The front cover of the Garbage Barge

Garbage Barge Teaching Resources

/in /by

Here Comes the Garbage Barge!

Inspired by the story of the Garbage Barge in 1987 this lesson plan brings recent history to life, with the help of the book “Here Comes The Garbage Barge”.

CAUTION: this lesson may provoke discussion of waste issues!

In 1987 a barge loaded with rubbish made the trip of a lifetime. It travelled all the way from its point of origin on Long Island, New York, USA, down the coast to North Carolina, then southwards and onwards, via Louisiana to Mexico, Belize, Florida. It eventually returned to Long Island after 9 months at sea. A book, named Here Comes the Garbage Barge, written in 2010 by Jonah Winter, conjures up the story. It is illustrated with fascinating pictures, and brought to life in a Youtube video. Follow the story with your class, and find out the differences between fact and fiction in another Youtube video. See both on our Youtube video channel here.

The Garbage Barge lesson PowerPoint

Downloadable lesson plan

Front cover of the book Here Comes the Garbage Barge

Picture of the real garbage barge, a boat of rubbish that travelled the coastline of the eastern USA looking for somewhere to dispose of the rubbish

Close up of the real garbage barge, a boat that travelled the length of the USA to find a disposal site for its rubbish

There are a huge selection of books available that can help teach children about waste, recycling and the environment. Here we list and review some of our favourites.

Book List

Take a look at our other teaching resources too!

3 happy children in green school uniform sat at a table reading leaflets about waste and recycling

Writing Waste Poetry

/in , /by

We have produced some Poetry Resources to help you teach children how to write great poetry about waste. These include some hints and tips from experts, some sample lesson plans for all key stages, printable sheets of poems about waste to use in your classroom and some useful website resources and books. We are looking forward to seeing the poetry that this will help your children create, whether you are in a classroom, at home or in a home school library group.

As part of the Poetry Competition we ran in the Autumn Term in 2019 we created some resources to inspire great poetry writing. These are now available here. Waste Poetry Writing Tips (pdf) Read about our 2020 Waste Poetry Awards Ceremony here and read all our winning poems here.

3 happy children in green school uniform sat at a table reading leaflets about waste and recycling

picture showing screwed up paper and a ring bound notepad

Ideas to help write poetry about waste

It can be easier for children to write poetry if there is a format or story to frame the poem around. Have a look at our ideas below to get some inspiration.

1

Ask a River

Imagine following a piece of plastic litter in a river. What do you see? Where do you go? What kind of litter is it? Who dropped it? Think of some words and phrases that help convey the sights and sounds of the places the river passes. What about the noises the river makes as it moves? Think of some good words for the sounds. Use these to make a poem about the piece of plastic litter travelling down the river into the sea. Watch the poet Valerie Bloom read her poem, I asked the river, for inspiration.

2

Follow a rubbish truck

Imagine you are a cat watching the refuse collectors collect the recycling from everyone’s homes. What sights and sounds would you experience if you joined them on their journey through the streets and lanes of Devon? Read The Patchwork Cat by Nicola Bayley for some ideas.

3

What’s going on inside the EfW plant?

You are an alien and you land next door to the Energy from Waste plant in Exeter. Explain in your report home what is going on.

4

Turtles!

Imagine yourself as a turtle in a sea full of plastic. You are trying to find your lunch. What do you find? Devon based author Jo Earlam wrote Tuamor the Turtle to tell the story of plastic in the oceans to children around the world. This video (filmed in lockdown) shows the author reading her story.

5

Landfill in South America

You are standing on the edge of a landfill site in South America. What is it like? Watch the video for the inspiring story of an orchestra made from junk founded next to a huge landfill site in Paraguay.

Picture of someone pressing down on recycled paper making frame

Papermaking

/in , /by

How To Recycle Your Own PaperPicture of someone pressing down on recycled paper making frame

What better way to learn about the circular nature of recycling than making your own paper from old scraps?

Find out how you can get started with the instructions and videos below!

National Curriculum Links

Teachers can link it to science work on changing materials, to art and design projects, or set up your ‘recycling factory’ during a themed ‘eco’ week.

