Materials for the class

-Protective gloves for picking trash for each students.
– Plastic bags for collecting it.
– Paper (or whatever material suits) for signs.
-Pen and papers.

Different objects that you can find a documented breakdown time, in nature. Also signs with the time of its breakdown written.
Example:
Toilet Paper  2-4 weeks
Newspaper   6 weeks
Apple  2 months
Plastic bag 1-20 years
Chewing Gum 20-25 years
Glas – never!
and so on…

Teacher brings objects that is suitable for the numbers of students in class.

Layout of the classroom

Tables situated in such a fashion that groups can walk freely between them when choosing which sign to pick and stand next to. The exercise is also combined with outside activity (walking).

Phase 1

The teacher comes with several A4 papers. On each  paper there is a word: glass bottle, apple, banana, metal fork, wooden chair, Lamp, Newspaper, Letter B, World, Plastic bag, School, Home, Friend, Help, Nature etc…

The teacher collects all students in a circle and count from 1 to 4.
Those who get number one is group number 1.
Those who get number two is group number 2.
Those who get number three is group number 3.
Those who get number four is group number 4.

Each group stands in one corner of the classroom. The teacher stands in the middle of the classroom and shows the A4 papers one by one. When it is Banana then every group should create a banana with the help of their group members bodies. When each group finish it freezes and then they move on to another word. Some words can be difficult or abstarct therefore the teacher should give more time that the students can accomplish the task. But, in anycase the time for each word should not be more than 20 seconds.

Phase 2

After the first game the teacher brings real objects and gives one object to each group.

The teacher puts several signs with years, months and days. Then he/she asks the groups to stand by the sign that they think matches the time of breakdown for their object.

The teacher gives the answer after all groups stand next to the sign that they believe. If the groups guessed wrong they can move the correct sign after the teacher reveals the answers.

Tips to the teacher: Discussion about why breakingdown of some object takes longer time than others.

Phase 3

Take the whole class outside, maybe to a forest if possible. Now they will have a better understanding about breakdown in nature. The teacher hands out gloves and bags to each group. Then tell them to within 15 minutes try to gather trash worth of 500 years of breakdown combined.

Each group comes back and hand out their plastic bag to the teacher. Together with the students the teacher counts the years that’s combined with the objects within the plastic bag.

Tips to the teacher: Discuss within each group the reasons for recycling the object they’ve been handed.

Phase 4

The teacher says that one student in each group will play the “troublemaker”. The troublemaker is suppose to make up excuses for why he/she doesn’t want to dispose trash the correct way.

– Example “I’m too tired to go down to the supermarket and recycle this… I’ll just throw it out the window instead!” Then the group for that object will act as protector of nature and tell the troublemaker why it’s important to recycle.

Phase 5

The teacher can suggest to the students to visit a recyling center near the school area. They can arrange some questions to ask the people who work in the recycling center and ask them when they visit.