The Environmental Education Playbook An Educator's Guide for Climate-Themed Lesson Plans for Primary School Students in Malaysia

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The Environmental Education Playbook An Educator's Guide for Climate-Themed Lesson Plans for Primary School Students in Malaysia

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Table of contents :
Theme 1: Climate Change
Theme 2: Food Security and Food Waste
Theme 3: Sustainable Consumption and Production
Theme 4: Biodiversity Conservation
Theme 5: Pollution

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The Environmental Education Playbook A Educator’s Guide for Climate-Themed Lesson Plans for Primary School Students in Malaysia

DeRiA Malaysia 2021

DeRiA is an initiative funded by the British High Commission Kuala Lumpur, in partnership with the UK Science and Innovation Network and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), and supported by EcoKnights under the ‘Communicating Science for Climate Action’ Grant Programme. Copyright © DeRiA 2021 Published in Malaysia in 2021 by DeRiA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the authors and publisher. DeRiA Sponsor

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Content

1...................DeRiA 2...................Inspiring Climate Actions 3...................How to Use This Playbook

5...................Theme 1: Climate Change 7...................Rise Temparama! 9...................Oops! Bloob! 11................ Four Season 13.................Ice! Ice!

15...................Theme 2: Food Security & Food Waste 17...................Let’s Compost! 19...................Ugly Food 21...................Journey 4 Food 23...................Hunger Games

25...................Theme 3: Sustainable Consumption & Production 27...................Hello to Rubbish 29...................Zero Waste 31...................Turn Down 4 Watt 33...................Paplet Booklet

35...................Theme 4: Biodiversity Conservation 37...................Happy Fishing 39...................Our Habitats 41...................Nature Bingo 43...................Living Ecosystems

45...................Theme 5: Pollution 47...................Hello Bad Buddies 49...................Run for Ocean 51...................Tears of Sky 53...................The Noise Story 55...................Acknowledgements

Environmental Education Playbook

DeRiA Who We Are DeRiA is a ground-up initiative to encourage environmental stewardship among students. To achieve this, we strongly believe by introducing the elements of gamification and multisensory learning, complex science concepts related to the climate can be understood better by the younger generation. This Environmental Education Playbook is our long-term solution to breaking the barriers of communicating hard science to young children, especially primary school students. This playbook features a variety of activities that can be adapted into lesson plans by teachers and educators to nurture future leaders who are climate-conscious. How We Started We are a group of young and dynamic working professionals from the ASEAN region who are connected by a common passion, that is, to engage, educate and influence young people to take part in climate action and combat climate change together. Our initiative was conceived for the ‘Communicating Science for Climate Action’ grant programme organised by the British High Commission Kuala Lumpur and is supported by EcoKnights. We are thankful to be selected as a Grant Winner under the theme of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports on Global Warming (For Teachers/Educators). Our Objectives 1) To promote gamification and multisensory learning methodologies. 2) To create a better experience for students on environmental education. 3) To cultivate green values among students. The Team Choi Ming Hong | Muhammad Hussein Bin Abdullah | Noraida Abd Wahob | Siva Nagappan Visvesvaran | Santha Nair Chandran | Tan Kai Ren

| Environmental Education Playbook | 1Environmental Education Playbook Environmental Education Playbook

Inspiring Climate Actions Our Common Goal Listed as Goal 13 in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), Climate Action is crucial to create a sustainable future, if only we act now. As of 2017, human beings are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels. This figure is currently rising at an alarming rate of 0.2°C per decade due to past and ongoing emissions. As we know, climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns regionally or globally, whereas global warming is the long-term heating of the Earth’s climate system due to human activities. Global warming is primarily related to fossil fuel burning, which increases the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. By understanding the root cause, we can explore ways to adapt and change our behaviours to slow down the warming of the Earth’s surface temperature. Learning from Our Past Mistakes We, as humans, have achieved technological advancements via trial and error. The only way we have made it this far as a species is because we have eliminated the ways that have not worked. Now, we are being confronted with a new challenge, a climate crisis, and it is life-threatening. Extreme weathers and the rising sea level will cause substantial economic losses, and many will lose their lives, homes, jobs and more will be starving. Now, we have a better understanding of the impacts of our actions. Although scientists have made this knowledge available globally, it is not conveyed effectively to the general public. Getting these messages that highlight the urgency of the climate crisis across to more people is the everyone’s responsibility.. Knowledge is Power We, from DeRiA, firmly believe that the best gift that we can give to the next generation is to educate them on the climate crisis and its impacts that they will face in their lifetime. Education on climate change is crucial to provide them with the essential knowledge to understand this complex issue that is influenced by economic, social and political factors. By being informed of the causes and effects, it can help them to shape their decisions so they can decide their own future. To inspire people to work on climate action, the first step is to introduce this complex issue to them in the simplest way. Hence, this Environmental Education Playbook is written with the expectation to communicate the science of climate change to our children through fun lessons and activities, nurturing a generation that is mindful of the Earth.

