Lesson

Class #: Waste in Our World Class 5 Course Grade Four Science

Title/Focus

PROGRAM OF STUDY OUTCOMES

• 4-5.2: Identify and classify wastes that result from human activity.
• 4-5.5: Compare different kinds of packaging and infer the relative advantages and
disadvantages of that packaging. In evaluating different forms of packaging, students should
demonstrate the ability to consider a consumer perspective as well as an environmental
perspective.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students will be able to:
1) Discuss the biodegradability of different items.
2) Discuss the benefits of certain packaging over another.
3) Critically look at the effects of waste on water.
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
• Lesson Plan
• Smart Board
• Large container
• Water
• Vegetable Oil
• Random pollutants (paper, dirt, plastic utensils etc)
• Exit Slip
PREPARATION AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Have the lesson plan planned out and printed.
• Have all the materials prepared and ready for each student.

PROCEDURE
Introduction Time
• Welcome the students into the classroom. Give them some time to sit
down and settle. Explain that we are going to be looking at Human 5 min
Waste and how it is disposed of.
Body Time
Is plastic 1) Video:
biodegradable? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xlNyWPpB8
2) Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, what does this mean? It
can’t break down fully, it only breaks into smaller
and smaller pieces which is not good for the
15 min
environment or the water.
3) So, what can we do with plastic water bottles
instead of throwing them out? Why is it important
to recycle?
 Water 1) Video?
Investigation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQTUWK7CM-
Y
2) Open up a discussion with the students about how
oceans are affected by human waste. Start a
demonstration about how pollution affects the
ocean and the sea life within it. Fill a large container
with clean water, what would be in clean water?
Start pouring vegetable oil into the water, what
would happen to the plants and animals if pollution
were to enter the ocean like this oil does? Start
adding other types of pollution/human waste such
30 min
as paper, fishing line, dirt, paper, plastic utensils
etc. Mix the water so it starts to look murky. Hand
out a cotton ball to each student and have them
imagine that their cotton ball is a sea creature such
as a turtle, dolphin etc. Then they can each run
their cotton balls through the water and see what
the ocean water did to the creature.
3) Ask the students what happened to their sea
creature. How might this relate to what our waste
in the real ocean does to real life animals? What
should we do to change this?

Conclusion Time
• Exit Slip: Why is having waste that is biodegradable important?
• Ask the students to complete whatever activity they were working on
and start to clean up their materials.
10 min
• Remind them that the next period we will be looking at the
biodegradability of waste.

Assessment
• Observation- formative
• Discussion- formative
• Exit slip- formative (for and as)

Additional Notes: