Science & Technology
Stage 1
Reducing Waste
Main Ideas
1. Learning Tasks
Setting goals
Identifying aesthetically pleasing environments;
Rainforest; desert; beach; garden…
Evaluate the school environments and identify characteristics that
enhance or spoil that environment. Identify areas that could be
improved. Make a plan for the improvement. Draw a diagram of
your plan. Make a list of the things you or your class can be
responsible for.
2. Learning Tasks
Playing a small part
Reducing litter in our school.
Talk to the canteen about products that have less packaging.
What can we do to reduce packaging that we throw away at lunch
time?
Satisfaction comes from playing a small part.
Decide which actions were effective.
3. Learning Tasks
Rewards for litter control
What are the benefits of litter control?
Pride
Less vandalism
Community feeling
Ask another class to help you with a special project.
Give positive incentives for litter reduction.
4. Learning Tasks
Design & make
Design the perfect litter bin.
What are the different types of bins? What are the needs of the
users (office; canteen…).
Establish criteria:
Won’t tip over
Separate compartments
Easy to empty
Easy to sort rubbish
Draw a bin plan for the school
Are the bins adequate? Are they emptied often enough?
Are there recycle bins?
K-6 SciTech
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
NSW Department of Education and Training
October 2004
Page 1 of 2
Science & Technology
Stage
1
Reducing Waste – Saving Water
Main Ideas
1. Learning Tasks
Managing water resources
How is water supplied?
How is water polluted?
Observe a house or building
to see how rainwater is moved away
how do we take sewer away
what enters stormwater
Identify plumbing hardware in the school: taps; bubblers; toilets &
cisterns; basins; gutters; downpipes; drains; kerbside
gutters…Draw these on a school plan.
Water use in the school
Storm water
Blocked drains
2. Learning Tasks
Locate drains in the school and on the kerbside around the school.
Draw to record the various types and sizes of drains. Draw the
types of gate that covers the drain entrance. List some reasons
that we have grates over drains.
What goes down the drain?
Litter; garden leaves; sticks; dirt; oil; detergent; insecticide;
fertiliser; dog droppings; paint and other chemicals.
3. Learning Tasks
How does litter pollute a water
system?
The Polluted fish tank
Place water and rubbish in the fish tank. Leave and observe the
effect on the water and whether items broke down (sandwich; chip
packet; plastic bag; sticks; fruit; leaves; aluminium can…)
Clean river/dirty river
4. Learning Tasks
List materials that have been seen around a local river (plastic
bags; rubbish; piles of land fill…). Explain how these items affect
the river and stop it functioning properly.
Use natural materials found around the river to make a collage.
One side of the collage is then choked with items that would be
found in the dirty river.
Compare the two scenes. Which is best for wildlife and people?
Water use in the school
Action to conserve water
5. Learning Tasks
What can our class do at school to save water?
What can I do at home to save water?
(Turn off taps; brush teeth with a cup of water; have a clock in
the shower…)
Communicating a saving water message.
Think of 3 ways to communicate a saving water message. Work in
groups and at the end evaluate which way was most effective (
assemble item; video shown at school event, PowerPoint in the
school foyer; posters; class weekly rewards…)
K-6 SciTech
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
NSW Department of Education and Training
October 2004
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