Episode 10 Teacher Resource 1st May 2018 Composting Awareness

1. Before watching the BTN story, discuss in pairs what you already Students will investigate the benefits of composting and create a school know about . composting system to reduce 2. What three things help start the composting process… organic . a. Bacteria

b. Insects c. Fungi d. All of the above

3. What sort of fertiliser do the kids add to their compost? Health and Physical Education – 4. Explain what worms, slugs and other insects do to improve the Years 3 & 4 compost’s texture? Describe strategies to make the classroom and playground healthy, 5. How does compost help our garden? safe and active spaces. 6. Complete this sentence. Food that end up in create ______gas. HASS – Year 4 Reflect on learning to propose 7. What is the name of the toxic sludge that forms when water from actions in response to an issue or food scraps is combined with other landfill? challenge and consider possible 8. Why is it important to compost? effects of proposed actions.

9. How has your thinking changed since watching the BTN story? Science – Year 4 10. Illustrate an aspect of this story. Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive.

Science – Year 6 The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical Class Discussion conditions of their environment. Discuss the BTN Composting Awareness story as a class, using the following questions to guide the discussion. Record the main points on a mind map with `Compost’ at the centre. • What is compost? Come up with a class definition. • How is compost made? • What are the benefits of compost? • What impact can compostable material have on landfill? • What surprising information did you learn in the BTN story?

Key Words Students will develop a glossary of words and terms that relate to compost. Below are some words to get them started. Students will add words and meanings to their glossary as they come across unfamiliar words throughout their research.

©ABC 2018 Nutrients Bacteria Decomposed Landfill

Methane Leachate Organic material Compost

Kosta’s Guide to composting Students watch Kosta’s guide to composting to help understand the process of making compost. • Where should the compost bin be positioned? • Why is it important for the compost bin to be in direct contact with the soil? • What is the brown team? Give examples of material in that team. Why are they important? • What is the green team? Give examples of materials in that team. Why are they important? • What does Kosta mean when he says `use your nose as a guide’? • What things should not be put into compost bins?

How to make compost Before starting up your own school compost hold a class discussion. Here are some discussion starters: • What is compost? • Why compost? What are the benefits of making compost? What are the benefits of using compost? • What sort of things can you put in a compost bin? What can’t be put in compost? Why? Students can have a go at this interactive game. • Predict what will happen to organic matter that is put in a compost bin? • Why make compost at your school? Discuss how compost can help economically and environmentally.

Making compost Develop a method for collecting and composting organic waste and explain how this will help to reduce the total amount of waste produced at your school. Create posters to illustrate what types of food scraps can be put into a compost system. Discuss with students how they can communicate their plans to reduce waste to the whole school community (school assembly or newsletter). Here is a fact sheet about setting up a composting system in your school. Clean Up Australia also has a fact sheet about composting organic waste. Discuss with students how they could reduce the amount of waste produced at school (apart from composting organic matter). Here are some ideas:

• Bring less rubbish in their lunches. Nude food days or free lunches are a great way to do this. The following websites have more information about them - Wipe Out Waste and Sustainable Schools • Set up a system in classrooms, the school admin area and staffroom. • Create a worm farm using waste from students and school staff

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Watch the following BTN stories to find out how the amount of waste we produce can be reduced.

Fashion waste 1. On average, how many kilograms of clothes do Australians buy each year? 2. What is `fast fashion’? 3. Name a country where `fast fashion’ is made. 4. What are the conditions like for clothing factory workers in those countries? 5. What do you do with your unwanted clothes? 6. What impact does clothing waste have on the environment? 7. What can be done to reduce the amount of clothing waste?

Wipe Out Waste 1. Every year, Australians throw out around ______million tonnes of waste? 2. What are students at Star of the Sea school doing to reduce waste? 3. Why are the students planning to do more nude food? 4. What advice do the students give to reduce the amount of waste we produce? 5. Why do the schools have an audit every term? 6. What does your school do to reduce the amount of waste produced?

War on Waste 1. What was the mission that the kids in the BTN story set themselves? 2. What inspired them to go on this mission? 3. Australia is one of the biggest producers of trash in the world. True or false? 4. What reusable items did the students buy? 5. What is nude food? 6. What are the benefits of having nude food at school? Try having your own nude food day. 7. What does your school already do to reuse and recycle? 8. How well do you know the 5 Rs? Discuss as a class.

Landfill 1. What is landfill? 2. What sorts of materials are banned from landfill? 3. What is between each layer of rubbish? 4. What gases are released as rubbish decomposes? 5. In some countries, methane is being used to generate what? 6. What do you think is the long-term impact of using ?

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International Compost Awareness Week - Compost Week http://www.compostweek.com.au/core/

ABC Gardening Australia – Get Composting http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/get-composting/9437492

Gardening Australia – Compost http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/compost/9433472

Clean Up Australia – What is Composting? http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/LivingGreener/composting.html

The Waste Wise Schools Program - Composting in Schools https://www.edex.com.au/index.php/downloads/dl/file/id/295/composting_fact_sheet.pdf

BTN – Landfill http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3953606.htm

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