Environmental Education Playbook 2

How to Use This Playbook? The Environmental Education Playbook is designed to support teachers and educators in Malaysia to prepare climate-themed lesson plans catering to students between age 7 to 12. This playbook will highlight a variety of teaching methodologies, including classroom learning, outdoor learning, gamification, cognitive-based learning and blended learning. These elements are vital for multisensory teaching and learning processes, which thereby will be the main focus of this playbook. Multisensory Learning We perceive the world through our senses, namely smell, sight, touch, hearing and taste. The human brain has evolved and adapted to the natural environments. We are often exposed to multisensory stimulations instead of unisensory ones, i.e. the heat and light from the scorning hot and bright afternoon sun. Therefore, this playbook focuses on activities that will simultaneously stimulate multiple senses to enhance the learning experience and appeal to different learning styles.

Smell

Sight

Touch

Hearing

Taste

Considering the recent Covid-19 pandemic, we have included both physical and virtual activities as more classrooms are being moved online. Environmental education should not only happen in the school. Therefore, this playbook has incorporated family-friendly activities that can be done when the children are not in school. These icons of five senses, physical activity, virtual activities and family-friendly activities are highlighted for ease of identification when teachers and educators are looking for appropriate lesson plans.

Physical activity

Virtual activity

Parent friendly

You can download all the necessary resources for each lesson plan from our DeRiA Digital Library by scanning the QR code or accessing the link on the left! bit.do/derialibrary

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Environmental Education Playbook

How to Use This Playbook? The objectives, material requirements, learning outcomes, age group and subject suitability for each lesson plans are stated here.

The array of icons here will indicate the senses involved, the nature of the activity (physical or virtual), and if it is family-friendly.

Each lesson plan will include an introduction and a step-by-step guide to prepare the teachers and educators for a quick start.

Climate fact that is specific to each lesson plan is included as an enrichment reading.

Assisting resources, including worksheets, images, discussion questions and infographics, can be found on the second page of all lesson plans. Additional material can be found in our Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 4

Theme 1: Climate Change Climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. The predominant effects caused by climate change that scientists had predicted in the past are now occurring. Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come. The main reason is due to greenhouse gas emissions by human activities. ​ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more than 1,300 scientists worldwide, estimates anthropogenic global warming is currently increasing at 0.2°C (likely between 0.1 and 0.3°C) per decade due to past and ongoing emissions. According to the IPCC, the extent of climate change effects on individual regions will vary over time and with the ability of different societal and environmental systems to mitigate or adapt to change. ​ ​ The IPCC predicts that increases in global mean temperature of 1°C to 3°C above pre-industrial levels will produce widespread harmful impacts. Taken as a whole, the IPCC states, “the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time”.

The Bubble Map shows the Effects of Climate Change

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Environmental Education Playbook

Climate Change

Topics covered • Global Warming • Melting of Icebergs

• Flooding • Changes in Season

Global Warming Global warming is a very complex subject. Factors that can have an impact on global warming include the natural temperature fluctuations of the planet, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, volcanic eruptions, and increased solar activity. The rise in greenhouse gases from human activity and the landuse change from deforestation and farming are the leading causes of past warming.

Flooding

Melting of Icebergs Glaciers are large sheets of snow and ice that are found on land all year long. They are found in the western United States, Alaska, the mountains of Europe and Asia, and many other parts of the world. Warmer temperatures cause glaciers to melt faster than they can accumulate new snow. As glaciers and the giant ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica melt, they add more water into the ocean, which causes the sea level to rise.

Changes in Season Seasons exists because of the Earth’s changing relationship to the Sun. The Earth orbits around the Sun every 365 days. As it orbits, the amount of sunlight, each location on the planet gets every day changes slightly. This change causes the seasons.

Flooding is a regular and common natural disaster in Malaysia, especially on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The cyclical monsoons usually cause these flood events during the tropical wet season from October to March. Some additional human causes are inadequate drainage in urban areas and uncontrolled deforestation.

Environmental Education Playbook 6

Climate Change - Global Warming

Rise Temprama! Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to create awareness via a poster on the rise of Earth’s temperature. They produce a pop-up diorama about climate change.

Introduction This lesson is taught to understand the concept of the rise of the Earth’s temperature. Students will learn the cause and effects of the rise in Earth’s temperature through a virtual class. They will learn how to take care of the environment through mind mapping. Students produce poster and diorama as part of using art to send the message.

