Author: Rachel Sparks Linfield

S A V I N G S T E P SSims Group UK Limited Primary Education Project

Saving Steps 2

CONTENTS

Introduction

Section 1: Teacher information

Section 2: Survey of resources

Section 3: Investigating resources

Section 4: Looking ahead

Section 5: Saving Steps campaign

Saving Steps 3

INTRODUCTION‘Saving Steps’ aims to encourage children to:

• develop understanding of the origins of metals, plastics, electricity, natural gas, water and paper

• be aware of concerns for the future such as the depletion of non-renewable resources

• know how everyone can make a difference.

The teacher information in Section 1 explains how Saving Steps can be used and provides interesting facts about the resources of metals, plastics, electricity, natural gas, water and paper, and information about the need to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover. It is not intended that all the facts will be taught, but hopefully they will help teachers to answer knowledge-related questions that may arise as a result of using the Saving Steps activities outlined in the following sections.

Section 2 introduces the children to the resources (metals, plastics, electricity, natural gas, water and paper) and the need for careful use. Suggestions are given for ways to establish children’s current knowledge of the resources and to carry out surveys.

Within Section 3 a number of resource-specific investigations are described that help the children to be more aware of the over-use of some resources. The importance of conserving energy and the effect on our environment of using the resources are considered. All the activities have been trialled with primary-aged children, but it is still important for teachers to consider the individual needs of their pupils and safety implications when selecting activities.

Section 4 is concerned with looking ahead. Through a range of creative and thought-provoking activities children consider ways to encourage recycling and responsible use of resources, and participate in recycling projects. Section 4 could assist schools in delivering lessons and activities for the Eco-Schools Award initiative (www.keepbritaintidy.org/EcoSchools).

Section 5 provides ideas for carrying out a campaign where children can share their Saving Steps knowledge with the school, friends and family. The campaign encourages the children to be increasingly aware of the resources around them and the need to make changes for the future.

The Saving Steps activities support the development of key skills (literacy, numeracy, ICT, problem solving, team work) and thinking skills (reflective learning, independent enquiry, creative thinking and effective participation).

Learn about

Survey

Looking ahead

Campaign

Metals Plastics Water

Classroom/ School

Electricity& natural gas

Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover

Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover

Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover

Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover

Reduce

Saving Steps Saving Steps Saving Steps Saving Steps Saving Steps

Paper

Saving Steps 4

1

The following diagram illustrates the structure for the Saving Steps material. Through participating initially in class and school surveys children will become more aware of how they use resources and begin to appreciate the times when resources could be reduced, reused, recovered or recycled. Through using these personal findings, thought can then be given to discovering more about the origins of resources, the energy implications for their production and increasing awareness of how resources are used. The final campaign, based upon the Saving Steps activities, will hopefully enable children to encourage their families, friends and even the wider community to take a responsible attitude when using resources.

SECTION 1: TEACHER INFORMATIONUsing Saving Steps

‘Saving Steps’ offers information to support the planning and teaching for a half-term project, a ‘Saving Steps Week’ or one-off activities related to issues such as taking care of non-renewable resources and recycling. The material can be adapted for use throughout the primary age range. Dependent upon the time available and the number of children involved, it may be appropriate to divide into teams where each team focuses on one resource. The teams can then at a later stage share findings and collaborate in a Saving Steps campaign. Some teachers may choose to focus on a single resource area such as metal or paper. Whatever approach is taken it is hoped that children will build knowledge about the resource area, gain awareness of the need to use resources prudently and understand how using the resources may impact on the environment.

Saving Steps 5

1

Iron, copper, lead, tin, silver, gold and aluminium are examples of metals.

Metals are usually solid at room temperature. Mercury is an exception.

Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity.

Pure metals are malleable. This means that they are capable of being shaped, for example by hammering or applying pressure.

When clean, most metals are shiny.

Metals have a wide range of uses including making tools, buildings, bridges, coins, food cans and jewellery.

Steel is an alloy, made from iron (a metal) and carbon (a non metal). Bronze is an alloy made from two metals, copper and tin. Brass is made from copper and zinc.

A number of precious metals can be recovered from electrical items that can no longer be used, such as computers, televisions and mobile phones.

There is more gold in 1 tonne of waste computers than in 1 tonne of the highest quality gold ore.

Recycling one tonne of steel saves 642 kWh of energy, 287 litres of oil, and 2.3 cubic metres of landfill space.

Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to power a 100-watt bulb for almost four hours.

A used aluminium can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf in as little as 60 days.

For every single can manufactured using virgin ore, the same amount of energy used will produce 20 recycled cans.

The aluminium drinks can is the world’s most recycled container – more than 63% of all cans are recycled worldwide.

(Source: Bureau of International Recycling www.bir.org)

To obtain metal, the ores are mined. The metal is then

extracted by, for example, heating the ore to a high

temperature and then separating the metal from the waste

materials (slag).

Interesting resource facts

Metal facts

Hot Waste Gases Hot Waste Gases

Iron Ladle Slag Ladle

Hot Air Blast

Melting Zone

Hot Air Blast

Tap Hole Iron

Tap Hole Slag

Steel Linedwith Heat- Resistant Brick

Iron Ore Cokeand Limestone

ThroatStock Line

250°C

1,500°C

Molten Slag Iron

Electrodes

ChargingDoor Slag

ArcSpout

Molten Steel

Electric arc furnace

1

Iron ore is processed in a blast furnace. Scrap iron is usually processed in an electric arc furnace which typically uses 25% of the energy of a blast furnace and reduces the size of the carbon footprint by 58%*.

*Report on the Environmental Benefits

of Recycling, BIR, 2008

Producing iron from iron ore and recycled scrap

(c) Bart – Fotolia.com

1 What is inside a mobile phone?

Microchips – plastic, copper, ceramics, tin and gold

Circuit board – plastic, copper, silver, zinc, chromium, tantalum, cadmium, lead and gold

Liquid crystal display – glass

Case and chassis – plastic, steel, aluminiumWires – copper, plasticBatteries – cobalt/lithium, carbon, nickel

Saving Steps 8

1 Over the past few years concern has been expressed over the excessive use of disposable carrier bags by shoppers and the resulting build-up of landfill. Although some shops give out biodegradable carriers, it still takes around 18 months for them to degrade. Unfortunately a by-product of the breaking-down process is methane. This greenhouse gas is 11 times more potent than carbon dioxide and so causes further problems with respect to global warming. In the United Kingdom, we use on average 17.5 billion carrier bags per year. While this only accounts for a small amount of the plastics going into landfill it is something we could all reduce very easily every day. (Source: www.ecocarrierbag.co.uk/eco/faq.asp#q1)

Recycling one tonne of plastic saves 5,774 kWh of energy, 2,604 litres of oil, and 22 cubic metres of landfill.

