Version: 2019 Amaroo Environmental Education Centre Program Overview G:\Curriculum\Year 4\Watch Your Waste

This program developed by Amaroo Environmental Education Centre implements elements of the Australian Curriculum for

Science and HASS (Geography) as well as the Cross Curriculum Priority: Sustainability.

The program focuses on natural cycling/recycling and human waste management concepts. Students are encouraged to

take responsibility for conserving, reusing and recycling a wide range of products and resources.

The lesson sequence in this overview shows activities to be conducted by the Amaroo teacher/s and suggested activities

which may be conducted by the teacher in the school.

Program activities include:

Investigating the ‘recycling gang’ during a forest walk

Making a recycled, biodegradable pot

Sorting waste material based on the concept of the ‘four Rs’

Paper making

Examining a worm farm and composting systems

Investigating options for hard-to-deal-with items of waste

Content Based Unit

Science - Years 3, 4 and 5

Focus: Living Sustainably

Litterless Lunch—Please discuss with your students before your visit!

Students are encouraged to bring a ‘litterless lunch’ for their Amaroo visit.

The aim is to generate no waste that would need to go to land fill.

Suggested rules:

All waste at the end of the day can be composted. This means…

No plastic or foil wrappers and no disposable containers

Reusable containers are allowed (eg crackers and cheese brought

in a plastic type container that can taken home and reused).

Version: 2019 Amaroo Environmental Education Centre Program Overview G:\Curriculum\Year 4\Watch Your Waste

Teaching Sequence

Topic Lesson Objectives Watch Your Waste Lessons - outline

Pre-engagement or ‘Hook’

[PbC; CTW]

Students will

reflect on problems

associated with

human consumption

and waste

Discuss the idea of a ‘litterless lunch’

Resources:

Cool Australia

Healthy Kids

Waste-Free Lunches

How nature handles ‘waste’

[NE; LLRP; CTW]

Students will:

understand the way members of the

‘recycling gang’ (chiefly invertebrates) go

about returning natural waste to the

environment as a resource that can be

used by other organisms; nothing in nature

is wasted

understand that not all human waste can

be dealt with by the recycling gang

During the forest walk students will

look for evidence of the ‘recycling gang’

at work: invertebrates and other natural

recyclers (ants, termites, beetles,

worms, cockroaches etc.)

examine non-biodegradable waste

in a natural setting

Recycling in human society

[PbC; HoT]

Students will :

consider the idea of human-designed

recycling through discussion,

demonstration and hands-on activity

Students will

discuss recycled paper and connect it

to the use/wastage of forest resources

construct a recycled pot out of

newspaper and plant a seedling

to take home

The lessons in the teaching sequence have been colour coded as follows:

Lessons in these boxes should be taught/facilitated by the class teacher in the school setting

Lessons in these boxes will be taught by the Amaroo teacher as part of your program.

It is suggested that pre/post work may be conducted on these objectives

Lessons for this Science unit have been developed by Amaroo Environmental Education Centre to provide support to teachers in

covering elements of the YR 3, 4 & 5 Science curriculum and the cross-curriculum priorities of sustainability and Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Pedagogical Key: Based on Amaroo EECs Pedagogical Framework

Pedagogy and Place (Learning Beyond the Classroom)

Being in the Natural Environment [NE]; Life Learning in Real Places [LLRP]; Learning by Doing [LbD]

Intellectual Quality

Higher-order thinking [HoT]

Connectedness

Knowledge Integration [KI]; Problem based Curriculum [PbC]; Connectedness to the world [CTW]

Version: 2019 Amaroo Environmental Education Centre Program Overview G:\Curriculum\Year 4\Watch Your Waste

Teaching Sequence

Topic Lesson objectives Watch Your Waste Lessons - outline

Waste in human society—problems and

solutions

[PbC; CTW; KI; LbD; HoT]

Students will:

understand the 4 Rs: reduce, reuse,

recycle, rethink (including refuse)

Students will

examine in detail the meaning of

each of the 4 Rs

work in groups to sort various waste

materials

Paper Recycling

[LbD; PbC]

Students will:

discuss the process of commercial

paper making and recycling

understand that recycling of paper can

be done as a home/hobby activity

Students will

make their own sheet

of recycled paper

Contemporary waste disposal

[PbC; HoT; SC]

Students will:

understand options in their local area for

disposal of difficult items (e.g. batteries,

toothbrushes, motor oil, soft plastics)

Students will:

match and discuss cards showing

‘difficult’ materials and local options

for their disposal

Human use of natural recycling methods

[LLRP; CTW]

Students will:

investigate a worm farm and compost

bins

Students will:

observe and discuss a working

worm farm and various styles of

compost bins

Culmination

[HoT]

Students will:

reflect on the day’s learnings and

activities

Students will:

answer questions in quiz-show style in

groups (‘huddles’) of 3

Suggested Assessment Tasks:

Mix ‘n’ Match Activity (master sheet provided by Amaroo)

Conduct (and present results from) a waste audit at school (see Yr 4 HASS Inquiry and Skills)

List some steps that could be taken to reduce waste at your school. Students could design a poster featuring one or more of these strategies.

Version: 2019 Amaroo Environmental Education Centre Program Overview G:\Curriculum\Year 4\Watch Your Waste

Australian Curriculum References for this program:

Cross Curriculum Priority Link: Sustainability

Organising Idea: Systems OI.1 OI.2 All life forms, including human life, are connected through ecosystems on which

they depend for their well-being and survival. OI.3 Sustainable patterns of living rely on the interdependence of healthy

social, economic and ecological systems. World Views OI.4 World views that recognise the dependence of living things on

healthy ecosystems, and value diversity and social justice are essential for achieving sustainability. Futures OI.6 The sus-

tainability of ecological, social and economic systems is achieved through informed individual and community action that

values local and global equity and fairness across generations into the future. OI.7 Actions for a more sustainable future

reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments OI.8 Designing

action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment of scientific and technological develop-

ments, and balanced judgments based on projected future economic, social and environmental impacts. OI.9 Sustainable

futures result from actions designed to preserve and/or restore the quality and uniqueness of environments.

Cross Curriculum Priority Link: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

OI.2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for Country/Place

throughout all of Australia. OI.3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique belief systems and are spiritually

connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways.

Year 4 Science - Content Descriptions

Science Understanding

Biological Sciences Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive

(ACSSU073 - Scootle )

Chemical sciences Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use (ACSSU074 - Scootle )

Earth and space sciences Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity (ACSSU075 - Scootle )

Science as a Human Endeavour

Use and influence of science Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062 - Scootle )

Year 4 HASS - Content Descriptions

Inquiry and Skills — Evaluating and reflecting Reflect on learning to propose actions in response to an issue or challenge and consider possible effects of proposed actions (ACHASSI081 - Scootle )

Geography The importance of environments, including natural vegetation, to animals and people (ACHASSK088 - Scootle )

The custodial responsibility Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have for Country/Place, and how this influences views about sustainability (ACHASSK089 - Scootle )

The use and management of natural resources and waste, and the different views on how to do this sustainably (ACHASSK090 - Scootle )