Overall Aims/Goals of the Unit

St. Columbas Primary School is forward thinking in the green sense as they have
implemented a school wide nude food initiative, meaning that parents are
encouraged to include no excess packaging and instead use reusable containers within
their childs lunchbox. This has and continues to eliminate rubbish in the playground
and highlights just how important sustainability is to the schools vision and mission.
It is evident that the students of St. Columbas are already heavily invested in how we
care and look after our environment. A whole-school approach where students are
actively involved in practical ways is the most effective way to educate for
sustainability (Kennelly, Taylor & Serow, 2012). In conjunction with the Grade 2
Term 2 Science focus question of Why is it so? under the topic of Chemical Science,
this unit of work was created. It investigates the question, what is the big deal with
recycling? Through a sequence of four lessons, children will understand and be able
to describe the science involved within the recycling process. They will be able to
identify what is recyclable and explain the reasons why. They will learn how everyday
materials can be physically manipulated, changed and combined to serve a new
purpose. They will be capable of discussing the physical properties of recyclable
items in order to compare similarities and differences. Students will seek to grasp the
ethical factors behind the act of recycling, by considering what is right vs. wrong
when it comes to how our actions affect the world around us. At the culmination of
the unit, new understanding will allow the children to compose a personal pledge
towards participating and contributing to recycling more in their own lives, as a way
of demonstrating all that they have learnt in the unit.

Overall structure of the unit:

Session 1 goal: What does recycling mean to me?
Students will understand what bins rubbish should go in.

This lesson introduces the concept of recycling and sustainability to the students.
Students will participate in completing a KWL chart, discussing what they know
about the concept of sustainability, and what they would like to find out over the
course of the unit. Students will be introduced to the three types of bins (general
waste, recyclables, and green waste/compost) and will sort different items of waste
into the corresponding bin. The focus will be on describing and recognising the
physical properties of materials.

Session 2 goal: Process of recycling

Students will create a flow chart of the recycling process.

During this lesson students will start to get a deeper understanding of the actual
process of materials being recycled. Students will be exposed to examples of physical
items to understand how different materials can change in this process. Students will
participate in various activities such as creating a new object out of recyclables and
producing a flow chart on the life of an item (such as a coke can or a milk carton) to
demonstrate effective understanding of the recycling process.

Session 3 goal: Consequences and Actions

Students will reflect upon the negative impact rubbish/ not recycling has on the
environment.
This lesson explores the consequences of students' decisions to recycle or bin their
rubbish. Some local and global environmental impacts of how we use resources and
ways we dispose of them (recycling vs. landfill) can affect our world. The ethical
capability is explicitly addressed during this lesson.

Session 4 goal: Reflecting on previous lessons and why it is important to recycle

Students will write a pledge towards recycling more in the future.

This lesson reflects upon what the students have learnt throughout the unit and how
we can put this new information into action towards a more environmentally-
friendly future. Students will further reflect on why we should recycle and ways they
can recycle more in their lives. They will also engage in making a commitment
towards recycling in the form of writing a pledge.