How to Make Paper


How to Make Seeded Paper


Why not use your hand-made recycled paper for something special. Greetings cards at Christmas or birthday cards throughout the year will be treasured by the recipient while spreading the recycling message to family and friends.

Download teacher and pupil instructions here

Papermaking instructions – child

Papermaking instructions – adult

Pictographic of Linear Economy (represented by a straight line), Recycling Economy (represented by a line with two circles) and Circular economy (represented by a circular line)

Circular Economy Resource Box (KS3/4)

/in , /by

What is a Circular Economy?


A circular economy is a substitute to a linear economy, we can keep using our resources within our system for as long as possible.

  • Reuse as many times before we discard items
  • Then recycle and regenerate products at the end of their life
  • Keeping the energy and resources within our system

Pictographic of Linear Economy (represented by a straight line), Recycling Economy (represented by a line with two circles) and Circular economy (represented by a circular line)

Resource Overview


This resource has been developed to explore how products can be used in a circular way, extend pupils’ understanding of waste issues – including their past, present and future management.

Recycling materials into new products pushes the boundaries of design and innovation, which can be used to inspire children’s own creative projects.

Collaborating with companies based in the South-West indicates local innovation occurring around us every day and possibly within short distances from your schools.

GCSE specifications in design and technology requires students to consider the materials ecological footprint, how emerging technologies consider the environment, as well as environmental, social and economic challenges which influence manufacturing of products. Overall, this resource hopes to widen pupil’s perspective of “waste” being used in product design, in order to secure a sustainable future.

Areas covered are: environment, PSHE, discussion, creative thinking, presentation skills, teamwork, circular economy learning.

Circular Economy Teaching Resources


Resource Box held by two young people



PowerPoint Presentation

Interactive PowerPoint containing information on each material within the resource box, including activities and discussion points.



Quiz Answers

Printable quiz to cement knowledge from the PowerPoint presentation and overall recycling information.




We will be distributing resource boxes to every secondary school in Devon throughout Spring term 2020. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Circular Economy Quiz


Fruit peelings and apple cores in a blue food waste bin lined with newspapers

Zero Waste Lunches

/in , /by

Photo showing a range of foods in lunchboxes and reusable tubs; cutlery in a pot and
Reusable lunchbox with drinks bottle and fruit
Plastic school canteen try being scraped into a bin of food waste
3 smiling children sitting apart in an outdoor covered seat seat eating packed lunches
Fruit peelings and apple cores in a blue food waste bin lined with newspapers

Our Zero Waste Lunch pages will help you audit your waste from lunchtimes at school and help you with actions that will reduce waste. Why not hold a Zero Waste Lunch day or week in school to help draw attention to school waste at lunchtime?

If you have a school kitchen or canteen where food is prepared you could consider starting a food waste composting system like a Ridan or Big Hanna. See our resources about school food waste composting.

Here is a suggested Plan of Action for getting people involved in reducing Food Waste through a Waste Free Lunch campaign at your school.

Celebrating Waste Free Lunches at Newton Poppleford Primary School

  1. Study our Resources about Food Waste.
  2. Do an Assembly about Food Waste and Packaging.
  3. Get kids involved in an Audit of Food Waste and Packaging.
  4. Work out an Action Plan.
  5. Plan some Waste Free Lunches.
  6. Talk to the School Canteen or Kitchen – do they recycle their food waste?
  7. Put all your ideas in a newsletter or letter home to parents (see resources below).
  8. Have a Community Waste Free Lunch after-school event.
  9. Audit the waste again – make it a competition between classes.
  10. Celebrate any success!

The resources here will help you bring learning into the classroom through activities children can complete before, during and after a waste audit of lunchtime waste in school.

Build a better lunch box – Lesson plan

Build a better lunchbox – Contents pictures

Build a better lunchbox – Mat

Smiling boy eating sandwich with a blue plastic lunchbox containing a banana and some grapes and a blue plastic water bottle

Front cover of the What about waste Literacy resource pack

What about Waste?

