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1
Brief
Preparation time: min
Teaching time: 2 × 60 min

What sort of waste is in the local area?

To understand the concept of by-products, students will send out interview questions to local businesses via email (e.g. cafes, fast food, corner shop, laundrettes, etc). Students will use questionnaires to record the types, quantities and management of the waste produced in these businesses, giving them a broader context before looking at waste in their immediate environment (school).

Format

  • Digital experiences
  • Discussion
  • Group work
  • Survey

Age

  • 13-14

What

The possible connections with your curriculum

  • Citizenship
  • Earth & Space Sciences
  • Life Sciences

Who

The people who take up the teacher role

  • Expert
  • Teacher

Where

The locations where learning takes place

  • Digital space

With

The community stakeholders to collaborate with

  • Local businesses

Ready for action?

Resources

Tangible Resources

Pen, paper, access to phone/computer/email to send questions to local businesses

Goals, messages & concepts

Specific goals

  • To understand what counts as ‘waste’.
  • To develop an awareness of how much waste is in the local community.

Specific messages

  • All types of businesses produce waste.
  • Lots of things can be considered as ‘waste’.

Main terms

  • waste
  • questionnaire
  • interview

Practices & skills

STEM practices

  • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
  • Asking questions and defining problems

Soft skills

  • Teamwork and collaboration

Management skills

  • Planning
  • Use of resources

Course of activity

Lesson 1

  1. Talk to class about waste and explain the activity to understand the concept of by-products, students will send out interview questions to local businesses via email (e.g. cafes, fast food, corner shop, laundrettes, etc).
  2. Put students into groups and get them to assign roles:
    • Someone to design the questionnaire
    • Someone to write emails
    • Someone to write letters
  3. Ask students to email/phone/write letters to local businesses explaining what the project is and requesting they complete a questionnaire or arrange a Zoom (video call) interview.

Lesson 2

  1. Students will conduct any Zoom interviews they have arranged.
  2. Each group will collate their data and share their key findings concerning the types, quantities and management of the waste produced in these businesses.