Plastic Waste - and what we can do about it!

At the beginning of July, things got really exciting at Buntzelberg primary school! Our project week with pupils in years 4 to 6 was all about plastic - and what we can do about it. For a full week, the curious minds dived into the history of plastic, discovered why it is everywhere and explored how it has sneaked into their daily lives - from the clothes they wear and the packaging of their snacks, to the fish they may soon find on their plates.

On the first day, the pupils were surprised when they realised how much of their classroom was made of plastic. Then we moved on to a documentary film that showed how plastic waste affects life in other countries - and can even become a source of substistence. Fun activities such as plastic bingo, waste separation puzzles and a timeline showing the decomposition time of different materials brought the topic to life and made it even more concrete.

The second day brought a special surprise: a virtual trip to Uganda! The pupils learnt a lot about the country and its people, tested their knowledge in a quiz and prepared for a video call with their peers from Kampala. As always, the call was a highlight of the week - questions about plastic waste and daily life were exchanged and everyone danced together at the end.

In the second half of the week, the students got creative: they split into groups and created a stop-motion film and a comic. The highlight of the project was that the students learnt how everything in nature is connected and that environmental damage ultimately comes back to us. This project week not only empowered students with knowledge, but was also a lot of fun and motivated them to actively do something about plastic waste.