Unit 9:
Waste Not,
Want Not
Outline
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Unit 9: Waste not, want not
Outline
Time allowance: 3 hours
Key themes:
 How much is thrown away as waste
 What recycling is and what can be recycled
 The effect of increased consumerism on global health
 How we can individually reduce our waste
VCAL Unit Level:
 Personal Development Foundation 1
 Personal Development Foundation 2
 Personal Development Intermediate
 Literacy: Reading and Writing Foundation & Intermediate
 Literacy: Oracy Foundation & Intermediate
 Numeracy: Foundation & Intermediate
Outline............................................................................................................................ 2
Overview of Learning Activities ..................................................................................... 2
Session Plan.................................................................................................................... 3
Learning Outcomes ........................................................................................................ 4
Resource Requirements ................................................................................................. 5
Main Learning Objectives .............................................................................................. 5
Overview of Learning Activities
This unit is designed to assist students to identify the issues associated with waste
management. The introductory activity, the “Waste and recycling overview”,
enables students to develop an overview of the energy and resources that go into
packaging materials, and includes a recycling quiz. The slideshow “Recycling
Decisions” provides stimulus material for students to identify and clarify the
recycling processes in their municipality. Using a combination of printed materials
and practical examples, students identify which materials are recyclable in their area.
“Plastics and recycling bingo” is a reading and comprehension activity followed by a
short bingo game to sharpen plastic identification skills. In “How long does rubbish
last?” students predict the decomposition times of different materials.
The video download “The Story of Stuff” is a clever and engaging American
production which introduces students to the concept of lifecycle analysis and
encourages them to think critically about the effects of the accelerating rate of
resource consumption. The concepts are explained in simple terms with the aid of
diagrams that are very accessible to students. A worksheet and discussion questions
will assist the students to clarify the major ideas. Finally, the activity “4Rs. Where
RU?” enables students to assess their own waste management practices and identify
short and long term improvement strategies.
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Session Plan
Date:
Start time: 9.00am
Finish time: 12.00pm
Key themes:
 How much is thrown away as waste
 What recycling is and what can be recycled
 The effect of increased consumerism on global health
 How we can individually reduce our waste
Time allowance: 3.00hrs
AG = teacher’s activity guide
Time
Topic
10 minutes
40 minutes
SS = slide show
WS = student worksheet
HO = student handout
Learning Outcomes
Activity brief description
(As a result of this unit, students
should be able to…)
1. Waste and recycling  Describe factual
Individuals undertake a true or false survey to discover some of
overview
the facts about waste
information about current
waste practices
2. Recycling decisions



30 minutes
3. Plastics & recycling
bingo
20 minutes
10 minutes
Break
4. Team building game
20 minutes
30 minutes
5. How long does
rubbish last?
6. The Story of Stuff

20 minutes
7. 4Rs: Where r u?




