Quick summary: Students explore how to fundraise through the ACT Container Deposit Scheme (ACT CDS). They begin by looking at the role that recycling plays in reducing the impact of waste on our environment before exploring how the ACT CDS works and how you fundraise using the ACT CDS. Students plan an ACT CDS fundraising project at their school, and oversee the delivery of the program, reporting on the process and its successes and failures.
The ACT Container Deposit Scheme (ACT CDS) was introduced by the ACT Government in 2018 as a litter reduction initiative. Participants collect and return their eligible drink containers at an ACT CDS return point for a 10 cent refund on each. For further information about the ACT CDS, please visit actcds.com.au
This lesson plan has been developed by Cool Australia, in collaboration with Exchange for Change, the scheme coordinator for the ACT CDS, as part of a suite of curriculum-linked resources for teachers that support schools’ participation in the scheme and enable teachers to discuss the environmental benefits of the scheme as part of their sustainability lessons.
- Students will understand what the ACT CDS is and how container refunds can benefit the community.
- Students will recognise the value of utilising the ACT CDS to reduce the impact of waste on our environment.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Year 5 HASS:
- How people with shared beliefs and values work together to achieve a civic goal (ACHASSK118)
- Locate and collect relevant information and data from primary sources and secondary sources (ACHASSI095)
- Reflect on learning to propose personal and/or collective action in response to an issue or challenge, and predict the probable effects (ACHASSI104)
- Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions (ACHASSI105)
Year 6 HASS:
- Locate and collect relevant information and data from primary sources and secondary sources (ACHASSI123)
- Reflect on learning to propose personal and/or collective action in response to an issue or challenge, and predict the probable effects (ACHASSI132)
- Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions (ACHASSI133)
Syllabus outcomes: GE3-4
General capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability
Relevant parts of Year 5 HASS achievement standards: Students develop questions for an investigation about the society in which they live. They locate and collect information from different sources to answer these questions. Students develop questions for an investigation about an economics or business issue or event. They locate and collect data and information from a range of sources to answer these questions. They generate alternative responses to an issue or challenge and reflect on their learning to propose action, describing the possible effects of their decision.
Relevant parts of Year 6 HASS achievement standards: Students recognise why choices about the allocation of resources involve trade-offs. They locate and collect useful data and information from primary and secondary sources. They examine sources to determine their origin and purpose and evaluate evidence to draw conclusions. They interpret, organise and represent data in a range of formats using appropriate conventions.
This lesson is part of the wider unit of work ACT CDS School Resources.
Time required: 60 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: High – Facilitate discussion and record student work for wider distribution amongst the community.
- ACT CDS Community Fundraising Toolkit – A teacher will need to register and download this toolkit, print it off, and distribute it to students.
- Art Supplies – Coloured pencils and textas
- Devices capable of recording videos, photos and note-taking.
- Device with internet connection: One per pair of students
- Several collection bins – we recommend you resuse empty cardboard boxes.
- Paper – A3 in size.
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student.
Keywords: Waste, resources, reuse, recycle, recycling, materials, hands-on, investigative, civics, citizenship, social sciences, humanities, fundraising, ACT container deposit scheme.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.