/in , /by

Literacy packs have been developed by an experienced KS2 teacher to develop pupils’ core literacy skills while extending their understanding of waste issues. One pack is for year 3 and 4 pupils, the other for pupils in year 5 and 6. Both packs comprise of 10 clear and easy to use lesson plans and supporting documents, which address literacy objectives for KS2 pupils using the topical theme of rubbish and the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle).

What about waste? (Year 3/4)

What about wasteWhat about Waste? has been developed by an experienced KS2 teacher to develop pupils’ core literacy l skills while extending their understanding of waste issues. It comprises 10 clear and easy to use lesson plans and their supporting documents, which address literacy objectives for year 3/4 pupils using the topical theme of rubbish and the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). Areas covered are: explanation, instruction, persuasive writing, play script writing, play script performance, poetry writing and poetry performance. What about Waste? literacy pack – year 3/4 Lesson 1 – 3Rs PowerPoint (can take a while to download) Lesson 1 – 3Rs Powerpoint (pdf)

 

What about waste? (Year 5/6)

What about wasteThis year 5/6 teaching resource comprises of 10 lesson plans and their supporting documents, which addresses literacy objectives using the topical theme of rubbish and the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). Areas covered are: recount, instruction, explanation, persuasive writing, descriptive language, descriptive writing, poetry writing and poetry performance. What about Waste? literacy pack – year 5/6 Lesson 1 – 3Rs PowerPoint (can take a while to download) Lesson 1 – 3Rs Powerpoint as a pdf Lesson 7 – WEEE PowerPoint Lesson 7 – WEEE PowerPoint as a pdf

 

District Recycling Information

East Devon Recycling Information Exeter Recycling Information Mid Devon Recycling Information North Devon Recycling Information Teignbridge Recycling Information Torridge Recycling Information South Hams Recycling Information West Devon Recycling Information

Front cover of the Material World resource pack for teachers

Material World

/in , /by

‘Material World’ uses Geography and Science to encourage upper KS2 pupils to explore the resources we find on our planet, how we use them and what we can do to conserve them and live in a more sustainable manner. The pack integrates:

  • exploration of materials
  • geographical investigations and case studies
  • deliberation of our ‘wants’ and ‘needs’
  • exploration of the ethics of consumerism
  • ideas for practical action

This pack consists of six lessons which are designed to run consecutively over a half term, or during a focussed topic week, culminating in a day of pupils taking action in their school or community.

Geography and Science 6 lesson teaching pack (Year 5/6)

Pupils are encouraged to explore the Earth’s resources, how we use them, and what actions we can take to live in a more sustainable manner. It focuses on textiles and plastics and the impacts these have on our environment. Material World Teaching Pack Plastics PowerPoint Plastics PowerPoint (pdf) Material World PowerPoint Material World PowerPoint (pdf) Textiles PowerPoint Textiles PowerPoint (pdf)

Preview selected pages below

 

‘Wants and Needs’ activity

Material World introduction sessionThere is a big difference between the things we ‘want’ and what we actually ‘need’ in order to survive. This 1.5 hour long activity explores everyday materials, the resources they are made from and the impact of how they are made. It can be used as part of Geography, Science and Citizenship and is part of the Material World teaching pack. Wants and Needs activity – introduction to the Material World teaching pack

A picture of an dead albatross with a stomach full of plastic washed up on a beach

Environment Agency School Resources

/in , /by

Plastic Pollution Teaching Resources

A set of 4 lessons produced by the Environment Agency to help teach about plastic pollution. ​The Plastics team of the Environment Agency have produced a set of resources for teachers and other professionals to teach primary school children about the plastic pollution problem and to help children realise that we all have a part to play in making plastic pollution a thing of the past. ​The resources can be downloaded below and are divided into different Key stages: Key Stage 1 Lower (Year 1, children aged 5-6), Key Stage 1 Upper (Year 2, children aged 6-7), Key Stage 2 Lower (Year 3/4, children aged 7-9), Key Stage 2 Upper (Year 5/6, children aged 9-11).

EA Teaching Resources: KS1 Lower

School resources pack for teaching Lower KS1 children (Year 1) about plastic pollution through an interactive workshop that should take 1-1.5 hours. Learning objectives:

  1. To be able to describe some of the effects of plastic on animals and the environment.
  2. To give an example of how everyone can help to make plastic pollution a thing of the past.