Materials Old boxes, art and drawing materials, seeds, old newspaper, bowl, tray, internet connection and computer

Learning Outcome Students will have to describe their future plans and produce plus display create artwork on climate change.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Science

Teacher’s preparation The teacher will need to prepare the Google Meet link (or any other video conferencing software) beforehand to be shared in the class WhatsApp group. The teacher will need to prepare the slides*. The teacher also needs to download the videos to be able to conduct the virtual class. The teacher also needs to provide the song lyrics for the students so that they are able to sing along. The teacher is advised to send out the worksheets and lesson notes few days before the lesson day to allow the students to familiarize themselves about the topic of climate change and the rise of the Earth’s temperature. Students’ preparation Students will be introduced to the lesson on climate change via a Google Meet session. They will also learn through a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation which has pictures about the rise of the Earth’s temperature. The teacher will also play 2 songs and have a sing-along activity. The students are also needed to prepare the worksheets beforehand plus download PicCollage App.

Activity 1: The students will be introduced to climate change and rise in Earth’s temperature. 1. The teacher shares Video 1: What is climate change?* 2. The teacher also explains the vocabulary and the meaning of the video. ​ 3. The students will answer Worksheet 1: Rise in Earth’s temperature (Gap-filling activity).* Activity 2: The students will be evaluated based on their understanding of the topic. This activity encourages the students to consider what they can do to combat climate change and the rise of Earth’s temperature. They will also learn how to save the environment via self-created visuals. 1. The teacher shares video 2: 10 Ways on how to take care of the environment. * 2. The students will answer Worksheet 2: Mind-mapping on 10 ways to take care of the environment to save the Earth.​* 3. The students will do the 10 ways to take care of the environment by taking photos at home and creating a collage via PicCollage App. ​ 4. The students are required to share their work in the following virtual class. Activity 3: The students will visually produce a poster and diorama based on the topic. 1. The students are required to plan and produce a poster plus a diorama based on what they have learnt (rise in Earth’s temperature).​ 2. The students are required to share their answers for Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2, poster and diorama via classroom Padlet: Project of Rise in Earth’s Temperature.

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Environmental Education Playbook

Climate Change - Global Warming

Climate Fact Based on the IPCC’s Global Warming of 1.5°C report, human activities are estimated to have caused 1.0°C of global warming. The main causes of this temperature rise are the emission of greenhouse gases from power generation, industry, transportation and agriculture. Deforestation has also caused Earth’s temperature to rise drastically as fewer trees absorb carbon dioxide gases.

The teacher can show some of the sample diorama on climate change theme to students. Discussion Questions: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Do you feel that the Earth has become warmer recently? In your own word, please explain what climate change is? What are the causes of rising Earth’s temperature? How can you reduce the effect of climate change?

*All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 8

Climate Change - Flooding

Oops! Bloob! Objectives At the end of the lesson, the students listen and talk about the causes and effects of flooding. The students also should be able to understand the preventive measures of flooding.

Introduction This lesson introduces students to the concept of flooding and the causes for it through puzzles, videos and treemaps to synthesise the concept of cause and effect. Students are allowed to create their 3D town models that have flooding prevention methods.

Materials Video and pictures of flooding near them and around the world. Pictures include flooding of sea-level rise.

Learning Outcome Students will be able to describe people, places and objects related to flooding with the correct statements and phrases.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Science

Teacher’s preparation The teacher needs to prepare the materials according to the attachments by downloading the related videos and printing out pictures for the puzzle pack. The teacher also needs to prepare the huge treemap and word cards plus the basket of apples for the cause and effect activity. The teacher will need to prepare the discussion questions and share examples of 3D models for the town to allow students to have a better view. Students’ preparation The students need to prepare their stationery and the recyclable materials to prepare for the 3D town and flood prevention project. The students are encouraged to have fun during the learning process.

Activity 1: Students will figure out their topic for the day by inquiry-based learning through visuals. 1. The students will get a set of puzzles that they need to complete. 2. The students need to complete the puzzles of a picture related to the flood.* Activity 2: Students are taught via video and learn how floods are prevented using their body parts. 1. The students will watch a video entitled FLOODs by the Dr Binocs Show.* 2. The students will discuss among themselves on what they have learned from watching the video via the “Share and Turn Method”. 3. The students are required to form one large group. 4. The teacher will ensure that the students’ shoulders are facing their partners to conduct the simulation of flooding and prevention. Activity 3: Students are encouraged to use mind maps to understand the causes and effects of flooding. 1. The students will be playing a game and they are required to form two main groups. The two groups are called “Red Apple” and “ Green Apple”. Each group is given a basket full of fruits. Each student is required to take an apple and read aloud the words that are pasted on the apple. 2. The students are required to paste the word card on a tree map and arrange them into the correct subtopics of causes and effects of flooding.* Activity 4: Students will create a 3D town model to understand how a town works in flood and design its prevention method. 1. The students are required to be in smaller groups. 2. They are required to create a 3D town with flood prevention and mitigation using the recyclable things around them. They will share their work with their classmates.* Activity 5: Game is conducted to encourage fun learning. 1. The students will play a charade game based on the vocabularies that they have learnt based on the treemap.*

