Students follow class safety code.

Keywords: School, waste, waste collection system, bin, recycling.

 

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

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation:

Overarching learning goal: Students investigate the class waste collection system.

Student and classroom organisation:

Step 1. Point out the different containers that are used to collect the different types of waste in the classroom:

  • Paper reuse box or bin
  • Paper recycling box or bin
  • Bottle and can recycling box or bin
  • Food scraps bin or bucket (for composting or chooks)
  • Rubbish bin

(Note you may not have all these containers in your classroom. It doesn’t matter; just point out what you do have in place and what you could have in the future.

Step 2. Write the five headings on the board. Under each heading, work with the students to list the items of waste that could be placed in each container.

Assessment/Reflection

Ask students to draw or write three items of waste that go into each of the bins using the student worksheet.

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Student Worksheet

Draw or write three items of waste that you would find in each of the bins.

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