It takes up to 90% less energy to recycle plastic compared to producing plastic from virgin materials (oil and gas).

Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb for up to six hours.

Recycling five polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles produces enough fibre for one t-shirt.

(Source: Bureau of International Recycling www.bir.org)

In order to be able to recycle plastic it is important to know its type. The following table shows how the Plastic Bottle Institute of the Society of the Plastics Industry classifies plastics.

Most plastics are made from hydrocarbons in oil and natural gas.

Some plastics are made from oils derived from plants.

There are over 50 different types of plastic. These can be classified as thermoplastics or thermosets. Thermoplastics are ones which soften when heated and go hard when cooled. Thermosets never soften once they are moulded.

Plastic can be moulded and shaped. It has wide-ranging uses including credit cards, toys, kitchen utensils, bottles, toothbrushes, packaging and insulation.

A popular misconception is that most plastics do not rot and many cannot be recycled. In reality most pure plastics can be recycled in some manner. Difficulties arise when reinforcers and other additives are present. For example, glass fibres present in glass-reinforced plastics make these plastics hard to recycle. Plastics which do not break down naturally and cannot be recycled can now be treated in two other ways. These are energy recovery where the plastics are used as fuel to generate energy and a new chemical process that breaks down (‘cracks’) the molecules and returns the plastic (a polymer) to its oil state. It can then be turned into diesel.

Interesting resource facts

Plastic facts

Identification symbol

Types of plastic Examples of items made from the plastic

polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Water bottles, soft and fizzy drink bottles, pots, tubs, oven-ready trays, jam jars.

high-density polyethylene (HDPE) Toys, picnic ware, household and kitchenware, cable insulation, carrier bags, food wrapping material.

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Window frames, drainage pipe, medical devices, cable and wire insulation, seat coverings, fashion and footwear, packaging, cling film, credit cards.

low-density polyethylene (LDPE) Squeezy bottles, toys, carrier bags, heavy-duty sacks, general packaging, gas and water pipes.

polypropylene (PP) Packaging, labelling, thermal underwear, loudspeakers, carpets.

polystyrene (PS) Toys and novelties, refrigerator trays and boxes, cosmetic packs and costume jewellery, CD cases.

other types of plastics

Saving Steps 9

1 Types of plastic

In one year, reducing your showering time by one minute per day would save enough energy to heat 6,000 cups of coffee.

Saving Steps 10

1

75% of the Earth is covered with water.

97% of the Earth’s water is in the oceans.

Only 3% of the Earth’s water can be used for drinking.

A typical household uses approximately 980 litres of water every day.

Producing and transporting clean water to homes requires considerable energy. The basic steps for bringing water to homes are:

Electricity always tries to find the easiest route to the ground.

One method for generating electricity is at a power station where oil, gas or coal is burned creating steam to turn large magnetic coils called turbines, which create an electrical current. The current is sent through transformers to increase the voltage to push the power long distances. The electrical charge goes through high-voltage transmission lines until it reaches a substation. Here the voltage is lowered. It is then sent through distribution lines to pole-top transformers. The transformers reduce the voltage to a value appropriate to use in homes.

Alternative ways to make electricity include using wind, waves or the sun. In addition electricity can be made from waste. Energy from waste is when waste is burnt at a high temperature, to reduce the volume of waste, and also to produce heat and/or electricity.

Water is treated (e.g. soil

and dirt, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical

impurities are removed).

Water is distributed (e.g. by pipes, pumps,

meters etc.).

Water is collected

(e.g. in a reservoir).

Interesting resource facts

Electricity factsInteresting resource factsWater facts

Natural gas is used to produce steel, glass, paper, fabricsand bricks. It can be used to generate electricity. It is an ingredient in products such as paints, fertilizer, plastics,

dyes, medicines and explosives.

Saving Steps 11

1

The majority of paper is made from wood fibres, water and energy.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. When trees are cut down for the production of paper, there are fewer trees left to absorb the carbon dioxide. In addition some animals lose their homes.

The first creatures to make paper were wasps.

Recycling one tonne of paper saves up to 31 trees, 4,000 kWh of energy, 270 litres of oil, 26,000 litres of water and 3.5 cubic metres of landfill space.

(Source: Bureau of International Recycling www.bir.org)

Forming natural gas takes millions of years.

Around 300–400 million years ago, tiny sea plants and animals were buried on the floor of oceans. Over time the remains of the plants and animals were covered by layers of sand and silt. Eventually the sand and silt turned into rock. 50 to 100 million years ago, due to high temperatures and pressures, the organic remains became coal, oil and natural gas.

The main ingredient in natural gas is methane.

Interesting resource facts

Natural gas factsInteresting resource factsPaper facts

1 Making paper

De-barking

Chipping MachineChemicalPulping Process

Timber

Paperbanks andCommercial Collections

MechanicalPulping Process

Waste PaperMerchants

De-inking

Baling

Conversion and Printing

Hydrapulper

RefiningScreening

and Cleaning

Papermaking Machine

Saving Steps 13

1 Concerns for the future

In recent years huge concern has been expressed that fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas will one day run out as they are being used at a faster rate than they can be replaced. They are said to be ‘unsustainable’ or ‘non-renewable’. In addition it has been recognised that in order to produce and transport resources such as water and electricity to our schools and homes considerable energy is used. There have also been worries about the effect that using fossil fuels has on global warming. In order to address these concerns, and make a difference for the future of our planet, people need to participate in reducing resource use and recover, reuse and recycle resources. They need to recognise that by being responsible in their use of resources many benefits will ensue. For example, when a water leak is mended, not only is valuable water saved but also energy that would be used for treating and delivering water. When a mobile phone is recycled valuable metals can be recovered.

Saving Steps 14

1Now consider inside the TV. Here plastics are used to support the TV components. As long as they are structurally sound, they do not have to be aesthetic in the slightest and can be made from recycled plastic that has degraded; it has been downcycled.

Lastly, consider a plastic bench, made of multiple plastics, glued together, like chipboard. This is major downcycling. Once this bench has reached the end of its life, it is unlikely that we can get further use out of the plastics. They are likely to go for energy recovery, so these have been fully downcycled.

Recover: the practice of recovering energy or other resources from waste.

The Four ‘Rs’

The Rs are sometimes referred to as the ‘waste hierarchy’. The Rs are:

Reduce: buy less and use less.

Reuse: the discarded item is used again, perhaps for a different purpose.

Recycle: waste is separated into materials that may be used for new products. The difference between recycling and reusing is that energy is required to recycle items.

• Upcycling is where the quality of the finished, recovered material is about equal to the virgin material.

