Waste Matters - Global Education

Waste Matters - Global Education
Publication Date: January, 2013
Type of Resource: Unit of Work

In this series of activities students investigate waste creation and management.

The students investigate this issue through their own experiences and case studies.

They develop key understandings about the pressures on the environment, ecosystems and people’s health that are caused by waste, and explore ways of improving waste management to help build a sustainable future.

There is potential to add to this unit so that it includes science inquiry skills, e.g. by collecting data about waste (i.e., a waste audit), or to investigate and compare decomposition of different materials.

New Australian Curriculum 9 Codes: AC9S4U04 (Year 4)

Additional Information

The unit offers opportunities to develop the following General Capabilities:

  • Literacy
  • Intercultural understanding
  • Personal and social capability
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Ethical behaviour

There is also a strong focus on the Cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability: Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments.

Australian Curriculum:
  • Year 4 > Science Understanding > Chemical Sciences > Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can... > ACSSU074
  • Year 4 > Science as a Human Endeavour > Use and influence of science > Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions > ACSHE062