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Collection of Reviewed Teaching Resources

A plastic world: Plastic challenge_Exercises, Lesson Plans, Slides, Web Site/Portal

Subject taught
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Technology

Link
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/35961/plastic-challenge

Type of Product
- Exercises
- Lesson Plans
- Slides
- Web Site/Portal

Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Listening
- Reading
- Speaking

Transferable/Scientific Skills Developed
Students will develop observing skills, measuring skills, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills.

Description
This resource contains a series of lessons which are designed to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of plastics and plastic waste on a global scale. Linking to materials and their properties, the environment, recycling and design and technology, they contain investigations and activities aimed at both primary and secondary level.

General aim is to introduce to Practical science investigations – including identifying plastic, exploring their chemistry and making bio plastic.

Subject specific aim:
• Scientific enquiry – enabling exploration on the impact and efficacy of reuse and recycling plastic;
• Enterprise – encouraging the designing and making of products from waste plastics for a UK or international market;
• A video competition – enabling them to share their experience of the challenge;

These activities include: sorting and identifying plastics based on their properties, plastic production, making plastic in the classroom, comparing oil-based and bio-plastics and their environmental impact, which materials take the longest to decompose and the efficacy of recycling plastic.

There is also a series of activities which involve designing, making and evaluating products from waste plastics, for a UK or international market.

The resource includes teachers’ notes, a classroom presentation, poster and a Crest Awards Discovery Passport.

Linguistic aims:
- to listen English with ease
-to read English with ease
- to understand content
- to learn from written texts
- to express opinion
- to enable students to understand topic correctly
- to translate words in English into the mother tongue using their own words.

This task is aimed at students of 8-16 years old.
Level of competence in English (CEFR): B1 +/B2
Time required to use the resource with the students: 10 Hours (it consist of many activities, that can be done sequentially over time or choose one or several activities that you find interesting).

All of the materials needed to deliver the challenge, including the pupil activity sheets, PowerPoint presentation and poster are freely available to download.

Possible difficulties for the students: students who have poor knowledge of English may have difficulties to understand the content.

Comments
Strengths: students not only learn more topic related words but also expand their knowledge on the surrounding environment. The topic reveals the scale of the plastic pollution and encourages reflection on the consequences of one’s consumption and thinking of possible solutions, also of the designing of new products from plastics, it’s needs in society, environmentally friendly entrepreneurship. Pedagogical values: self-directed, peer assisted and collaborative learning, language development across the curriculum, teaching complex thinking, teaching through conversation, contextualization.

Related Video Lessons

Our Plastic World