Resources
Identify what can be
recycled in your area
Identify what can not be
recycled in your area
Identify different types of
plastics
Groups are given a set of cards with pictures of different types
of rubbish. They need to divide them up into things which can
and can’t be recycled.
AG/WS: Waste and recycling
overview
SS: Waste and recycling overview
Computer & data projector
AG: Recycling decisions
SS: Recycling decisions
Computer & data projector
A reading and comprehensions activity to identify different
types of plastics followed by a bingo game where students
practice their skills.
AG/WS: Plastics & recycling bingo
HO: Clean Up Australia Plastics
(to be downloaded)
Have fun
Work together
Estimate the decomposition
times of different materials
Describe some of the
effects of world
consumption patterns on
global environmental health
Come up with ways to
reduce waste
Any team building game
Team games book or internet
resource
AG: How long does rubbish last?
Students make estimates of the time taken for different types
of rubbish to decompose, and then discover the facts.
Clever and engaging documentary outlining the production,
distribution and consumption of goods and waste generated.
Introduces a global perspective on material consumption and
the impact on global environmental health.
Survey to assess current individual waste management
practices, followed by a discussion to identify areas of personal
improvement.
AG/WS: The Story of Stuff
Video download “The Story of
Stuff”
AG/WS: ‘4Rs: Where r u?’
3:00 hours
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Learning Outcomes
PD F1-2 = Personal Development - Foundation Unit 1 Outcome 2
RW3 = Reading and Writing Outcome 3; O= Oracy; N = Numeracy
Session/Activity
Learning Outcomes
VCAL Learning Outcomes
(As a result of this
(foundation level listed only – for intermediate see the learning
unit, students should outcomes matrix)
be able to…)
1. Waste and
PD F1-3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established
 Describe factual
recycling
goal
information
overview
about current
waste practices
2. Recycling
PD F1-2: Solve problems specific to an established goal
 Identify what
decisions
PD F1-3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established
can be recycled
goal
in their area
PD F1-4: Demonstrate skills specific to an established goal.
 Identify what
PD F1-5: Demonstrate teamwork skills
can not be
recycled in their RW6: Reading for practical purposes
RW7: Reading for knowledge
area
02: Oracy for knowledge
04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving
3. Plastics and
PD F1-2: Solve problems specific to an established goal
 Identify different
recycling
PD F1-3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established
types of plastics
bingo
goal
PD F1-4: Demonstrate skills specific to an established goal
RW3: Writing for knowledge
RW6: Reading for practical purposes
RW7: Reading for knowledge
02: Oracy for knowledge
04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving
N6: Numeracy for interpreting society – numerical information
5. How
PD F1-2: Solve problems specific to an established goal
 estimating the
long
PD F1-3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established
decomposition
does
times of different goal
rubbish
RW3: Writing for knowledge
materials
last?
RW6: Reading for practical purposes
RW7: Reading for knowledge
02: Oracy for knowledge
04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving
N6: Numeracy for interpreting society – numerical information
6. The
PD F1-3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established
 Describe some of
Story of
goal
the effects of
Stuff
RW3: Writing for knowledge
world
RW4: Writing for public debate
consumption
patterns on global RW6: Reading for practical purposes
RW7: Reading for knowledge
environmental
02: Oracy for knowledge
health
04: Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving
7. 4Rs:
PD F1-3: Demonstrate knowledge specific to an established
 Come up with
Where R
goal
ways to reduce
U?
RW3: Writing for knowledge
waste
RW6: Reading for practical purposes
RW7: Reading for knowledge
02. Oracy for knowledge
04. Oracy for exploring issues and problem solving
N6: Numeracy for interpreting society – data
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Resource Requirements
Facilities and Equipment
Computer & data projector
Unit Materials
1.
Activity Guide: Waste and recycling overview
Slideshow: Waste and Recycling overview
2.
Activity Guide: Recycling decisions
Slideshow: Recycling decisions
3.
Activity Guide: Plastics and recycling bingo
Handout: Clean Up Australia plastics fact sheet (available from
www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/cua_plastic_recycling_fact_sheet.pdf)
Worksheet: Plastics
Worksheet: Recycling bingo
5.
Activity Guide: How long does rubbish last?
6.
Activity Guide: The Story of Stuff
Worksheet: The Story of Stuff
“The Story of Stuff” 20 minute video, available for download from
www.storyofstuff.com/downloads.html
7.
Activity Guide: ‘4Rs: Where r u?’
Worksheet: ‘4Rs: Where r u?’
Main Learning Objectives









Develop greater awareness and critical thinking about waste disposal
Understand how energy and resources are used to create packaging
materials
Understand the importance of recycling to conserve resources
Develop knowledge about local recycling services
Develop skills in identifying types of materials, including different types of
plastics and their recycling symbols
Predict the rate of decomposition of different materials
Develop solution-oriented thinking about waste
Understand the global impacts of consumer society
Increase waste reduction behaviours: refuse (avoid), reduce, reuse and
recycle.
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