KS1 Lower Teacher Pack KS1 Lower Presentation KS1 Lower Animal Cards (with print lines) KS1 Lower Animal Cards KS1 Lower Animal Worksheet KS1 Lower Colouring Sheet KS1 Lower Pairs KS1 Lower Recycling Bins KS1 Lower Recycling Items KS1 Lower Word Bank

EA Teaching Resources: KS1 Upper

School resources pack for teaching Upper KS1 children (Year 2) about plastic pollution through an interactive workshop that should take 1-1.5 hours. Learning objectives:

  1. Describe what a habitat is;
  2. Explain some of the problems that plastic can cause in the environment.

KS1 Upper Teacher Pack KS1 Upper Animals for Habitats KS1 Upper Poster KS1 Upper Sea Habitats KS1 Upper Word Bank KS1 Upper Presentation

EA Teaching Resources: KS2 Lower

School resources pack for teaching Lower KS2 children (Year 3/4) about plastic pollution through an interactive workshop that should take 1-1.5 hours. Learning objectives:

  1. To understand that plastic can enter the environment in a number of ways which can cause harm to a number of organisms.
  2. Be able to understand how their choices can reduce the amount of plastic entering environment.

KS2 Lower Teacher Pack KS2 Lower Lunch Box Items KS2 Lower Plastic Bottle Lifecycle KS2 Lower Word Bank KS2 Lower Presentation

EA Teaching Resources: KS2 Upper

School resources pack for teaching Upper KS2 children (Year 5/6) about plastic pollution through an interactive workshop that should take 1-1.5 hours. Learning objectives:

  1. ​To understand how to conduct a scientific survey in the field
  2. To apply previous knowledge to solve a new problem

KS2 Upper Teacher Notes KS2 Upper Quadrats KS2 Upper Word Bank KS2 Upper Worksheet for Quadrats KS2 Upper Powerpoint

3 children in school uniform using spring balance to weigh a rubbish sack

Waste Audit Activities

/in , /by

A Waste Audit is a brilliant way of finding out how much rubbish your school creates and what type of things you, pupils and staff are throwing in the bin. This can then help you to organise better rubbish collections for your school, and work out what type of recycling bins will work best in your classrooms, playgrounds, school grounds and staff rooms.

We can provide help and support in carrying out Waste Audits. Contact our Educators for more information.

A Waste Audit involves an initial sort of all your rubbish and recycling to get a baseline figure, then pupils can help come up with ways to improve the school system, so your school can reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible. This Action Plan will need to be agreed with school caretaking staff and extra bins may need to be purchased (See our Fundraising pages for further ideas to raise some cash). A second audit is then taken to monitor how successful the Actions were. Waste audits can link to the curriculum in both geography and maths lessons.

Waste Audit Follow up Activity Maths Year 3

Waste Audit Follow up Activity Maths Year 4

Waste Audit Follow up Activity Maths Year 5

Waste Audit Follow up Activity Maths Year 6

Waste Audit Follow up Activity Geography KS3

Children digging compost in a school garden

Composting

/in , , , , , , , /by

Turning twigs, leaves and bits of vegetables and fruit into gorgeous rich compost which helps plants grow is one of the natural world’s magic tricks! Learn how with our wonderful collection of hint, tips and videos below, including from Devon’s very own Dr Compost – Nicky Scott.

Composting is really good for the environment as it recycles nutrients so plants can use them again. It is part of a natural process called nutrient recycling, as shown in the diagram on the right.

If you’re a school composting could also save you money by reducing the cost of someone picking up your bin. Devon has supported schools for many years to compost their cooked food waste as well as peels and cores.

Composting can also be a fantastic learning resource which can support many curriculum areas. It can get kids out of the classroom, learning practical, useful science. Whether your topic is minibeasts, habitats, micro-organisms or global warming, your compost bin can provide hands-on learning opportunities for pupils of all ages.

A diagram showing the nutrient cycle as leaves fall to the ground and decomposers break them down to be used by plants as they absorb nutrients from the soil.