• Downcycling happens when the recovered material contains contaminants, which means it can only be used in less prestigious ways such as internally rather than externally.

For instance – look at a TV set. The plastics on the front of the TV are nice and shiny; these have to be of a single pure plastic so that when moulded it is unblemished. This is upcycling as there is no loss in quality and the plastics will be able to be recycled several times. Next consider the plastic on the back of the TV. This should still be of good quality as the customer will see it. However, minor blemishes are fine – so although the plastic used needs to be clean, it does not have to be perfect and may have degraded in quality slightly; this is minor downcycling at the very minor end. The plastic can still be recycled a number of times.

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Recover

The waste hierarchy for the ‘Four Rs’

Saving Steps 15

1 Ways to save energy

Note: Dependent upon whether heating is by gas or electricity some of the points below apply to both natural gas and electricity.

• Switch off electrical items when not in use.

• Do not leave electrical equipment and mobile phones to charge overnight.

• Switch car engines off when waiting at traffic lights.

• Turn heating down.

• Close curtains at dusk.

• Have a shower instead of a bath and reduce the time spent in the shower.

• Do not waste water as energy is used to clean and transport water.

• When using a kettle only boil the amount of water needed.

• Use energy-saving light bulbs.

• Wash clothes at 30°C.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive became law in the United Kingdom in January 2007. It aimed to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment that was being produced, reduce waste that was being sent to landfill sites and encourage people to reuse, recycle and recover materials.

Recovering valuable metals and other materials from items such as computers, televisions, fridges and mobile phones reduces the vast amounts of energy and water used for mining and processing new materials, and avoids sending often toxic waste to landfill. Recovering materials from WEEE is extremely beneficial for the future of our planet.

Saving Steps 16

1 Ways to save paper

• When writing or printing use both sides of the paper.

• Keep paper that has been used on only one side and reuse the clean side.

• Print documents with single line spacing.

• Recycle waste paper.

• When buying paper look for recycled paper.

• Reuse wrapping paper.

• Reuse cards and envelopes.

• Only print out emails and other computer documents when absolutely necessary.

Ways to save water

• Turn taps off fully – in one week a dripping tap can waste a bath full of water.

• Have a shower instead of a bath – an ordinary shower uses two-fifths of the water in a bath. (Note: power showers use four times as much hot water as a normal shower.)

• Do not leave the tap running when cleaning teeth.

• Use reduced-capacity baths (a standard bath’s capacity is 80 litres).

• Have a low-flush or dual-flush toilet. (About 30% of water used in a home is by flushing the toilet. Using a low or dual-flush toilet can reduce water use by six litres per flush compared with a traditional toilet.)

• Collect rainwater for plants.

• Where possible, use a watering can to water plants outside. (A hosepipe can use 1,000 litres in an hour!)

• Wash cars less often. (Just ensure the lights, number plate, mirrors and windows are clean.)

Saving Steps 17

2 SECTION 2: SURVEY OF RESOURCES

The following Saving Steps survey activities encourage children to consider what they already know about metals, plastics, water, electricity, natural gas and paper and how they use these resources in their everyday lives.

To avoid confusion within the following activity outlines, the word ‘resource’ is used to describe plastic, metal, paper, electricity, natural gas and water. The words ‘activity-resources’ are used to indicate the items that are required by the children when carrying out an activity. Many of the activities are appropriate for use across the primary age range because they are based on resources that are part of children’s everyday lives. It is left to teachers to pick the activities they feel are most suited to their children’s individual interests and abilities. Dependent upon whether Saving Steps is to be a class, key stage or school initiative, teachers may wish to limit the number of resources considered or allocate a resource to a particular class or group. Whatever approach is taken it is hoped that the culmination will be a campaign to share knowledge and ideas, and make changes for the better!

THINGS THAT USE NATURAL GAS

WHERE NATURAL GAS COMES FROMHOW WE WASTE NATURAL GAS

WHAT I’D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT NATURAL GAS

NATURAL GAS

Saving Steps 18

2how the resources are used in their class/school, do some investigations, plan a campaign and finally show their friends and families how they can all make a difference.

Note: Some children may like to revisit their spider diagrams later in the term and add new knowledge in a different colour.

Knowledge survey – What do we know now?

Learning intentions: Children will complete spider diagrams to show what they know about the resources metal, plastic, water, electricity, natural gas and paper.

Curriculum focus area: English

Activity-resources: Object to reflect each resource (e.g. coins, bottle of water, plastic carrier, battery, newspaper, picture of a gas fire).

Introduction: Show the class the objects and briefly discuss each in turn. Together complete a spider diagram for natural gas to show what is already known by the children. Thoughts might include how natural gas is used, how it is wasted and where it comes from.

Activity: Divide the class into groups. Give each group a spider diagram to complete for electricity, paper, water, metal or plastic. In addition, ask the children to write three questions that they would like answered about their resource.

Plenary: Share the spider diagrams. Discuss common themes such as that all the resources can be useful or the need to conserve resources. Explain that sadly humans often waste the resources, but that if people are aware of ways to take care over how they use them everyone can make a difference for the future of our Earth. Introduce the notion of Saving Steps whereby the children are going to carry out a survey to see

2 Survey of resources

Saving Steps 20

2Plenary: Ask each pair to report on their findings and make their ‘rubbish recommendation’. Collect in the items, sorting them as rubbish, items to reuse, items to mend, items from which materials could be recovered and items to recycle. Are there any surprises? Were all the items necessary? Was there any wasteful packaging?

Place the profiles in plastic wallets to make an ‘Encyclopaedia of waste’. Put the book near a bin and encourage the children to look in the book when considering whether something should be thrown away.

Rubbish survey

Learning intentions: Children will begin to consider the properties and use of metals, plastic and paper.

Curriculum focus areas: Science, English

Activity-resources: Bin of clean rubbish including items made from metal, plastic and paper; picture of a landfill site.

Introduction: Ask the children to define the word ‘rubbish’. Together examine one item from the bin. Encourage the children to consider the purpose of each item, the material from which it is made and whether it is rubbish or could be reused, recycled or materials could be recovered from it.

Activity: Give pairs of children an item from the bin. Ask them to complete a bin profile sheet. Finally ask them to give a recommendation for the item’s future and decide whether it should simply have been thrown away.

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Recover

Rubbish

Name of item found in the bin

Description of the item Picture of the item

Purpose

Is the item necessary? Why/why not?

Recommendation (Please tick)

Bin profile2

Saving Steps 22

2On an IWB discuss ways to record information (e.g. tally chart, table). As a class decide what information the class needs to collect and how to record it. For example, one group might list all the ways in which electricity is used within a classroom while another might record for how long particular electrical items are used within a one-hour period. The school secretary or head teacher might be interviewed about a particular resource.

