Pilot GCSE - People as Consumers

Lesson plan 3 - What a Waste!

Title: Why do people hold different views? (Part 1)

Duration: 2 hours plus homework

Aims:

  • To develop independent and collaborative research skills.
  • To create an awareness and understanding of the different approaches to waste management.

Materials and Resources:

  • Internet access
  • Website list
  • Research guidance sheet

Content:

  • Teacher led presentation introducing the different approaches to waste management and to provide an overview. To include a recap of the concept of sustainability (covered at KS3).
  • Teacher explains research task, emphasising the need for in depth research and to prepare a presentation for the class.
  • Teacher makes explicit that part of this enquiry is concerned with what people say they believe and what they actually do.
  • Working in groups students research one of the approaches to waste management in depth. Students are provided with a list of web sites and guidance on researching information.
  • Students prepare presentation on their waste management approach - could be spoken, written, PowerPoint

Homework:

On-going research on allocated waste management approach

Differentiation By:

  • Outcome
  • Support
  • Resource
  • Grouping

Assessment:

  • The depth and quality of research undertaken by the students.
  • Ability to make notes as part of research.

Specification Requirements met:

OCR Pilot GCSE Geography – Unit 3 People as Consumers – The impact of our decisions - 3.1.0, 3.5.1, 3.5.2

What a Waste! - Websites

These websites have been identified as being useful for researching approaches to waste management and sustainability. Some sites contain information on more than one approach and are listed more than once. Information on local approaches to waste management, and examples (case studies) can also be researched using various news websites. The web sites should be checked prior to use as websites do change! List prepared 23 May 2004.

Recycling

- focuses on the recycling of aluminium

- General website on recycling – detailed information on which products can be recycled.

- Community recycling projects. Especially useful to identify projects in the local area.

- Clearly written information on waste management and recycling.

- A fun website on glass recycling

- A website promoting recycling within schools

- UK Environment Agency website covering a range of waste management approaches.

- covers a range of waste management approaches in an easy-to-follow format

- focuses on factual information about recycling a range of products.

Converting waste to energy

- case study of Biogas

- Production of energy from waste

Incineration

- UK Environment Agency website covering a range of waste management approaches

- covers a range of waste management approaches in an easy-to-follow format

- European Commission website, identifying legislation relating to incineration of waste products.

- Friends of the Earth website on incineration and landfill issues.

- links relating to incineration.

Landfill

- UK Environment Agency website covering a range of waste management approaches

- covers a range of waste management approaches in an easy-to-follow format

- information regarding the UK landfill Directive

- Friends of the Earth website on incineration and landfill issues.

Sustainability

- promotes sustainability to schools.

Additional Information

Many of the global organisations have environmental statements, policies and information contained within their websites. This helps link to the globalisation aspects of the OCR Pilot GCSE Geography. Students are likely to relate particularly to the following global organisations:

The Internet gives you access to masses of information. To carry out your research effectively you need to consider some key points before you start:

  • Decide exactly what it is you are looking for – or at least the topic!
  • What key words are important to your chosen topic? These may be useful in searching.
  • Use a reliable search engine – Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves are a good starting point. Do you want to search across the whole web or just sites in the UK?
  • Sometimes a search is more effective to search using speech marks. For example, searching for recycling cans will produce a list of web pages that contain the words recycling and cans. However searching for ‘recycling cans’ will give you a list of websites containing that exact phrase, which will hopefully be more useful!
  • When you have carried out your search look at each document – think...

Is it relevant? Will I be able to understand it? Some websites are written for specialists in the subject and the website may use terminology (specialist words) that you are not familiar with. Some specialist sites may go into too much detail for what you need.

It is important to put information into your own words. Read the article and then make notes on what you can remember – this is a good way of starting to write in your own words. If you need to highlight – copy the text and put it into a Word document, then use the highlighting tool as you read through – saves on the ink and paper needed for printing!

  • When you are reading articles think about any bias – is the article trying to put across one particular viewpoint or set of values? It is important when presenting an argument to consider more than one point of view.
  • Keep a list of the URLs where you obtain information – you may need to include them in a bibliography.

GOOD LUCK!

Jane Girlow and Justin SheppardPage 1downloaded from: