This resource was produced by the South Australian government to support teachers of English as a Second Language. It contains a variety of activities that might be suitable for selective use throughout the primary school years.
Recycle right
Science
Merri-bek City Council resources
This resource is one sample from a larger collection on the Merri-bek City Council website. Some of the resources may be specific to that locality but they might provide inspiration for activities in your own locality.
EfS Resources and the Australian Curriculum
This 2 page document has useful material about links between Education for Sustainability (EfS) and the Australian Curriculum. It highlights ways in which EfS can encourage students to think like geographers, scientists, and mathematicians. Image ©123RF
Awesome activity books
The web page has links from which the three activity books (2017, 2020, and 2022), each with a variety of single page activities, can be downloaded. There are also links to other resources for STEM learning and teaching. The 2022 book is focused on conservation and sustainability.
Glass sorting
Glass is an extremely durable material, though fragile, and can be recycled many times. Recycling glass requires far less energy than manufacturing it from raw materials, saving both cost and environmental damage. The PowerPoint file presents information about recycling glass, including a video linked from YouTube, and challenges students to sort glass from mixed waste as would be required for recycling.
Weigh your waste
This activity is designed to be completed in class over a period of a week or a little more. It requires students to collect, weigh, record, and analyse the waste they produce during the week. It will help them to realise how much waste is generated and to recognise the differences between general waste, recycled products, and reusable materials. There are questions to help with their thinking about the issues.
Advanced manufacturing and glass
This presentation addresses how braiding fibres can increase strength with a video demonstration of a braider that can handle up to 144 strands. There are questions for students to answer.
Small materials recovery
Separating materials in a materials recovery facility requires a lot of work. Can you imagine how hard robots or machines have to work to do that job with tonnes and tonnes of waste material? This experiment will give you some idea.
Glass challenge
This presentation is designed to engage students in investigating the nature and some history of glass from ancient times to current types and applications.
