Teaching Resource
Waste Management Investigation - How Much Waste Do We Throw Away?
A practical investigation related to sustainable waste management.
Use this teaching resource when investigating sustainable waste management practices with your students.
Waste is one of the most significant environmental issues of the 21st century. In this investigation, students collect, measure and record the waste in one of the classroom rubbish bins in their school. After they have analysed their data, the students then design a poster to inform others of the actions they can take to reduce the waste thrown away in their classrooms.
This Geography investigation lends itself well to cross-curricular integration with Numeracy.
Read our blog 45 Sustainable Practices for the Environmentally Friendly Classroom for more tips and ideas for teaching the principles of Sustainability.
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NSW Curriculum alignment
- GE2-3
Examines differing perceptions about the management of places and environments
- GE2-4
Acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry
- HT2-2
Describes and explains how significant individuals, groups and events contributed to changes in the local community over time
- HT2-4
Describes and explains effects of British colonisation in Australia
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACHASSK090
The use and management of natural resources and waste, and the different views on how to do this sustainably
- ACHASSK086
The nature of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and others, for example, the Macassans and the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example, people and environments
- ACHASSI082
Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms
- ACHASSI081
Reflect on learning to propose actions in response to an issue or challenge and consider possible effects of proposed actions
- ACHASSI078
Interpret data and information displayed in different formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns
- ACHASSI073
Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues
- ACHASSI080
Interact with others with respect to share points of view
- ACHASSI075
Record, sort and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions
- ACHASSI079
Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data
- ACHASSI074
Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations

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GeographySustainabilityEnvironmental ImpactRecyclingProjects
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