Activity: In groups, carry out the surveys.

Plenary: Present the results. Make plans for the next stage of Saving Steps.

Class/School resource survey (1)

Learning intentions: Children will become aware of where paper, water, metal, plastic, gas and electricity are used within their class (Key Stage 1)/school (Key Stage 2).

Curriculum focus areas: Maths, ICT

Activity-resources: Clipboards, paper, pencils, access to ICT; hidden in a box a newspaper, a plastic bottle of water, a battery and scissors.

Introduction: Give clues for children to identify the objects hidden within the box. Briefly discuss the purpose of each object and how useful it is. Explain that when asking people to be more sensible about their use of a particular resource it is good to know how, where, when and why the resource is used.

Saving Steps 23

2energy consumption affects the amount of CO2 that is released. He/she would also like two suggestions for ways the school might improve on their ecoDriver targets. Divide the class into groups. Give each group monthly data for water, electricity or gas. Ask children to look at the data and write/word process an ‘Energy consumption report’.

Activity 2: Provide data for hourly energy use. Again ask the children to consider the peak times for energy usage. Are there any surprises? What energy is used out of school hours? Why do children think the energy is used? Is the use necessary?

Plenary: Share the reports. Why does energy consumption vary? What are the peak times for using energy? Did the peak times for electricity match those for gas and/or water? As a class, what would they like to tell the head teacher? Invite the head teacher to receive the reports and to ask the children for their energy advice.

The same activities can be used to explore water and gas consumption using the additional data supplied.

For more information about ecoDriver energy monitoring systems visit www.ecodriver.co.uk

School resource survey (2)

Learning intentions: Children will consider school use of electricity, gas and water through surveying ecoDriver data.

Curriculum focus areas: Maths, Science, English

Activity-resources: ecoDriver data (Note: If your school is not registered with ecoDriver, data is provided in graph form (see PowerPoint presentation Saving Steps Graphs) and in an Excel spreadsheet (Saving Steps Data). The data shows gas, water and electricity consumption for the months of January /February and June, and also hourly consumption for a day in each of these months, for a primary school.); IWB; for each pair of children a computer or pencils and paper.

Introduction: Depending upon children’s prior knowledge of ecoDriver it may be necessary to explain that the ecoDriver information helps schools and businesses to monitor their energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Use the IWB to look at a graph showing the school’s/your school’s electricity consumption over a one-month period. Look at the axes and clarify what they show. Show the variation in energy values for each day. Why was less energy consumed on some days? Were the targets met?

Activity 1: Tell the children that the head teacher would like to receive a report on the school’s energy consumption. He/she would like to know which days are the most costly ones and how the

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Water consumption June 2012

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Water consumption 12 June 2012

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Primary school water consumption

Water consumption 8 February 2012

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Primary school gas consumption

Gas consumption 8 February 2012

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Gas consumption 12 June 2012

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kWh

Gas consumption February 2012

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Gas consumption June 2012

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2,500.00

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2

Saving Steps 27

3

Activity: Tell the group that their task is to produce posters that give as much information as possible about metals. This might include facts about where metals come from, how metals are used and any other interesting information. Introduce ‘Where do metals come from?’ Explain that it contains information that they might wish to put on their posters. Also, tell the group that there may be some information that they would like to have explained after they have watched the clip. Watch ‘Where do metals come from?’

In small groups make ‘Metal fact file’ posters.

Plenary: Discuss common themes from the posters. What have children discovered about the benefits of recovering metals? What is a precious metal?

SECTION 3: INVESTIGATING RESOURCESMETAL

Metal fact file

Learning intention: Children will develop their knowledge of the origins and uses of metals.

Curriculum focus areas: English, Science, Geography

Activity-resources: ‘Where do metals come from?’ found at www.recyclemetals.org/metals_and_me; IWB, whiteboard or flip chart; A3 paper; pens; examples of metals.

Introduction: Look at a selection of items made from metals. Which metals are in the items? As a group find as many examples of metals as possible. Look at the metal picture sheet. Why are the items made from metals? Which metal is most common in the pictures?

Made with metal3

Saving Steps 29

3Activity: Demonstrate how to use metal saws to cut wood safely to make four lengths suitable for a photo frame. Make the frames. On a digital camera take photos of useful tools made from metal.

Plenary: Make a picture gallery of photos of metal tools. Ask the children to give their photos captions which name the metals and also show why the tool has been made from metal. After viewing the photos make a group list of ways to take care of the metals, such as not leaving gardening tools out in the rain.

Metal for tools

Learning intention: Children will increase their awareness of metals in the local environment and their understanding of the properties of metals.

Curriculum focus areas: Science, Design Technology

Activity-resources: Tools made from metal (e.g. saw, hammer, spade, trowel, cutlery, whisk), hacksaw, wood to make frames (e.g. 10mm square x 600mm long pieces of hardwood), PVA glue, card, scissors, frame templates.

Introduction: Talk about metals and their properties. Watch ‘What has recycled metal got to do with me?’ found at www.recyclemetals.org/metals_and_me (the short clip takes a child through a home and shows where metals are used). As a group record all the tools made from metal, and also the types of metals used.

Look around the room. What can children see that has been made from metal? Why has it been made from metal? Look at the gardening, cooking and DIY tools. Which parts are made from metal? Which metals? Why has metal been used? Can the group think of other tools made from metal?

Cut two lengths of wood measuring 12cmx1cmx1cm and two lengths that are 15cmx1cmx1cm

Glue the wood onto card.

Strengthen the frame corners with card triangles.

12cm

15cm

Investigating resourcesMETAL

3

Saving Steps 31

3Activity: Look at a photo of a celebrity wearing jewellery (ideally where the caption gives the price and shop from which it was purchased). Does the group like the jewellery? Did the celebrity need a new item of jewellery? Discuss reasons for taking care of jewellery and the importance of reusing rather than always buying new.

Ask for suggestions for how the tarnished silver jewellery could be improved. Show the children the effect of polishing with a cloth made for silver items. Give each child a 2 pence coin. Challenge them to make it as shiny as possible. A traditional way to clean was to rub with vinegar or lemon juice. Would this work for 2 pence coins? What else might work?

Plenary: Compare the coins and the polishing cloths. Which cloth appears to have gained the most dirt?

Show the children the metal item that is rusting. Explain that iron can rust if it is left exposed to air and water. Talk about the need to ensure items do not become damaged through poor care. Ask the children to look out for signs of rust in the local environment when they go home.

Metal for jewellery and care of metals

Learning intention: Children will consider the use and care of metals.

