We've collected some helpful resources for KS3 and KS4 science teachers. We'll be refreshing our content regularly so keep an eye out for new materials!
Lifecycle assessment
Circular Economy Resources is a fantastic hub of lesson plans and activities for teaching about sustainability in secondary schools. Here they have a set of lessons looking at life cycle assessments. Students will learn about the environmental impacts of each stage of industrial processes, from extraction of raw materials, energy used and waste produced.
- Lesson 1 introduces stages of LCA using common household items
- Lesson 2 compares the LCA of different building materials
Biobased economy
They also have this set of lessons for teaching about the biobased economy. Students will consider the impact of using fossil fuels in the production of goods and what alternatives exist.
- Lesson 1 compares the petrochemical industry and biobased economy
- Lesson 2 outlines challenges associated with the biobased economy
Circular Economy Resources has also helpfully produced this document highlighting where each topic links to the national curriculum.
Think Cans
Think Cans have created these 60-minute lesson plans for KS3 and KS4. They contain lesson plans, worksheet and presentations on the topic of the aluminium industry from extraction to production and recycling.
Students will:
- Look at aluminium production from raw materials and recycled waste;
- Compare the two production routes for energy efficiency and waste production;
- Look at the processes inside the aluminium recycling facility and learn about science-based jobs within the recycling plant.
What's on in your mobile?
For students studying the periodic table and its elements, The Great Recovery have put together this fantastic video showing all the different elements that make up the components of your mobile phone.
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They've also attached this blog post with useful information on the subject.
External Source: The Great Recovery
Redesigning Plastics
These 2 40-minute lesson plans from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation look at how we use plastics in everyday life, what happens to our plastic waste, the circular economy and how we can move away from reduce, reuse, recycle to redesign waste right out of the system.
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External Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Waste Management
For students studying AQA GCSE Biology, BBC Bitesize has a page dedicated to revising the unit on Biodiversity and the effect of human interaction on ecosystems, including a page dedicated to waste management that covers water, air and land pollution and land use. As well as revision notes, it includes tests to practice your knowledge of the unit.