Volume and Capacity

Reducing Our Plastic Waste

As part of learning about the environment this term, our class has been making beeswax wrap and reusable fabric bags to help reduce waste in our lunchboxes and everyday lives. It took quite a while to make all of our fabric bags. Beeswax wrap is a good alternative to glad wrap. This is how we made our beeswax wrap we had to choose our fabric. Once we had chosen our fabric we then had to grate some beeswax then sprinkle it on top of our fabric then place a sheet of baking paper on top then use a hot iron to melt the beeswax into our fabric. Once we had done that we had to let it dry for 1 minute and it was ready to use. I enjoyed learning how to make beeswax wraps which I can now make at home whenever we need more instead of using glad wrap. I have already used my beeswax wrap and it has saved us using lots of glad wrap.

Where to next? Literacy work.

Where To Next?  Connected, Level 4

Turning Old into New

Literacy

Science/Social Science learning goals

We are learning to understand about the environments around us and the negative of positive impact our actions can have on these environments.

Success criteria;

• identify and explain some of the issues facing our environment today
• identify some of the negative impacts humans are having on the environment
• identify some positive actions people are taking both here and around the world to try and help look after our environment.  
• identify some positive actions we can take at school and in our own lives to help our environment.
• learn about our local bush track and creek and identify some ways in which we can help to look after (kaitiakitanga) these areas.

Reading Learning Goals

-I am learning to use sub-headings to guide me to the main ideas in text.

-I am learning to use illustrations, text boxes, charts and graphs to help me make inferences so I get more information from the text.

-I am learning to use more than one text, in print or electronic formats, to gather and check the accuracy of information.

-I am learning to read a wide range of texts (e.g. encyclopaedias, websites, newspapers)  to gather and check information on a topic.

-I am learning to explain why the author has written a text.

-I am learning to read and understand text that contains academic and topic-specific vocabulary.

Read the text, ‘Turning Old Into New’ and then complete the following activities.

1. Why is recycling a good idea?

I think recycling is a good idea because we can use it over and over again without creating pollution and it doesn't end up in the ocean.

2. How many tons of rubbish do New Zealanders send to landfills every year? New Zealand sends 2.5 million tonnes of rubbish into landfills every year.

3. When rubbish breaks down what gas does it produce?  What environmental problem does this contribute to?  When rubbish breaks down it produces methane gas and c02. It contributes to global warming.

4. Complete this sentence:  Everything we use is made from  Earth's natural resources.     

5. Explain where these resources come from;

Wood: comes from trees or plants.

Metal: comes from rocks that are mined from the ground.

Plastic: is made from oil.

6) How does oil form? Oil is formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of year ago. The dead plants and animals were covered by mud and sand. Over millions of years the mud and sand built up in layers and hardened and turned into rocks. The heat and pressure from the rock turned the dead plants and animal matter into oil.

7) What are some of the things glass can be recycled into?

Glass can be turned into jars and bottles. Some glass can be  turned into glasscrete and glassphalt which is used to make roads.

8) What are some of the things cardboard can be recycled into?

Cardboard can be recycled into newspaper,toilet paper,writing paper and egg cartons.

9) What can plastic with the number 1 be recycled into?

Plastic with the number 1 can be recycled into soft drink bottles, pillows, sleeping bag fillings and clothing.

10)  Attach a google drawing here that explains how number 1 plastics can be turned into clothing.

11) What are microfibres and what is the problem with them?

Microfibres are tiny fibres from our clothing. The problem with microfibres is that they are entering the sewage system and end up going into the ocean and killing our underwater wildlife.

12) What is Earth Overshoot day?

Earth overshoot Day Marks the date each year when people have used all the resources the planet can regenerate in that year.

Glossary - Write what these words mean

Atoms:The smallest particle of a substance that can exist by itself or be combined with other atoms to form a molecule.

Carded: Aligned in the same Direction.

Global Warming: Gradual increase in average temperature due to increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Malt: Barley or other grain that has been used for brewing beer.

Natural resources: Materials found in nature that can be used by people such as air, water, plants, animals and rocks.

Synthetic: Something that is made by people and as a result of combining different chemical.

In class we will be working on projects looking at issues around rubbish and what we can do to help reduce this problem.  

Video Links

NZ Recycling Crises

Diver Filming Swimming Through Plastic

The Pacific Garbage Patch

Reducing Waste

Infographic

Where To Next?  Connected, Level 4

Science/Social Science learning goals

We are learning to understand about the environments around us and the negative of positive
impact our actions can have on these environments.

Success criteria;

• identify some positive actions we can take at school and in our own lives to help our
• environment.

Literacy

Task: Create an infographic showing people how they can reduce their
waste in their lunchbox.   

Our co-constructed success criteria:

-Have a strong title/hook

-Use convincing language and images

-Have simple things people can do

-Use images (free to use)

-Use bullet points/ short sharp information

-Use correct punctuation and spelling.

Click here for our informational video.