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Environmental Education Playbook

Climate Change - Flooding

Climate Fact Flash floods can bring water walls up to 32 to 65 metres high, and can easily take away a car as far as 7 metres. As you would know, almost all areas in Malaysia, predominantly the Eastern areas, have experienced flooding. When the water level increases, the tendency of flooding also increases. Sustainable cities and towns are built around this natural disaster to prevent human causality from occurring. Flooding can occur due to continuous heavy rainfall.

Discussion Questions: 1. Have you encountered any flooding in your area? 2. What are the main causes for the flood? 3. How would you propose to stop the flood from happening? *All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 10

Climate Change - Changes in Seasons

Four Seasons Objectives Students should be able to express their thoughts on seasons using Padlet and answer quizzes correctly based on a reading text related to seasons.

Introduction The lesson introduces students to different seasons from around the world. It can be taught via visuals, songs, games and sharing sessions through Padlet and students learning diaries.

Materials Songs in MP3 and videos, seasons pictures, Padlet sharing platform, reading text, quizzes.

Learning Outcome Students will be able to understand the concept of four seasons that exist in the temperate countries.

Age Group Lower Primary Suitable Subjects Language

Teacher’s preparation The teacher needs to prepare the videos, songs lyrics and worksheet according to the attachments. The teacher also needs to prepare pictures and notes to assist them in explaining about seasons to the students. Furthermore, the teacher needs to prepare the platform for the reading text and Padlet plus learning dairies to allow students to share constructively. Students’ preparation The students are encouraged to be participating in all activities. They need to bring along their stationery and devices plus internet accessibility to allow them to share during the lesson.

Activity 1: Students will figure out their topic for the day by inquiry-based learning through visuals. This activity is also to encourage students to have fun while learning about seasons around the world. 1. The teacher will show pictures of the 4 seasons around the world.* 2. The students play a guessing game to suggest the pictures’ seasons by having a word search activity. 3. The teacher briefly explains each season in different countries and shares about how season changes due to climate change.* Activity 2: Song is an element to have fun while learning, and the students are encouraged to have closer to real-life experience through discussion of the context of Malaysian seasons. 1. The teacher plays the song entitled “Four Seasons” from Get Smart Plus 3 Students Book. 2. The students are required to sing along and read the lyrics.* 3. The teacher conducts a question and answer (Q&A) session discussing how the seasons might differ in Malaysia.* Activity 3: Upon a listening activity, students are encouraged to do reading activity and sharing sessions. This is to encourage them to not only use the software mentioned but also encourage them to share ideas based on the topic. 1. The students will receive a weblink. 2. The students are required to read the text facilitated by the teacher.* 3. The students share their ideas from the text on Padlet.* 4. The teacher reads out the students’ ideas to facilitate the discussion. Activity 4: Games are encouraged for the students to test their learning. Students will write down notes on the topic in a learning diary. 1. The students will ask about their favourite season and the reason that they like the season. The teacher will also conduct a Q&A session by asking them about their feelings if these seasons cease to exist in the future. 2. The teacher will provide a worksheet for the students to enhance their understanding of the four seasons. The students will discuss the Q&As facilitated by the teacher. 3. The teacher summarises the lesson content by reviewing it, and the students take essential notes in their learning diaries.

11 Environmental Education Playbook

Climate Change - Changes in Seasons

Climate Fact Scientifically, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere experience the opposite of the seasons throughout the year. It is due to the Earth’s axis that is in a tilted position. However, climate change does cause extreme cold and hot weather too. Extreme cold weather during winter is caused by the polar vortex phenomena. On the other hand, a heat wave occurs when a system of high atmospheric pressure moves into an area lasting for days. Both phenomena are already happening around the world, and it is the result of climate change.

Heat waves

Extreme cold weather

Discussion Questions: 1. Please name the four seasons that you have learnt in this lesson. 2. Why do we not have four seasons in Malaysia? 3. What can you do to stay safe during heat waves? *All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 12

Climate Change - Melting of the Icebergs Climate Change - Melting of the Icebergs

Ice! Ice! Objectives At the end of the lesson, the students can say out the causes of icebergs melting through an iceberg simulation experiment which requires measuring skills.

