Activity Introduction
Quick summary: Students make a chart with all the waste the produce in one day. Each student sticks all their waste to a large piece of butchers paper, adding up all their waste at the end of the day.
Learning goals:
- Students understand that we all produce solid waste which has to be collected and sent somewhere (i.e., disposed).
- Students recognise that we all make different types of waste.
- Students recognise that different types of waste go into different bins.
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)
Year 1 Mathematics:
- Represent data with objects and drawings where one object or drawing represents one data value. Describe the displays (ACMSP263)
Year 1 Science:
- Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables (ACSIS027)
- Compare observations with those of others (ACSIS213)
- 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:
- Create short imaginative, informative and persuasive texts using growing knowledge of text structures and language features for familiar and some less familiar audiences, selecting print and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose (ACELY1671)
Year 2 Mathematics:
- Collect, check and classify data (ACMSP049)
- Create displays of data using lists, table and picture graphs and interpret them (ACMSP050)
Year 2 Science:
- People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035)
- Participate in different types of guided investigations to explore and answer questions, such as manipulating materials, testing ideas, and accessing information sources (ACSIS038)
- Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables(ACSIS040)
Syllabus Outcomes: ST1-9ES, ST1-4WS, EN1-2A, MA1‑1WM, MA1‑2WM, MA1‑3WM, MA1-17SP.
Topic: Solid Waste
Time required: Conducted over a full day.
Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate activity.
Resources required: Felt pens, sheet of butcher’s paper, sticky tape.
Digital technology opportunities: Digital sharing capabilities.
Homework and extension opportunities: This activity includes opportunities for extension.
Safety: Students follow usual classroom hygiene routines after handling food.
Keyword: Waste, students, one day.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
