Waste Not, Want Not

A Year 11 module from the Salters’ Key Stage Four double award science course. The breakdown of domestic waste is observed. A text exercises describes the processes used in a waste water plant. Natural cycles, including the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle are studied. Finally, students consider the extent to which household materials could be re-used or re-cycled. The decay of household waste is observed and the process of compost-making is studied. Estimates of water usage in the home reveal the scale of waste-water treatment needed and a text exercise describes the processes used providing an example of beneficial actions of bacteria.

Processes which transfer carbon dioxide to or from the atmosphere are described and the carbon cycle is illustrated through processes on a farm. The greenhouse effect is revised.
Tests on plant material illustrate the need for nitrogen in plant growth. Root nodules are examined, revising techniques for plating bacteria. Students then complete a flowchart of the nitrogen cycle.

The module closes with a classification exercise on domestic waste and a discussion of re-use or re-cycling of materials.

Section 1: What happens to waste?
The decay of household waste is observed and the process of compost-making is studied. Estimates of water usage in the home reveal the scale of waste-water treatment needed and a text exercise describes the processes used providing an example of beneficial action of bacteria.

Section 2: Where does all the carbon go?
Processes which transfer carbon dioxide to of from the atmosphere are described and the carbon cycle is illustrated through processes on a farm. The greenhouse effect is revised.

Section 3: Where there’s muck, there’s nitrogen!
Tests on plant material illustrate the need for nitrogen in plant growth. Root nodules are examined, revising techniques for plating bacteria. Students then complete a flow-chart of the nitrogen cycle.

Section 4: Why waste waste?
The module closes with a classification exercise on domestic waste and a discussion of re-use or re-cycling of materials.