Introduction This lesson is to allow students to learn about the causes and effects of the iceberg and ice caps. The lesson is conducted via simulation experiment to enable students to learn through observation. It is students centred.

Materials Experiment tools, worksheets and readers manual, treemap template, examples of posters, videos

Learning Outcome Students will be able to state the cause of icebergs melting through a simulation activity which includes measurements.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Science

Teacher’s preparation. The teacher needs to prepare downloaded videos and quiz questions based on the topic. The teacher is encouraged to prepare the experiment tools for 5 different groups and related worksheets. The teacher is also required to prepare the reader manual for 3 different experiments. Students’ preparation The students are required to watch the videos and participate in the discussion. They are required to read the reader manual for the experiment and recheck the experiment tools.

Activity 1: The students are introduced to different causes of icebergs melting. They are required to watch the videos and participate in the question and answer (Q&A) session. This activity is conducted to stimulate students’ interest in the topic. 1. The teacher plays 2 videos - (a) the effects of global warming and (b) the effects of greenhouse gases emission on the melting of icebergs.* 2. The teacher conducts Q&A session with the students.* 3. The students will receive a set of quiz questions to test their general knowledge skills based on the causes of the iceberg and ice caps melting.* Activity 2: This activity is to encourage students to learn about the melting of the icebergs through experiments. They are also encouraged to read the manual for the steps of the experiment. The three different simulation experiments are part of the students to experience almost real-life experience. 1. The students are into 5 different groups. Each group is given a set of experiment tools and worksheets to conduct the simulation experiment together.* 2. The students are required to read the 3 different activities readers manual to conduct the three experiments.* 3. The students are required to observe the experiments, which have the subtopics of (a) melting of icebergs due to carbon dioxide emission, (b) melting of icebergs due to oceans warming and (c) melting of icecaps.* 4. The teacher facilitates the experiment sessions and conducts a concurrent Q&A session for learning assessment.* Activity 3: This activity is to encourage students to discuss the topic in-depth and understand the case effect concept of iceberg melting. 1. The teacher conducts discussion sessions with the students based on their experiment observation and conclusions made through the simulation. 2. The students are required to fill in the treemap of the cause and effect of icebergs and ice caps melting based on the experiments conducted and extra video information. 3. The students are required to create an awareness poster on the effects of the icebergs as homework.

13 Environmental Education Playbook

Climate Change - Melting of the Icebergs

Climate Fact Icebergs typically float on oceans, and when they melt, it does not cause a rise in sea level. However, if the iceberg is land-based, like glaciers, it will cause a rise in sea levels. Hence, there are two ways sea level can rise. Firstly, the melting of the glaciers on land adds water into the ocean. Secondly, the volume of the ocean expands as the water warms up. The rising sea level will increase the frequency of flooding events for coastal community and destroy coastal habitats.

The teacher can show some iceberg melting photos or videos due to greenhouse gases during the lesson for more interactive discussion with the students. The discussion can include the cause of iceberg melting, different types of greenhouse gases and consequences of the iceberg meltings. *All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 14

Theme 2: Food Security & Food Waste

Should we be worried? Without a doubt, our population is drastically increasing day by day. According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), about 385,000 babies are born each day. Approximately an estimated 140 million babies are born in a year. The 140 million new babies will join a world population projected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050. The harsh reality is that as humanity grows, our demand for food will increase exponentially. Hence, we need to produce more food than what our forefathers were growing. Unfortunately, as our population grows, we are starting to see the effects of climate change, global warming, pollution, and other factors that considerably impact humanity’s ability to grow and provide food for itself. If we do not find a solution soon, then humanity will forever be concerned about their food supply and the vast majority of people will be living in hunger. There are many reasons why we are currently facing this issue of a lack of food. For this playbook, we will be mainly focusing on climate change. Scientists have already concluded that climate change plays a significant role in food production. Through the changes in temperature, precipitation and a greater frequency of extreme events (tornadoes, flooding and other natural disasters), our crops may not be able to grow in ideal conditions. There is always a risk of wastage in the production process as well due to undesirable events. Another reason for this phenomenon can also be our wasteful habit when it comes to food. From procuring to cooking, we waste food to a point where it contributes up to 8-10% of our greenhouse gas emissions globally. Based on the above reasons, we should be worried. Something has to be done fast to prevent this issue from trampling the very existence of humanity.

15 Environmental Education Playbook

According to UNICEF, 3.1 million children die due to malnutrition each year.