Curriculum focus area: Science

Activity-resources: A metal item that is rusting; a silver item of jewellery that has tarnished and one that is shiny; photos of celebrities wearing expensive, new jewellery; a dirty 2 pence coin; cloth to use for polishing; vinegar, lemon juice, ketchup and other safe products requested by the children; a 2 pence coin for each child (the coins should be dull, not shiny).

Introduction: Talk about decorative items such as jewellery that are made from precious metals. Discuss why people like to wear metal jewellery and the properties that make metal suitable. Show the group an item of jewellery made from silver that is shiny and another that is tarnished. Compare the two items. Talk about the need to take care of silver items and explain that they will tarnish if left out in the air.

Renee Vaughan Sutherland

Saving Steps 32

3

Activity: As a group look for items made from plastic on a picture of a landfill site. Could any of the items have been reused or recycled? Make a timeline, story or comic strip for one of the items in the picture. Ask children to end their pieces in ways that are environmentally friendly.

Plenary: Share some of the pieces. Look at the plastics picture sheet. Can the group think of other items to add? Do the items need to be made from plastic? Which ones will be hard-wearing? Are any of them wasteful?

PLASTIC

Plastic fact file

Learning intention: Children will develop their knowledge of the origins and uses of plastic.

Curriculum focus area: English

Activity-resources: Items made from plastic including packaging, bubble wrap, toys, carriers, plastic bottles, cooking utensils, etc.; plastics picture sheet; internet access.

Introduction: Show the group the collected items. Explain that they are all made from plastic but that there are many different types of plastic. As a group place the items into groups according to the properties of the plastic such as bendy, stiff, transparent, etc. Look at the picture sheet and discuss the varied uses of plastic. As a group make a list of properties of plastics.

Ask whether anyone knows how plastic is made. Explain that most plastics are made from hydrocarbons that can be found in natural gas and oil. Remind the children that both oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources, which means that producing too much plastic is not good for our environment. In addition tell the children that many plastics do not rot. Ask why this might harm our environment.

Made with plastic3

Saving Steps 34

3 Plastic for shopping

Learning intention: Children will understand why plastic bags are not good for the environment.

Curriculum focus areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, English, ICT

Activity-resources: Plastic carriers from shops, a ‘bag for life’, a store card, video camera.

Introduction: Show the children a carrier. Explain that over the years people have used so many carriers that they are causing problems. Ask whether the children know why. Establish that to produce plastic requires non-renewable materials and energy, and that a problem with many plastics is that they do not rot and therefore cause problems with landfill.

Activity: Ask small groups to research the problems of over-use of carriers. Challenge them to make adverts that last no longer than 60 seconds which will give facts about carriers as well as encourage people to use ‘bags for life’.

Plenary: Perform the adverts. Discuss their effectiveness for giving information and for encouraging people to use bags for life. If possible, film the adverts for future use.

Sorting plastics

Learning intention: Children will sort plastics according to their properties.

Curriculum focus areas: Science, Design Technology

Activity-resources: Items made from plastic (e.g. clean, microwave-type food trays in a variety of colours, plastic bottles and cartons, carriers, plant pots, drinking cups); chart showing the symbols used for recycling plastics (see Section 1).

Introduction: Talk about the way materials are separated when sent to recycling centres. Look at the recycling symbol chart. Discuss from which types of plastic the items are likely to have been made.

Activity: Consider how the plastics might be sorted in a recycling centre. Write yes/no-type questions that could be used to sort the items.

Plenary: Sort and classify the items.

Saving Steps 35

3Activity 1: Show the children a jug of water mixed with soil. Tell them that in order for us to have clean water in our homes, water has to be cleaned. Examine the water in the jug. Talk about the dirt, small stones, etc. that it contains. Explain that part of treating water to make it suitable for use in our homes and schools is filtering it. Invite a child to pour most of the dirty water through a sieve, keeping a little for comparisons to be made later. Collect the water in a jug and examine the contents of the sieve. Show that bits have been removed but the water is still dirty. Ask how it could be improved. Pour the water through a funnel lined with filter paper. Compare the water with the original dirty sample.

Activity 2: Investigate other ways to filter water such as layering in a large funnel cotton wool, stones, gravel and finally sand. Could fabric be used?

Plenary: Talk about the way water is filtered, cleaned and treated with chemicals to make it suitable for use in homes, schools and businesses.

WATER

Water fact file

Learning intention: Children will develop their knowledge of the origins and uses of water.

Curriculum focus areas: Geography, Science

Activity-resources: Diagram showing the water cycle; water picture sheet, filter paper, funnel, clear plastic bottle, sample of water mixed with soil and small stones, jug.

Introduction: Share with the children interesting facts about water (see Section 1). Use the picture sheet to stimulate discussion about the way water is used. Also talk about the way water is provided for homes and schools and the energy implications.

Cloud Formation

Surface Runoff

Groundwater

Lakes

Precipitation

Impervious Layer

Condensing Cloud Vapour

EvaporationOcean contributes to

80% of total Water Vapour

The water cycle3

Using water3

Saving Steps 38

3

Activity 1: Tell the children that you would like them to find a good way to do hand-washing. Talk about variables such as water temperature, whether you rub or use a brush, size of stain, length of time for rubbing/brushing, etc. Talk about the need to do a fair test. Show the available equipment. Ask the children to design a fair test to find the best way to do hand-washing.

Activity 2: Find the best way to hand-wash stained squares of cotton.

Plenary: As a group decide on the best method to hand-wash. Use the method to wash the dirty clothing.

Water for washing

Learning intention: Children will investigate ways to hand-wash stains.

Curriculum focus area: Science

Activity-resources: Plain cotton fabric, ketchup, bottle paint, plastic bowls, soap, cold water, warm water, a timer, a dirty item of clothing with a label giving washing instructions for 40°C.

Introduction: Show the children the clothing. Talk about it being dirty and ask for ways to make it clean. What would happen to it at home? Talk about ways to wash clothes and examine the washing instructions. Tell children that although the label says 40°C many items can be cleaned if they are washed at a reduced temperature such as 30°C. Ask how this might help the environment. Also tell the children that some washing machines will not do half loads. Talk about the waste of water and energy if washing machines are not full.

Saving Steps 39

3 Electricity and gas for heat and light

Learning intention: Children will become more aware of the energy used for heat and light.

Curriculum focus areas: Maths, History

Activity-resources: Pictures of family life in the past (e.g. street scene with gas lights, homes lit by candles and heated with an open fire).

Introduction: Look around the classroom. How is it heated? How light is the room? Does it need electric lights? How many? Where are they placed? What kinds of lights are used?

Talk about heating and lighting in the past. What are the advantages/disadvantages of heating/lighting in the past? (e.g. candles – fire risk.)

