Teaching sequence

Step 1

What is the problem to be solved?

Get your students to record on their Student Worksheet the answers to the following question.

Why do we want to control litter?
Why is litter a problem at our school?

Teachers may like to make sure that the student uses the following words: waste (any material no longer needed for its original purpose), litter (waste that has escaped into the environment) and rubbish (waste that must be disposed of and has not been used for recycling, compost or reused).

Discuss with your students some of the common causes of litter in schools. Students may wish to change the list or add to it to better reflect the situation in their school. Six examples of how litter is caused:

Rubbish or recycling falls out of bin because it is full
Rubbish or recycling is blown out of bin because there is no lid or the lid is not on
Animals such as birds or cats have pulled rubbish, recycling or compost materials out of their bins
Rubbish, recycling or compost bins have fallen over
Waste has missed the bin when someone has tried to place it there
Waste has been dropped or placed where it becomes litter.

Step 2

Investigating litter in our school

Students will need a scaled map of the school and plot the location of all external bins. (If the map does not have a scale, students can work out their own scale using a large tape measure or measuring wheel.) They may get a good aerial view of their school using Google Maps.

Divide the class into groups.
Give each group a map.
Allocate to each group an outdoor area to record the location and type of bin. Examples of bin types are rubbish, recycling or compost (for compost, schools often provide a bucket).
After students have returned to class, having recorded the information as locations on their map, all the information is collated onto a single map.

Each group will need a large tape measure (20 metres) or a measuring wheel. Before each group goes to their set of bins do a demonstration of how to mark out a grid. You will need a tape measure and something solid to mark the corner of each five by five metre square (25m²). Any solid object would do, including sports drink bottles filled with water and with their lids on. Check to see if your school does not mind if students use chalk to make a cross on solid surfaces.

In this activity students will use a grid of five by five square metres (25m²). The bin or group of bins will need to be as close to the middle of one of the square grids. (This will not be possible if the bin is against a wall.) The first square is measured around the bin or groups of bins. At each corner a marker is placed. Students then mark out the next set of five metre squares which will be eight in all if no buildings come in the way. Students at this point may not be have time to do many more. They should mark out a few more in the direction where there is the most student activity.

Students count the amount of litter in each 25m². If they have time they go out further and count more litter, each time using five by five metre square (25m²) grids.Students will need to design a map of the location they will collect data from, drawing their five by five metre grids. They will need to have their bin or group of bins as close to the centre of a square as possible, depending on where the bins are located.

Step 3

Collecting our data

Students gather their equipment, including tape measures or trundle wheels, markers and their five by five metre square grid map.

Students take notes about any issues they have seen with the bins e.g. bins fallen over, bins over flowing, no lid on the bin, birds seen pulling rubbish out of bins.

Students set out their grids. They use their five by five metre grids on their map to record their litter count. They take note of where litter has blown up against walls and how much of the litter for that grid was against the walls.

Step 4

What does it mean?

Students compare their data with each other.

Is there a concentration of litter around the bins?
Is the litter evenly distributed?
Is there more litter further away from the bins?
Is it impossible to tell because the wind has blown most of the litter against the walls?

Discuss what the students' findings might mean. First look at the possible causes for litter.

Examples:

If the litter is evenly spread, then the cause will be some students dropping litter no matter what the conditions are.
If there is more litter some distance from the bins, the bins may not be in the best locations.
If there is a high concentration of litter around the bin, then it is likely there is an issue that involves the bins.

Step 5

Time to put the record straight

Student use the information they have gathered and analysed to inform the school community about the issue of litter in their school. To do so, utilise the form of internal school communication that students routinely use. From their analyses, students should try and provide solutions for the rest of the school.

Step 6

Reflection

Students suggest how they should respond the next time a teacher asks them to pick up litter.

Teacher reflection

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

These Planet Ark resources were developed by Cool.org with funding from the Alcoa Foundation.

National Recycling Week - Is That Rubbish?

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