Food Security & Food Waste

Topics covered • Food Waste in Supply Chain • Food Waste by Consumers

• Food Availability • Sustainable Food Consumption

Food Waste in Supply Chain Food waste can arise in many areas, including the production and processing of food as well. Almost 3,000 tonnes of perfectly edible food is being wasted every day in Malaysia just because the look of the food does not follow the industry standards. This wastage leads to a massive waste of resources and ultimately resulted in overharvesting.

Food Availability As a nation, we face issues in food availability as well. As our population increases exponentially, our demand for food increase proportionally. However, our current food production can only provide between 20% and 70% of the local consumers’ requirement as climate change our output to harvest food. To meet the demand, Malaysia has to import food products which will increase food prices.

Food Waste by Consumers Food wasted by consumers, especially at night markets and stores, are common in Malaysia. The usual practice is to look for the best-looking product, and as a result, a lot of perfectly edible fruits and vegetables are wasted in the process. About 24% (4,005 tonnes) of food that is wasted is generated due to this habit. This is sufficient to provide 3 meals to close to 3 million people a day in Malaysia.

Sustainable Food Consumption Our food consumption patterns will drastically change as climate change affects our food production. Due to the shortage in the food supply, fresh fruits and vegetables that were once affordable will increase in prices. This price increase will cause food insecurity among lower-income groups who are forced to consume cheaper processed food. This pattern can be clearly observed in countries like Uganda and Guatemala, where climate changes have decimated their crops.

Environmental Education Playbook 16

Food Security & Food Waste- Food Waste in Supply Chain

Let’s Compost! Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify what type of wastes are suitable for composting.

Materials Google Classroom (or any other video conferencing software), Sample food scraps

Learning Outcome Students will be able to understand that food scraps and other wastes can be used to make compost.

Age Group Lower Primary, Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Science

Introduction This lesson teaches students on what are the wastes that can be used to make compost. Malaysia’s growing population demands a need to increase agricultural yield. Due to intensive farming, our soil tends to lose its fertility. This cycle will eventually lead to a lower crop yield, increased food price and cause malnourishment in communities that live in poverty. Hence, learning how to make compost can help our future generations create fertilisers for the soil’s continuous nourishment. Steps: 1. The teacher will introduce the students to the composting steps by showing them a video. 2. After the video, the teacher can ask students on “What are the common wastes in their houses? Can those wastes be composted”? 3. Once the students have identified the wastes that can be composted in their surroundings, give them some time to ideate on how they can do composting at home. 4. The teacher can share with their students a common composting method by using bottles and filling them up with dirt, waste, water and worms. 5. The students will be asked how they want to utilize the compost product and empower the nearby community to do the same. The students will have to write a report on how they could do this activity (this activity is suitable for Upper Primary level).* 6. Students will be given a worksheet to test their knowledge.

I will eat this food and my poop will help fertilize the soil

17 Environmental Education Playbook

Food Security & Food Waste - Food Waste in Supply Chain

Climate Fact According to Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) Malaysia, the household sector accounts for 44.5% of the 16667.5 tonnes of food waste generated daily in Malaysia. Since it takes many resources to grow food, this is eventually the loss of multiple resources that cannot be retrieved. However, we can compost most of our food waste so that the soil will have its nutrients once more.

Pictures and Diagrams

Students can fill their own compost bottle and colour it out in the worksheet. *All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 18

Food Security & Food Waste - Food Waste by Consumers

Ugly Food Objectives Materials At the end of the lesson, stu- Fruits, Stationary, Paper dents will be able to create their own recipe using over ripe fruits.

Learning Outcome Students will be able to understand the true value of ugly fruits and vegetables

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Science

Introduction This lesson teaches students the essential features to look for when purchasing food from the supermarket. In the case of some fruits and vegetables, some of them may be misshapen during the transportation process or maybe overripe. Hence, consumers tend to avoid these types of fruits and vegetables. This lesson aims to change the students’ perspectives by telling them that some types of fruits and vegetables may look ugly but still edible, thus reducing food wastage in the long run.

Steps:

1. The teacher will explain how to classify different types of food wastes and discuss with the students the common food wastes in their houses. 2. The teacher will then prepare some fresh and ugly vegetables and fruits and present them on a table. 3. The teacher will choose a few students to do a role play as mothers/fathers who will buy vegetables & fruits from the market. 4. After choosing the fruits, the class will discuss why the ugly vegetables and fruits are chosen or not chosen. 5. The teacher will explain the issue of food wastage by the consumers. 6. The teacher will give guidelines on Banana Smoothie preparation (using very ripe/ overripe). 7. Students will write down their recipe / other innovative ideas in a group. 8. Students present their recipe or other innovative ideas to the class. 9. To summarize the lesson, the teacher plays a video related to organic vegetables to create awareness of organic food.

