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Topic: 6B Micro-organisms
80,000 green bins worth of rubbish ‘recycled' by British homes has turned up unsorted in Indonesia. The 500 tonnes of waste was falsely described as waste paper by exporters. This activity gets children to think about effective reuse and recycling methods, taking into account the properties of materials. Children will consider how some materials can change or decay over time and the factors that can affect it.
An Upd8 task designed for CCEA (Northern Ireland) in line with the Revised Curriculum requirements for the World Around Us and Thinking Skills & Personal Capabilities.
You will need Acrobat
Reader installed to open the activity sheets.
You will also need the latest version of the flash player to be able to play swf files.
· To learn about ways in which materials can be grouped
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on Page 1 successfully
· To think about the process of biological decay and how it can be managed/ speeded up/ slowed down
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on Page 3 successfully
· To apply knowledge and understanding of properties of materials to reusing and recycling
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on Page 4 successfully
Science:
Revision of Unit 3C Characteristics of Materials
· to identify a range of common materials and that the same material is used to make different objects
· to compare everyday materials and objects on the basis of their material properties
Unit 6B: Micro-organisms
· that micro-organisms bring about decay
· that decay can be beneficial
· that micro-organisms which cause decay are living organisms
Scientific enquiry
· consider what sources of information, including first-hand experience and a range of other sources might be used to answer questions
· use a wide range of methods to communicate data in an appropriate and systematic manner.
Introducing the activity
· Display page 1 through a projector or as an OHT. Read through the introductory paragraph and ask questions such as:
What do we mean by recyclable waste? Are there any items shown in the diagram that could be put into one group? What properties do these items have in common?
Discuss various ways of presenting the data given in the table. If appropriate challenge the children working either individually or in groups to present the data in a suitable way.
Leading the main activity
· Display the illustration and text on page 2 through a projector or as an OHT. Using this as a stimulus, discuss with the children the idea of microorganisms breaking down plant material to form compost. Emphasise the idea that the microorganisms are living things that use the plant material as food. To work quickly the microorganisms need air, water and a suitable temperature.
Discussion starter
§ How is what the microorganisms need to grow and live similar to what other living things need?
§ Why is compost good for growing plants in?
· Display page 3 through a projector or as an OHT. Print off copies for the children as appropriate. Ask the children to discuss in pairs or small teams the various suggestions for speeding up or slowing down the composting process. Take feedback from the teams asking the children to support their views with scientific ideas and reasoning. The task could be extended by asking the children to research suggestions for making compost, using books or the Internet, and comparing these to their views.
· Display page 4 through a projector or as an OHT. Ask the children to consider how objects may be suitable for reuse in different applications. Encourage the children to think about the properties of the materials that the items are made from and to explain how these properties make the item suitable for a different use.
Possible practical science investigation
There are many different types of plastic. The type used to make yoghurt pots is not the same as the type used to make bottles. How can we sort different plastics?
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