Waste and recycling
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how to use resources more sustainably and reduce waste.
Key learning points
- Waste is often sent to incinerators or landfill sites, which are sources of greenhouse gases.
- Reuse, reduce, recycle is what we can do to minimise waste.
- Sustainable use of resources helps ensure that they are available for future generations.
Keywords
Landfill - the disposal of waste by burying it
Waste incinerator - a furnace that burns waste, often to generate electricity
Recycle - to convert waste material into new products
Sustainable resource - a resource that can be maintained at a certain level for as long as is needed
Common misconception
Recycling is the most effective way reducing the amount of waste we throw away.
Highlight the understanding that reusing and reducing what is used is more effective and that recycling should be seen as a last resort. Repairing and repurposing can also help to reduce waste.
Teacher tip
Task B provides parallels with pupils home lives, although domestic waste is just 14% of total waste (UK Government stats, 2022), and changes made by larger organisations or to laws are more consequential. It may be appropriate to discuss how political activity can be used to help bring these about.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the best description of a natural resource?
Q2.What is a renewable resource?
Q3.Which of these are natural resources?
Q4.Which of these resources are renewable?
Q5.How do we use a resource sustainably?
Q6.Why are different types of waste collected in different bins?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is waste that is buried called?
Q2.Which flammable gas is often given off by decomposing buried waste?
Q3.What type of waste does a waste incinerator burn?
Q4.What is the main greenhouse gas given off when waste is burned?
Q5.Which of these does not reduce the quantity of new materials we need?
Q6.Why is it more sustainable to use a plastic box to keep sandwiches fresh compared to wrapping them in plastic film?
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Waste and recycling, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Waste and recycling, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Climate change and living sustainably unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.