Activity: As a group consider the lighting and heating for the room. Can single lights be put on? Are all the lights necessary? How bright do they need to be? Are they low energy? Where is the heating? How warm is the room? What recommendations would the group make if a new classroom was to be built? How could energy be saved for the current classroom?

Plenary: Share the group’s recommendations with the head teacher.

ELECTRICITY AND GAS

Electricity and gas fact file

Learning intention: Children will develop their knowledge of the origins and uses of electricity and natural gas.

Curriculum focus area: Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Activity-resources: Picture sheet, flip chart, information on heating and lighting (e.g. store websites/catalogues).

Introduction: Begin by playing ‘In my class/school there is ___ that uses electricity’. Children take it in turns to add an item to the sentence but have to repeat the ones said previously. Are all the electrical items essential? Where is gas used in school?

Activity: Talk to the children about the origins of natural gas and electricity. Help them to appreciate that they are valuable resources which need to be used sensibly. Look through catalogues to find information about lights and heat sources. Ask the children to evaluate the products. If the head teacher wanted an energy-efficient way to heat and light their office what would the children recommend?

Plenary: Share the recommendations. Ask the children to give reasons for their selections.

Using electricity and gas3

Saving Steps 41

3Activity: Go outside and make sketches of trees. Inside paint tree pictures on the card cut from cereal packets (use the clean inside rather than the shiny outside). When dry, give the pictures slogans that encourage people to protect trees by not wasting paper.

Plenary: Evaluate the pictures and slogans. Do they encourage people to use paper sensibly? Display pictures around the school where paper might be wasted. Save some of the pictures and slogans for the Saving Steps campaign (Section 5).

PAPER

Paper fact file

Learning intention: Children will develop their knowledge of the origins and uses of paper.

Curriculum focus areas: Art, English

Activity-resources: Information on the process of making new paper; cereal packets that have been flattened and cut into A4(ish)-sized pieces of card; paint and brushes.

Introduction: Make a list of items that could be found in school that are made from paper or card which is ‘stiff paper’. Explain how paper is made from trees.

Using paper3

Saving Steps 43

3Activity: Look at the biscuits and cereal. Discuss why the foods are packaged in both plastic and boxes. Are the boxes necessary? Encourage children to think of the disadvantages (wasting materials, trees) and advantages (box will stand up on a shelf, box provides protection). Explain that companies are trying to make their products more environmentally friendly by reducing the packaging and, where it is necessary, using recyclable materials if possible.

Challenge the children to design packaging for biscuits that is environmentally friendly.

Plenary: Share the designs. Can any of the packaging be reused? Are the materials recyclable? Has anyone added advice for recycling? Relate what has been discovered to packed lunches and possible wasted packaging.

Paper for packaging

Learning intention: Children will analyse paper used for packaging and consider whether it is necessary.

Curriculum focus area: Design Technology

Activity-resources: A packet of cereal and a packet of biscuits where the food is in a bag within a cardboard box; a vase wrapped in several layers of paper within a large, sealed box addressed to the school; A4 paper, pens and pencils.

Introduction: Show the children the box addressed to school. What do they think is in the box? Invite a child to open the box and reveal the vase. Explain that the vase is for the staff room. Ask why there is so much paper in the box and talk about packaging as a way to protect items sent through the post. Could the vase have been packaged differently? Some children may talk about polystyrene chips or bubble wrap. Would this have been better/worse?

Saving Steps 44

3 Paper for communicating

Learning intention: Children will understand why we need to use paper responsibly.

Curriculum focus areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, English, Maths

Activity-resources: A word-processed document that has large margins, large font size, double spacing and is printed on one side only; access to word processing.

Introduction: Remind children of how paper is made from trees and the time required to grow a tree. Show the group the document. Say that it does not show responsible use of paper. Together make a list of things that could have been done to make better use of the paper. Strategies might include smaller margins and font, single line spacing, double-sided printing, more concise writing.

Activity: Tell the children that when governments want to make changes they often need research to back up what they propose to do. In order to encourage the school to make better use of paper say that the possible savings that could be made need to be investigated. Ask the children to make labels that could be attached to computers or printers to give advice and also facts and figures – e.g. ‘Double-sided printing means you only need to use half the number of sheets of paper.’ Some children might like to investigate how small print can be made while still retaining its clarity.

Plenary: Share the paper-saving facts and figures. Attach the labels to the computers. (Note: Labels are recommended rather than posters in order that more paper is saved!)

Saving Steps 45

4

Activity: Examine the beans and lemonade labels. Do they show that the cans can be recycled? Talk about why it is good for the environment to recycle cans. Tell the children that although many people do recycle, some people need greater encouragement. Years ago, some schools bought rubbish bins in the shape of animals to encourage children to throw away litter. Explain that the school would like to recycle cans but the crates for collecting the cans are not very appealing. Ask for suggestions of how to make the crates more eye-catching. As a group decorate the crates to collect the tins and cans.

Plenary: Use the magnet to sort the empty food cans according to the metal from which they are made. Place the tins and cans in the crates.

Extension: Ask children over the coming week to notice where there are places to recycle cans. Encourage the children to look out for recycling bins close to cafes, food shops and other places where cans might be used or bought. Discuss what children do with empty cans if they have cans of drink on days out. Do they take them home to recycle? In small groups make radio adverts to encourage people to take rubbish home to recycle.

SECTION 4: LOOKING AHEADMETAL

Recycling cans

Learning intention: Children will collaborate to set up recycling bins for cans.

Curriculum focus areas: Science, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Activity-resources: Collection of clean, empty food and drinks cans; a tin of beans and one of lemonade with labels showing they can be recycled; large plastic or cardboard boxes; magnets; samples of aluminium and steel.

Introduction: Remind children of what they know about the origins of metals and the benefits of reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering metals. Watch ‘Metal cans: How are they recycled?’ accessed at www.recyclenow.com/how_is_it_recycled/cans.html How was the aluminium separated? How was the magnet used?

Saving Steps 46

4Activity 2: While there are probably fewer opportunities to use grey water in school than at home, there are things that can be done to make more efficient use of water. One area to consider is rainwater. Discuss possible uses for rainwater in school.

Design ways to collect rainwater. Over a rainy week, trial the methods. Which designs were the most efficient? Use the collected water to water plants.

Plenary: Discuss the way that water has been reused through activities 1 and 2. Are there also ways to reduce water use that children could recommend for the school?

WATER

Learning intention: Children will consider ways to reuse water.Curriculum focus areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Design Technology

Activity-resources: Postcard-sized pieces of scrap paper, pen, resources requested by the children for collecting rainwater.

