Where does all our stuff come from?
What is it made of?
Where does it go when we’re done with it?
This Theme focuses on the material cycle and how environmentally conscious citizens and students can identify positive ways to improve and evolve the school’s relationship with materials and waste.
Ideas and Inspiration
Schools can start impactful waste initiatives such as:
- Improving and encouraging school recycling programs
- School-wide composting
- Identify and change littering behaviours
- Audit and change the wastefully packaged products the school buys
- Raise money for the improvement of waste management infrastructure, or use container deposit schemes to raise funds for the school!
Some helpful resource links:
EnviroMentors Landfill Experiment
KAB NSW EnviroMentors walkthrough of the landfill experiment complementing the landfill experiment booklet.
Cool Australia teacher recycling resources
Curriculum materials to incorporate the 5 R’s into the classroom.
Cool Australia student waste resources
A digital library where students find videos and activities suitable for their grade and chosen theme.
EnviroMentors Compost Experiment
An experiment for students to observe how different materials
break down. This is a long-term enquiry; observations should be recorded over a month.
EnviroMentors paper recycling activity
An easy to follow paper recycling activity for all, no special equipment needed.
The resource includes over 20 Australian curriculum-aligned lesson ideas and accompanying activity sheets relating to the topic of waste and recycling. They are written for lower primary and primary students but can easily be modified to suit other year levels.
