Science Unit Plan - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Level 2
Topic: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Strand: Material World
Curriculum Level: 2
Achievement Objective:
The Nature of Science and its
relationship to Technology:
List of resources and references:
Story: So What’s the Problem With Waste? (included in kit)
Selection of waste and recyclables.
Feely bags (pillow cases) and objects to put in them.
Materials to bury and sticks to mark samples.
Local map.
Material World
L2 AO1: group familiar objects, using
observable physical properties.
L2 AO1: use a variety of methods to
investigate different ideas about the
same object or event.
L2 AO2: investigate and communicate
differences in the properties of similar
types of materials.
Science Concepts
We can sort waste according to its properties.
Recycling codes and practices are based on the
properties of the materials.
Waste made from the same type of material will
have some similar properties.
Developing Scientific Skills and Attitudes
Focusing and Planning:
Information Gathering:
Use their science ideas and
Seek information in books
personal observations to make
and from people when
predictions in the Bury It activity.
investigating during the What
Can I Recycle? Activity.
Diagnostic Assessment:
Activity: Sorting Our Waste Worksheet
Duration:
4 learning experiences
We classify things as waste only when we decide that they are no
longer useful to us.
If we are careful about how we use materials, we can reduce the
amount of waste we produce.
Processing and Interpreting:
With teacher support, use
their findings to suggest an
answer to their questions in
the Bury It activity.
Reporting:
Attitudes:
Share what they did and what
Positive regard for the
they found out in their
environment.
investigations when they create
Reflection on Science in society.
a flyer stating how an item can
Critical-mindedness
be reduced, reused or recycled.
Flexibility
Te Reo Māori me ōna Tikanga
reduce = whakaiti ake
reuse = whakamahi anō
recycle = whakahou
waste = para
wash = horoi
squash = kōpenu
Summative Assessment:
Knowledge LO: Identify products suitable for recycling.
Skill: Reporting
Task: Complete the Sorting Our Waste Worksheet (remind students that composting is
a form of recycling).
Task: Students will pick one item often found in the rubbish bin and create a
poster/flyer to tell others how they can reduce, reuse and recycle that product.
Criteria:
1. Student can correctly identify at least two non organic items suitable for recycling.
2. Student can correctly identify at least four non organic items suitable for recycling.
3. Student can correctly identify more than four non organic items suitable for
recycling.
Criteria:
1. Student can explain the 3R’s.
2. Student can explain how two of the 3R’s can be used for a product.
3. Student can clearly explain how each of the 3R’s can be used for a product.
Learning Outcomes:
Learning Sequence …
The students will …
Introduction: Read ‘So What’s The
Problem With Waste?”
1 Group objects of
waste according to their
observable physical
properties.
2. Describe the physical
properties of a material.
3. Identify products
suitable for recycling.
4. Suggest how one
item can be reduced,
reused or recycled.
1
Discussion Points: What is waste?
Are there other words we can use that
mean the same? How do we decide
something is waste? Do people have
different ideas about what waste is?
Class to create a definition of waste
and record some questions to
investigate.
Introduction: Activity: Feely Bag Game.
Discussion Points: What happens to our waste
when we throw it out? What happens to rubbish
when we bury it? Do the properties of different
objects behave differently when we bury them?
Activity: Bury It (*note this activity requires time
to complete data collection).
3
Introduction: I Have,
Who Has? game.
Discussion Points: If we can’t
reduce or reuse waste, what else
can we do? How can you tell
what can be recycled? How do
you recycle? How can we sort
recycling?
Activity: Where?
Activity: Household Waste
Composition.
Discussion Points: How are the
objects grouped? What are some
words/adjectives we can use to
describe the similarities in each
category of waste?
Define reusing (as being different to recycling).
Students to make suggestions for reusing objects
by looking at specific objects (eg plastic bags, ice
cream container, egg carton etc). Are there some
special properties that make these things reusable?
In small groups students can
choose one group of recycling and
test the physical properties of the
materials (eg hardness, flexibility,
texture etc) and record the results
in a table. Share results.
Brainstorm and record the properties
of the different categories.
Activity: Durable/Disposable.
Activity: What Can I Recycle?
Discussion Points: What properties of a ‘durable’
product make it reusable? How could we make
disposable products reusable? How can we reuse
objects in our classroom?
Assessment Activity: Sorting Our
Waste Worksheet.
People have different ideas about
what waste is.
Waste can be grouped using
observable physical properties.
Class to create measures for reusing in their
classroom.
Many items in a landfill take a long time to
decompose.
The ability to decompose is a property.
Specific properties of a material can make it
reusable.
4
Introduction: Activity: A
Hundred and More.
Discussion Points: Which items decomposed? Why
do you think they have decomposed? Which items
would be better in a landfill? Why? If we use
something once, can we use it again? How can we
use some items of waste over and over again?
Instead of making so much waste,
how could we reduce the waste in the
first place? Select items of waste and
students can suggest ways that it
could be reduced.
Formative Assessment
I will be looking for …
2
Students to negotiate and sort
items of waste for recycling?
Discuss their choices and how
they know it can be recycled.
Class to create measures for
recycling in their class or school.
Recycling is based on codes that
are related to the properties of
the materials.
Discussion Points:
What are the 3R’s?
What do they
encourage us to do?
How have we used
them in our class?
Why is it important to
use the 3R’s? Who
else can we tell about
the 3R’s? How can we
tell them?
Activity: Community
Survey.
Assessment Activity:
Students will pick one
item often found in the
rubbish bin and create
a poster/flyer to tell
others how they can
reduce, reuse and
recycle that product.