Introduction: Remind children of the energy and time required to bring clean water to homes, schools and businesses. As a group list all the ways that water is used, in school, within a day. Write each use on a postcard-sized piece of scrap paper.

Activity 1: Ask if anyone knows what is meant by ‘grey water’. (Grey water is waste water that comes from activities such as washing clothes, dishes and bathing. Note, water from toilets is known as sewage or black water, not grey water.) Could any of the uses of water, written on the papers, be done with grey water? Sort the papers into a ‘must be clean water’ and a ‘could be grey water’ group. Discuss the proposed groupings. At home there is likely to be more grey water. How could children use this water? In pairs make up adverts to show how grey water could be used.

Plenary: Share the adverts. How many different ways did the group use grey water?

Saving Steps 47

4 Plastic bottle skittles

Learning intention: Children will reuse plastic bottles as skittles.

Curriculum focus areas: Science, Design Technology

Activity-resources: Clean, empty plastic bottles collected by the children over the previous two weeks; decorative materials (e.g. stickers, tape, colourful magazines), scissors, balls of a suitable weight to play skittles.

Introduction: Compare the bottles. Which ones can be squeezed? Which ones are transparent? What did the bottles contain? Do any have recycle labels on them?

Activity: Select some of the bottles to reuse as skittles. Which bottles could be knocked over easily with a ball? Are any impossible to knock over? How can the bottles be decorated to make them attractive?

Plenary: Play skittles.

PLASTIC

Carrier bag footballs

Learning intention: Children will reuse carrier bags as footballs.

Curriculum focus area: Design Technology

Activity-resources: Unwanted plastic carrier bags, tape, ruler, scissors.

Introduction: Remind children of the problems caused by excessive use of carrier bags. Show the children a ‘bag for life’ and talk about its benefits. Look at the carriers and discuss possible uses for them. Could they be reused? Are some of the carriers torn? Do these still have a use?

Activity: Challenge the children to reuse the carriers as footballs. Discuss the design criteria the balls will need to meet, to be suitable for play. Tell the children they may use carriers, up to 30cm of sticky tape and scissors.

PlenaryExamine the balls. Do they meet the design criteria? Could children use them for football or to play catch? Is it a good use of carrier bags?

Saving Steps 48

4

Measure a door width so the children know how long their excluders need to be. Invite the children to select the item of clothing that they would like to reuse. Ask them to make a design on paper and list the additional materials they might require.

Activity 2: Use the plans to make draught excluders.

Plenary: Evaluate the draught excluders. Which ones lay well against the door? Are some of the excluders too light to make a real difference? Which designs are the most attractive? Which ones made the best use of the clothes?

ELECTRICITY AND GAS

Draught excluders

Learning intention: Children will become aware of reducing draughts as a way to save heat energy.

Curriculum focus area: Design Technology

Activity-resources: Clean clothes which are no longer suitable for wearing; needles, thread, decorative materials, scissors, paper, pencils/pens.

Introduction: Talk to the children about ways to save heat energy during the winter, such as drawing curtains at dusk, reducing heat loss under doors by using draught excluders, or wearing an extra layer of clothes and turning heating down.

Activity 1: Show the children the clothes that are no longer suitable for wearing. Say that you would like to make draught excluders. Talk about how items such as long sleeves or legs from trousers might be useful to lay along the bottoms of doors. Could other parts of the clothes be used as stuffing?

Saving Steps 49

4Activity: Show the children a picture of a roof covered with solar panels. Ask the children what they think of the panels. Does anyone live in a home which uses solar power?

Ask the children to consider whether they think solar panels would be useful for the school. When could they be used? If the school was to have panels, where should they be placed? Provide access to the internet for children to carry out research and present their findings. Remind them that when doing research it is important to back views with evidence and to look for both advantages and disadvantages.

PlenaryShare the findings. As a group would they recommend solar power? Ask the children, over the coming week, to research other alternative sources of energy such as wind or wave power. Does anyone have bike lights that are powered by a dynamo? Talk about wind-up torches and radios.

Renewable energy sources – solar power

Learning intention: Children will understand how solar power can be beneficial.

Curriculum focus areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, ICT

Activity-resources: Access to the internet; solar-powered calculator and other items that use solar power; picture of a home with solar panels on the roof.

Introduction: Ask whether anyone knows what solar power is. Help the children to understand that solar power is where sunlight is converted into useful energy such as heat or electricity.

Show the children the solar-powered items. Discuss the benefits of using solar power, such as not needing to use batteries. Explain that solar power can also be used on a larger scale. For example, solar power is used as the energy source in some places, rather than a conventional power plant which burns fossil fuels.

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4Challenge the children to design new games that are based on electrical ones but that will not require electricity. Within the design ask children to give the rules for their games and the resources they would require to make them.

Activity 2: Make the games.

Plenary: Play and evaluate the games. Could they be improved? How do they compare with versions that use electricity? What are the benefits of using the designed game?

Non-electrical games

Learning intention: Children will design and make games that do not require electricity.

Curriculum focus areas: ICT, Design Technology

Activity-resources: An iPad or iPod with examples of age-appropriate games such as ‘Paper Toss’; materials requested by the children to make the games they design; paper, pens/pencils.

Introduction: Discuss games that the children like to play on the computer, mp3 player, tablet PC or with other electrical equipment. Why do the children enjoy playing them? How often do they play them?

Activity 1: Explain that one disadvantage of playing games that use electricity is that, unless the game is solar powered, the games are wasteful of valuable non-renewable energy. Show or describe the game ‘Paper Toss’, where paper is thrown into a bin while a wind fan blows at different speeds from a variety of directions. The player has to predict the paper’s path in order that it lands in the bin. Ask the children how the game could be played with a real bin and paper. What could be used instead of an electric fan?

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4 Recycled collages

Learning intention: Children will use waste paper such as junk mail, utility bill and bank statement envelopes and colour supplement magazines to make collages.

Curriculum focus area: Art

Activity-resources: Junk mail, utility bill and bank statement envelopes, colour supplement magazines, glue, scissors, A5-sized used paper.

Introduction: Look at pictures of famous artwork that could be seen in art galleries. Which pictures do the children like best? Why? What art techniques have been used?

Activity: Explain that at the end of the Saving Steps project there will be an art exhibition in which all the pictures are made from collage using papers that have already been used. Show the group the magazines, junk mail and envelopes. Challenge the group to make A5-sized collages for a given theme (e.g. the seasons, space, gardens).

Plenary: When finished, review the collages. Point out good use of materials.

Reusing paper to make books

Learning intention: Children will use paper that is clean on only one side to make books.

Curriculum focus area: Design Technology

Activity-resources: Paper that is clean on one side (e.g. till receipts, office paper, worksheets).