19 Environmental Education Playbook

Food Security & Food Waste - Food Waste by Consumers

Climate Fact As Malaysia’s population is constantly growing, we need to produce and import a lot of food in the future to feed millions of citizens. With this growing population comes a lot of food wastage as many people are looking for the best-looking vegetables and fruits during their shopping at the local markets. There is a wastage of natural resources that are needed to grow these produce. Not to mention, one of the most significant greenhouse gas producers are industries that produce these products. Hence, we essentially need to save food to save our planet.

Pictures, diagrams, and worksheets

Underripe

Barely ripe

Ripe

Very ripe

Overripe

*All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 20

Food Security & Food Waste- Food Availability

Journey 4 Food Objectives At the end of the lesson, people will be able to learn the food disparity among countries and human dietary requirement.

Materials School Bags, Google classroom(or any other video conferencing software)

Learning Outcome Students  will be able to understand the food security issues directly in other countries.

Age Group Lower Primary, Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Physical Education

Introduction The objective of this lesson is to teach students how some countries go through a lot of difficulties in obtaining food. Countries like Uganda have a lot of food deserts due to the lack of crops. This phenomenon is mainly due to the lack of rainfall caused by climate change. Hence, we will be conducting a simulation of how farmers and pregnant women in Uganda must travel long distances to obtain their food. Steps: 1. The teacher will inform early that the students need to wear their tracksuits as it is a physical activity. 2. The teacher will brief the students on what they will be doing and that they will be learning about how certain communities go through a lot of difficulty in obtaining food. 3. The students will be required to do some stretching before the activity as it involves a lot of running. 4. After the stretching session, the teacher will inform the students to pack their bag full of books that they are willing to carry for the day. 5. Once done, the students will be ready to begin round one. For this round, students will be required to run in place for 10 seconds. After running in place for 10 seconds, the teacher will instruct them to pick a food item from their home. They will be given 30 seconds to get this item. 6. The student will show the class through webcam what the student picked as a food item from their home. The teacher then selects a few examples as shown by the student and talks about whether the food item picked is healthy. 7. The student is then ready for round 2. This time, the students are required to carry a bag full of books on their back. Continue step 5 and 6 and run in place for 30 seconds. It should feel difficult due to the hefty bag that they must carry. This exercise is to signify a farmer carrying his/her tools to the farm to harvest food. 8. The students are then ready for round 2. This time, the student is required to carry the bag full of books in front of their body. Continue steps 5 and 6 with the bag of books on their back and walk in place for 30 seconds. This exercise is to signify pregnant women who head to the fields to harvest their crops.

21 Environmental Education Playbook

Food Security & Food Waste - Food Availability

Climate Fact Uganda has fewer water resources due to little rainfall in the region. Scientists believe that due to the rise in Earth’s temperature and sudden changes in wind conditions. Uganda has become one of the countries that have significantly suffered from the effects of climate change. Only 3% of the agricultural cropland is under irrigation due to less rainfall. With most of their crops being dependent on heavy rainfall and 46% of their economy is reliant on agriculture, many people in Uganda do not have proper diets and poverty will increase exponentially in the long run.

Pictures, Diagrams, and Worksheets

They only have bicycles and motorcycles for transportation.

Farmers traveling for a long distance to get food.

Debriefing Questions* 1. How do you feel carrying such a heavy bag? 2. Was it difficult to carry that weight in front of your body? 3. Did it get easier in finding the food itself? (Some students may find it difficult, some may not) 4. Based on your creativity, what can be done to help these individuals? 5. What can we do to prevent this phenomenon from affecting us?

*All the resources for this lesson plan can be found in the DeRiA Digital Library.

Environmental Education Playbook 22

Food Security & Food Waste - Sustainable Food Consumption

Hunger Games Objectives Students will be able to learn the food disparity among countries and human dietary requirements.

Materials Pictures of countries (Malaysia, Guatemala, Uganda). Play money, pictures (Vegetables, Fish, Rice bags, Juices and sweets), 3 Boxes

Introduction Students will be briefed on food security and food disparity by the teacher. Students will get to know how some countries have it hard when it comes to acquire food and have a balanced diet. One of the critical causes of some countries having food disparity issues is due to climate change. Most countries that are in the southern hemisphere have it hard to grow crops due to global warming.

