The 5Rs and scram!
This is a level 2 and 3 mathematics in science contexts activity from the Figure It Out series. A PDF of the student activity is included.
About this resource
Figure It Out is a series of 80 books published between 1999 and 2009 to support teaching and learning in New Zealand classrooms.
This resource provides the teachers’ notes and answers for one activity from the Figure It Out series. A printable PDF of the student activity can be downloaded from the materials that come with this resource.
Specific learning outcomes:
- Using language that relates to environmental resources.
The 5Rs and scram!
Required materials
- Figure It Out, Levels 2+–3+, Sustainability, "The 5Rs and scram!", pages 1–3
- game words, word meanings, judge's sheet, word and meanings sheet (see Scram CM)
- coloured sticky notes
- 30 5Rs cards (see The 5Rs CM)
- classmates
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Scram activity (.pdf)
- Scram CM (.pdf)
- The 5Rs activity (.pdf)
- The 5Rs CM (.pdf)
Activity
Game (The 5Rs)
A card game that introduces ways of recycling household items or reducing our use of resources.
Game (Scram!)
A game that helps you understand words about the environment and resources.
1.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| water | A liquid that animals and plants need to live. |
| resources | Materials or energy from the environment that are used to meet human needs or wants. |
| air | What we need in order to breathe. |
| renewable | Can be replaced by growing, making, or collecting more. |
| environment | The world we live in. |
| recharge | Replace used-up power. |
| reduce | Cut down on the amount of rubbish we produce. |
| repair | Replace or mend a faulty part. |
| reuse | Use more than once. |
| biodegradeable | Decomposes or breaks down. |
| non-renewable | Can’t be replaced after it has been used. |
| waste | Any material that is discarded. |
| recycle | Use waste materials to make new products. |
| conservation | Protecting the environment and natural resources. |
| inorganic | Not part of the animal or vegetable kingdom. |
2.
a. Examples will vary. Here are some possibilities:
| Word | Situation or example |
|---|---|
| water | In some parts of the world, there is not enough clean water for drinking. |
| resources | The air we breathe, the oil we extract for fuel, and the food we grow to eat are all resources because we use them to meet our needs and wants. |
| air | Air contains the oxygen that we need to live. |
| renewable | Grass is renewable because it grows back when eaten by animals. |
| environment | Our house, our school, the roads we travel on, and the fields we play sports in are all part of our environment. |
| recharge | Some batteries can be recharged so that they can be used again. |
| reduce | We can reduce the amount of food waste we produce by putting compostable material into a compost bin or heap. |
| repair | Things such as clothes, shoes, and electronic equipment can often be repaired so that they are “as good as new”. |
| reuse | We can reuse a water bottle by filling it again from the tap. |
| biodegradeable | Apple cores and banana peels will rot and decompose because they are biodegradable. |
| non-renewable | Oil is a non-renewable resource because once it is used, it cannot be replaced. |
| waste | Anything we put into the rubbish bin is waste. |
| recycle | Melting glass bottles to make new bottles is recycling. |
| conservation | Catch-and-release fishing is a form of conservation. |
| inorganic | Water and rocks are inorganic because they are not alive. |
b. Practical activity.
c. Examples of extra words are: sustainable, natural, packaging, energy, solar, exploit, consume, soil.
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