Most items can be
reduced, reused or
recycled.
Social Studies Unit Plan - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Level 2
Topic:
Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle
Level:
2
Strand:
Resources and Economic Activity
Duration:
4 learning experiences
Concepts:
Resources
Sustainability
Cooperation
Consumption
Aim: Social Studies education aims to enable students to participate in a changing society as
informed, confident, and responsible citizens.
This unit meets this aim by: teaching the students about their role in looking after the
environment by participating in reducing waste, reusing resources and recycling products.
Settings:
Perspectives:
Essential Learning About New Zealand:
New Zealand
Current Issues
The physical environment of New Zealand and how people
Global
Future
interact with the landscape.
Changing patterns of resource and land use.
Achievement Objectives:
The students will demonstrate knowledge
and understanding of:
Learning Intentions:
Children will demonstrate knowledge when
they:
Resources and Economic Activities
L2 LO1: how and why people work
together to obtain resources.
Identify resources in their everyday life.
Describe how people work together to obtain
resources from waste by reusing and recycling.
Identify reasons why people need to work
together to obtain resources from waste by
reusing and recycling.
Describe how people’s activities can have a
damaging effect on the environment.
Supportive Objective:
Place and Environment
L2 LO1: how people’s activities influence
places and the environment and are
influenced by them.
Process Achievement Objective:
Social Decision Making
Make decisions about possible social
action.
Learning Intentions:
Develop solutions for waste minimisation in
their classroom.
Assessment Activity: Students create some ‘did you know?’
flyers/posters/bookmarks/stickers that identify a resource that people
obtain from reusing or recycling a waste product and explain why it is
important to work together.
Criteria: Identify reasons why people need to work together to obtain
resources from waste.
1. Students can describe reusing and recycling.
2. Students can identify resources that people create from reusing and
recycling.
3. Students can identify resources that people create from reusing and
recycling and they can state at least one reason why it is important to
work together.
Assessment Activity: Students to identify measures for reducing,
reusing and recycling in their classroom.
Criteria: Develop solutions for waste minimisation in their classroom.
1. Student can identify waste minimisation techniques.
2. Student can identify a method for minimising waste in their classroom.
3. Student can identify more than one method for minimising waste in
their classroom.
Resources:
Story: So What’s The Problem With Waste? (included in kit)
Apple and knife
Kerbside Recycling Pamphlet (included in kit)
Poem: Working on Recycling (included in kit)
Beat the Rubbish Blues DVD (available from Environment Southland)
Te Reo Māori me ōna Tikanga
reduce = whakaiti ake
reuse = whakamahi anō
recycle = whakahou
waste = para
resource = rawa
work together/as one = o te mahi ngatahi
Learning Outcomes:
The students will …
1. Identify resources in
their everyday life.
2. Describe how
people’s activities can
have a damaging effect
on the environment.
3. Describe how people
work together to obtain
resources from waste by
reusing and recycling.
4. Identify reasons why
people need to work
together to obtain
resources from waste by
reusing and recycling.
5. Develop solutions for
waste minimisation in
their classroom.
Formative Assessment
I will be looking for …
Learning Sequence … 1
Introduction: Read ‘So What’s
the Problem With Waste?’
2
Introduction: Review ideas and
drawings from previous session.
3
Introduction: Working on
Recycling poem.
Discussion Points: What is
the problem with waste? Why
are we worried about it?
What might happen in the
future if we don’t make some
changes?
Discussion Points: What is a
landfill? What happens at a landfill?
Where is our nearest landfill?
Discussion Points: What was
the second R? When we reuse
an object how are we effecting
our resources and
environment?
Activity: If the Earth Were an
Apple.
Discussion Points: What is a
resource? Where do they
come from? Does everyone
have the same ideas about
what is valuable?
Activity: Everything Comes
From the Earth …But Where?
Do examples as a class and
students pick one item of
waste and draw pictures of
where it comes from.
Resources are limited.
Everything comes from a
natural resource at some
point.
Activity: The Route of Rubbish.
Research effects of landfills on the
environment.
Activity: Other Ways to Handle
Waste.
Discussion Points: What was the
first of the 3R’s? What is the best
way to minimise waste? How can
we minimise waste in the
classroom? When we reduce the
amount of waste we have, how are
we helping our environment?
Students to develop measures for
reducing waste in the classroom.
Landfills can leach harmful toxins
into the surrounding environment.
There are alternatives to using
landfills.
Reducing waste is the best waste
minimisation strategy.
Activity: A Hundred and More.
Students to develop measures
for reusing waste in the
classroom.
Activity: What Can I Recycle?
Discussion Points: If we can’t
reduce or reuse, what can we
do? How does recycling help
to create resources? How can
we recycle in our classroom
and school?
Students to develop measures
for reducing waste in the
classroom.
Reusing waste products is an
important method of waste
minimisation.
Everyday objects can be
reused.
4
Introduction: Activity: I Spy.
Discussion Points: How do people help
to minimise waste? What are some of
the resources people get from waste?
How do people help to create resources
from waste?
Activity: How Does It Work?
Discussion Points: What are the 3R’s?
What do they help us do? What will
happen if no one uses the 3R’s? What
might happen if some people use the
3R’s? What will happen if everyone
used the 3R’s? Why do people work
together to create resources from
waste?
Create some ‘did you know?’
flyers/posters/bookmarks/stickers that
identify a resource that people obtain
from reusing or recycling a waste
product and explain why it is an
important to work together.
It is important for people to work
together using the 3 R’s in order to
reduce waste in landfills and preserve
natural resources.
Recycling is a process that involves
people.