Litter Clean Up

Age group: 10-16

This page provides you with a snapshot of this activity that brings students into contact with their surrounding environment and the effects of littering. Do you want to do something good for your school environment? Get together and clean up a littered area near your school campus. Remember, litter attracts more litter! Become the change you want to see and inspire other students in your school to keep the environment clean and healthy.

We recommend that you use the ‘Introduction to Solid Waste’ activity before any of the other activities as it is a good starting point for students to learn about waste and provides a comprehensive overview of how waste is generated and its impacts on animals, the environment and us. If you have already done so and wish to continue to download the rest of this free activity please click on the download icon below. Enjoy!

Objectives:
  • Understand what littering is and the impact it has on the environment
  • Clean up a littered area near the school campus
  • Create awareness to encourage people to stop littering
  • Analyse what types of waste people litter
Participants:

Whole class
Groups

Duration:

Preparation: approximately 30 minutes
Activity: 2-3 class periods (approximately 120-130 minutes)

Skills used:

Communication
Physical
Creativity
Responsibility

Subjects:

General
Science
English

Materials:
  • Large reusable sacks (HDPE or PP) or plastic bags to collect litter (for schools in the Auroville area, contact the Eco Service)
  • Durable thick gloves for students. Note: it is good to have a few additional pairs in case they get damaged. Optional: litter pick-up sticks (for schools in the Auroville area, contactWasteLess)
  • 2-3 pairs of thick suede gloves for teachers/group leaders to pick up sharp objects such as glass
  • Medical kit,soap and water to wash hands
  • A littered area near the school campus
  • Camera for documentation
  • Students should wear shoes/sandals and a hat, and bring a water bottle
  • Art and craft supplies for follow-up activities

Preparation (30 minutes):

  • Scout the campus surroundings several days before the activity to select a suitable littered area.The area should be in close walking distance of the school and it should be possible to clean up within an hour.
  • Depending on the class size and amount of litter, you may need more than one location. If this is the case, make sure that you maintain a good adult to student supervision ratio (at least 1 adult: 5-10 students depending on the age of the students).
  • Schedule the litter clean up activity during the early morning or late afternoon classes when it is cooler.
  • Make sure you get all the materials such as plastic bags,sacks, gloves, etc. well in advance.
  • Students should be informed a day in advance to bring shoes/sandals, a water bottle and a hat.
  • Arrange for the collected litter to be stored at the school’s main waste system and removed along with the other waste.
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Included:

Lesson plan (English)
Lesson plan (Tamil)