Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: Identifying energy

20 minutes

Find Out: Let’s explore different types of energy used in the recycling process

20 minutes

Take Action: Compare the energy consumption of recycling vs new bottle production

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

continue to develop their understanding of the resources used in manufacturing a plastic bottle
compare the energy involved in creating a plastic bottle with new or recycled materials.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify types of potential and kinetic energy used in the manufacturing process for a plastic bottle
explain how scientific knowledge is used to support recycling as a sustainable process.

Tune In: Identifying energy

Step 1

In the previous lesson, we explored the physical properties of materials in the recycling process.

Introduce the concept of energy by screening the following clip:

What is Energy? (youtube.com/watch?v=Q4M-q8fiJ2I)

Step 2

Reinforce with students that energy is the ability to do work. There are two forms of energy: Kinetic and Potential. Kinetic Energy is energy types that move (movement, electrical, sound, light, wind and heat). Potential Energy is stored energy (elastic, chemical and gravitational energy).

Step 3

Refer to the Student Worksheet and invite students to provide as many everyday examples of each form of energy as possible. Remind students about the information provided in the clip. Some examples have been provided here to guide students if needed:

movement energy: walking, running, rolling.
wind energy: high and low pressure, causing air to move
electrical energy: electricity moving through wires
sound energy: talking, waves crashing
light energy: sunlight, light bulbs, reflectors (not generating light energy but moving it)
heat energy: a burning fire turning chemical energy into heat energy
elastic energy: a bow pulled back, waiting to release an arrow
gravitational energy: a skateboarder standing at the top of a halfpipe about to drop in
chemical energy: a battery, food, coal

Learning support: If your students find this too abstract, choose a specific scenario, for example, a breeze blowing through trees and draw it out on the board. What are the types of energy in this scenario? We start with wind energy, and some of that goes to movement energy and makes the branches blow around, and some of the energy goes to sound energy, and we can hear the leaves rustle. The air also picks up heat energy from the trees and the earth, causing air to rise, creating wind energy again.

Find Out: Let’s explore different types of energy used in the recycling process

Step 1

Now that we know about and can identify different types of energy let’s apply this knowledge to recycling processes and identify the different types of energy used to recycle a material. In the previous lesson, we looked at the different physical properties of the materials used in recycling. Now, let’s explore the energy it takes to extract these materials into a useable product.

Select 2 or more of the clips below to show your students.

Steel Magnet (vimeo.com/265483053/5c0249b216)
Trommel (vimeo.com/265482728/1156d4cb50)
Bounce (vimeo.com/265482677/0a3b4b25f6)
Eddy Current (vimeo.com/265482621/2250d3b640)
Angled Star Screen (vimeo.com/265482575/fa53eb75bc)
Presort (vimeo.com/265482545/0b46c291be)

Step 2

After each clip, invite students to record in the space provided on the Student Worksheet the different types of energy being used to sort the materials.

Take Action: Compare the energy consumption of recycling vs new bottle production

Step 1

Recap with your students that types of energy cannot be destroyed. Instead, energy is converted from one type to another. For example, in a battery-powered torch, chemical energy inside the battery converts into electrical energy which then converts into light and heat energy.

Complete The Energy of Recycling Flowchart with your students by labelling the energy types used when plastic pellets are manufactured into a plastic bottle.

Step 2

Ask your students, ‘Which do you think requires more energy? Creating new plastic, or recycling plastic?’ You may like to record some of the student’s thinking

Split your class into groups of 3 - 4 students. Assign half of the groups ‘new plastic’ and the other half ‘recycled plastic’. One half will focus on energy consumed when producing plastic pellets from raw materials and the other half will focus on energy consumed to produce pellets from recycled plastic production.

Instruct students to watch the clips below ahead of completing their corresponding chart:

New Plastic: How Plastic is Made (youtube.com/watch?v=Y7e2yHxZl3A)
Recycled plastic: How Are Plastics Recycled (youtube.com/watch?v=apOgE88Q8fs)

Step 3

Invite students to share their ideas on energy consumption and facilitate a class discussion about the key differences between the two processes.

Reflection

Reflecting on what we know about plastic recycling, do you think it is feasible to stop producing plastic from raw materials?

If yes, explain your answer. If no, what changes would we need to see to make this feasible?

Visy Education - The Energy of Recycling

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables

Visy Education - The Energy of Recycling

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables