Lesson 3: Protecting the planet

Display the Presentation: Brain dump and hand out whiteboards and pens. Allow the children three minutes to note down everything they recall about recycling, which they have learnt about in previous lessons, such as RSE & PSHE, Year 4, Citizenship: Lesson 2: Caring for the environment. Take feedback and write down the children's ideas on the board.

Remind the children that the waste hierarchy is like a ladder that helps us think about the best ways to help the environment:

• At the top of the ladder (or the best action we can take) is to reduce waste by reducing our consumption. If we do need to buy something new, we should purchase items that will last a long time.
• The next best option is to reuse items when possible.
• We should recycle materials only when we cannot reuse them (as recycling has an energy cost).

• Things should only be thrown away if there is no other option.

Emphasise that the best thing we can do for the environment is to reduce our consumption (i.e. the number of new things we buy).