LESSON 2: WHY IS RECYCLING IMPORTANT?
In a small city called Periodic Table live together many elements. They are 118 today. Some of them are gasses, other are solids and among them many are metals. The metals constantly argue, each believing itself to be the most important. Proud and selfish, they struggle to communicate, some preferring a dissolved state while others favour a solid state. However, a serious situation arises—the need to build a smartphone. Situation transforms for the better when metals accept common goal, start to listen to each other and work together. The lesson conveys the truth that a smartphone cannot be built without any of the metals; each is necessary and irreplaceable. Throughout the lesson, children will seek answers to questions like: Which metals are present in smartphones? Which metal is the most common, valuable, easiest, heaviest, and ultimately, the most important? What happen with the smartphone once we do not need it? Can we replace metal with something else?
The primary objective of lesson is to emphasize the significance of individual elements found in electronic devices and necessity of recycling. Beyond acquiring knowledge, the lesson aims to stimulate the values of children towards environmental protection and individual responsibility in waste production. This will lead to an understanding that individuals can actively contribute to fighting climate change. Additionally, the lesson will emphasize the importance of teamwork and communication, fostering a holistic approach to addressing environmental challenges.
OBJECTIVE
To show to pupils that metals are essential components of many devices we use daily and emphasize that their supply is not unlimited. Instead of discarding them, we should view waste as a valuable raw material. Recycling is therefore crucial for all the materials we utilize.”
DESCRIPTION
The growing volume of electronic waste that ends up unused in landfills is becoming a significant issue for individual countries. At the same time, the demand for new devices continues to rise, necessitating the extraction of minerals, whose reserves are inexhaustible. This is where the concept of the ‘circular economy’ comes into play, emphasizing the importance of recovering used metals from various waste, such as spent electronic devices. The lesson will be accompanied by the wise grandfather “Copper”, who will guide both students and metals in understanding the basic composition of a smartphone and discovering which metals they carry in their pockets. Pupils will learn about the key properties of specific metals, represented by puppets, and the importance of reusing these resources. They will also explore the location of metals on the periodic table of elements, which serves as their ‘home.’ During the lesson, pupils will engage interactively by connecting what they’ve learned to the production of a smartphone, assigning metals to various components of a mobile device. Finally, they will collectively decide whether an old smartphone belongs in the landfill or if it’s better to recycle it. More at www.grethea.com.
WHAT PUPILS SHOULD LEARN
- What metals do we carry in our pockets – what does a smartphone consist of
- What are the properties of metals
- Metals do not disappear even when electronic devices no longer work and are discarded, all metals can be recovered from a smartphone
- Recycling reduces the amount of waste in the environment while also enabling the recovery of valuable raw materials, ensuring that we do not run out of them.
TIMELINE
35 minutes lesson/10 minutes worksheet preparation
The lesson is part of the project “Microbes and Metals Teach Green Technologies”, which is implemented with the financial support of the International Visegrad Fund.
ALGAJAS s.r.o. is a company that focus on research in the field of environmental biotechnology and its practical application. Moreover, the company is also committed to popularizing scientific findings across various age groups. Learn more at www.algajas.com.
Presentations of lesson within a pilot project
| Country | School | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Slovakia | Primary school with kindegarden, Tusicka Nova Ves 64 | May 12, 2025 |
| Czechia | Primary school of Ostrava, Gen. Píky 13A, Ostrava | May 21, 2025 |
| Poland | English Montessori School Sp. z o.o., Katowice | May 22, 2025 |