Introduction: Show the children the paper that is only clean on one side. Discuss why it would have been better to use both sides. Demonstrate how to make an origami book such that the used paper can no longer be seen.

Activity 1: Challenge the children to make origami books. What is the smallest book that can be made? Can books be made from till receipts? Could the book be adapted to have more pages?

Activity 2: Use a book to write a story that focuses on recycling or recovering materials.

Plenary: Share the books.

1. Cut here (fold in half widthways to make the cut.)

Clear side Used side

3. 4.2.

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4Activity: Recycle newspaper.

Method:1. Tear about eight pages of a newspaper into small pieces and place in a large container.2. Add about four cups of water. (More may be needed depending upon how absorbent the paper is.) Pulp the paper by pulling it apart in the water. 3. Drain the pulp. Spread it out on plastic lids, press firmly and leave it to dry in a sunny area. The pulp should dry to form a rough cardboard.

Note: This activity will cause hands and containers to be stained.

PlenaryWhen made, compare the recycled card with the original paper. Challenge the children, at home, to try to recycle other types of paper and perhaps investigate ways to make thinner paper that would be more similar to the original paper. Set up bins to recycle paper

Research recycled paper

Learning intention: Children will understand that using recycled, as opposed to new paper is beneficial for the environment.

Curriculum focus areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Science

Activity-resources: Newspaper, old bowls (which may become stained), plastic lids from margarine-type tubs, samples of recycled paper.

Introduction: Remind children how paper is made. Talk about the trees required and the energy used to make new paper. Compare the facts with what is required to recycle paper.

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4 Recovering materials

Learning intention: Children will understand that when recycling and recovering resources it is important to separate the materials.

Curriculum focus area: Science

Activity-resources: A bin of clean rubbish, equipment requested by the children.

Introduction: Watch ‘How does recycling work?’ found at www.recyclemetals.org/metals_and_me Talk about the way different materials can be separated and extracted. Discuss using a fan, a magnet, seeing what floats/sinks, using infra-red light. What could be separated?

Activity: Show the children the contents of the bin. Tell them to imagine that there were many more bins filled with a similar quantity of waste. Ask the children to suggest ways to sort the contents. Which methods would be the most efficient and which would be the most reliable?

Plenary: Use the suggestions to sort the contents of the bin.

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5Write letters to parents, local councillors and/or the Member of Parliament: Talk with the children about the key facts that they have learnt from carrying out the Saving Steps research, investigations and activities. Decide on the issues that they would like to pass on. This might include persuading people to recycle waste electronic and electrical equipment or asking the council to improve recycling facilities. Help the children to base their letters on evidence and to be persuasive.

Class awards: Each Friday present a certificate to the class that has produced the least rubbish.

(Continued on page 56)

SECTION 5: SAVING STEPS CAMPAIGN

The Saving Steps campaign gives children the opportunity to share the knowledge they have gained about non-renewable resources and the importance of reducing, reusing, recovering and recycling resources. The following list gives ideas for a variety of activities from which to select the ones that suit the needs of a school, key stage or class. The aim for all the activities is to raise awareness and help children, families and friends to show increasing thought for the future.

Hold an assembly: With the children plan an assembly. Include facts about non-renewable resources, ways to save energy and advice on how to reduce, reuse, recover and recycle resources. Some children might like to show the games that they made to replace electrical ones, demonstrate their bottle skittles and bag footballs and show their clothing draught excluders. Ideas for saving energy could be explained through doing adverts. The adverts to encourage people to use ‘bags for life’ could also be shown.

Certificate awarded to

for the week beginning

Signed:

Waste AwardReduce Reuse Recycle Recover

SECTION 5: SAVING STEPS CAMPAIGN (Continued)

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5Saving Steps fair: Hold a fair with games focusing on ideas and themes from the Saving Steps project. Examples include: bowling skittles made from plastic bottles; ball games with balls made from bags; paper tossing into a bin; fishing with magnets; sorting materials in the quickest possible time. Have stalls for notebooks made from recycled paper; plants grown in yogurt pots, unwanted clothes, books and toys. Display energy-saving facts and information on recycling. Prior to the fair investigate where unwanted electrical items, batteries, cans, jewellery, etc. could be recycled. At the fair make bins available for people to deposit these no longer needed items. If the fair is to raise funds involve the children in choosing how the money should be used.

Art exhibition: Hold an art exhibition where the exhibits are made from waste paper and card.

Hold a swapping day: Encourage the children to appreciate the value of reusing items by holding a swapping event. Give the event a theme such as books, clothes or toys. On the day invite children to bring to school an item that fits with the theme, is in good condition but no longer wanted. Lay out the items in a large area. Provide time for the children to look at the items and decide what they might like to have. Tell the children that if more than one child would like a particular item the decision for who receives it will be made by rolling a dice with the highest number winning. To ensure the event runs smoothly seek additional donations of items to be reused.

Energy footprint promise: Talk about energy footprints. Explain that energy footprints are a measure of the effect that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced. Carbon footprints are usually given as units of carbon dioxide. Remind the children that activities, such as burning fossil fuels to produce energy, or sending plastic carriers to landfill sites all produce greenhouse gases. Invite each child to draw around their own foot and write a promise for the future of how they will be more responsible. Measures could include switching off lights or not leaving a television on stand-by. Display the footprints around the school.

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5Acknowledgements:Author: Rachel Sparks LinfieldDesign & Illustration: Andrew RobertsProduced for Sims Group UK Limited byMagenta Project Management Ltd, www.magentaonline.co.ukRef M12/207

(c) Sims Group UK Limited 2012

Sims Group UK LimitedLong MarstonStratford-upon-AvonWarwickshireUnited KingdomCV37 8AQ

Useful information on saving energy, resources and recycling

Websiteswww.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Heating-and-hot-water/Saving-money-on-hot-water/Saving-waterProvides information on energy-saving products.

www.alliantenergykids.com/EnergyBasics/AllAboutNaturalGas/000519Provides facts and games for children.

www.simsmm.com uk.simsrecycling.com/weee-recycling-servicesProvides useful information on recycling and sustainability.

www.ecodriver.co.ukProvides information on the ecoDriver initiative.

Clips to use with children

Plastic bottles: How are they recycled? www.recyclenow.com/how_is_it_recycled/plastic_bottles.html

Mike Biddle: We can recycle plastic www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/mike_biddle.html

Where do metals come from? www.recyclemetals.org/metals_and_me

What’s recycling got to do with me? www.recyclemetals.org/metals_and_me

Metal cans: How are they recycled? www.recyclenow.com/how_is_it_recycled/cans.html

How does recycling work? www.recyclemetals.org/metals_and_me