Learning Outcome Students  will be able to understand the dietary needs and why some countries have issues fulfilling them.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Physical Education

The teacher will need to have two stations. One station will be the dinner table which will be situated at one end of the classroom. Another station will be the “Marketplace” that will be on the other end of the classroom. Below are the functions of the two stations. Dinner Table • Discussion place to show we are the family of countries. • A place where students will eat (role play) after they complete the activity

Market Place • Students can buy groceries from their respective country boxes here. • Malaysia’s box will contain plenty of vegetables, fish, rice bags, juices, and sweets. Guatemala’s box will only have vegetable and rice. Uganda’s box will only have rice. • A cashier section will also be at the marketplace to ensure the students bought based on their given budget. Steps: 1. The teacher will brief the students on the meaning of food security and how climate affects countries’ food production. The student will be split into groups according to their pre-assigned countries. 2. The teacher will then give each group its money. (Malaysia will have the most cash, Uganda will have the least). Once all the money has been distributed, the teacher will bring them to the marketplace. 3. At the marketplace, the students are only allowed to buy food from their boxes. Malaysia will have an abundance of food. Guatemala will have some, and Uganda will have just enough for their cash. It is up to the teacher to set the price of each item. Once the students have bought enough, they will go to the cashier and pay for their food. The teacher must make sure that they did not overspend based on what they have picked (Especially Malaysia since they have the most money). 4. The teacher will then have to bring the students to the dinner table, and they will need to reveal what they have bought from the marketplace. The teacher will need to ask the students who have the most balanced diet among the three countries (Most probably it will be Malaysia. However, students may pick more sweets than other balanced options) 5. Once the students have learnt about proper diet, the students will be given a worksheet.*

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Food Security & Food Waste - Sustainable Food Consumption

Climate Fact Climate change can significantly disrupt food availability in many countries. One good example given in this lesson is Guatemala and Uganda. Since their GDP comprises mainly of agriculture, their economy would be heavily affected by this sudden change in agricultural output due to less or excessive rain. For example, projected increases in temperature, change in precipitation patterns, changes in extreme weather events, and water scarcity may all result in reduced agricultural productivity.

Debriefing Questions 1. 2. 3. 4.

Why can’t Uganda and Guatemala achieve a balanced diet? Why do you think Uganda and Guatemala have less money compared to Malaysia? Is the food that they bought enough for them? What can Malaysia do to help them? (The intended outcome is for them to share)

Setup

*All the answers for the debriefing questions can be found at the DeRiA Digital Library

Environmental Education Playbook 24

Theme 3: Sustainable Consumption and Production What is Sustainable Consumption? Based on the Oslo Symposium in 1994, Sustainable Consumption is defined as “the use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations”. Hence, sustainable consumption is essential in preserving our natural resources whilst still functioning as a community. A good example is a current ban on plastic wastes worldwide. Countries have significantly reduced their plastic consumption, thus preserving natural resources used to make these products. What is Upcycling? Upcycling is the creation or modification of a product from used materials, components, and products of equal or higher quality or value than the original. There has been a growing interest in the concept of upcycling. Upcycling is to develop something creative to give new value to waste. Upcycling is a process of repurposing materials by integrating and transforming them into new products. What bewilders people is the difference between upcycling and recycling. Recycling is simply cyclically reusing products, whereas upcycling is making new products through the creative reuse of existing waste materials. How is this topic Important? Recycling has been a hot topic for many years. However, recycling is an energy-intensive process, and it does not help the environment when most of our electrical resources come from fossil fuels. 23. Hence, sustainable consumption and production is needed to change how we perceive our waste. This change of mindset will impact us positively as we will be able to ensure the preservation of our natural resources. This change can also prevent any natural disaster from occurring due to our overconsumption.

25 Environmental Education Playbook

Landslide at Karak Highway due to excessive logging. This can be avoided if we limit our consumption towards products that require natural resources.

Sustainable Consumption and Production

Topics covered • Types of Waste • Excessive Waste

• Renewable Energy • Upcycling

Types of Waste Waste can be broadly classified into four main categories, namely: Industrial, Commercial​ , Domestic, and Agricultural. These include, but are not limited to, municipal solid waste, agricultural and animal waste, construction and demolition debris, oil and gas exploration and production waste, and medical waste.

Renewable Energy Most electric generators that run in Malaysia use fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and petroleum. These generators are a huge detriment to our environment. Hence, renewable sources of energy are vital in maintaining our environment whilst generating power for our use.

Excessive Waste The waste we generate has been detrimental to our environment for quite some time now. Humans are producing too much rubbish and cannot deal with it sustainably. Waste that is not biodegradable and cannot be properly be recycled is filling our oceans and landfills.

Upcycling Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products. This upcycled product could be perceived to be of artistic value or environmental value if done correctly.

Environmental Education Playbook 26

Sustainable Consumption and Production - Types of Waste

Hello to Rubbish Objectives Students should be able to identify the waste materials produced by schools and ways to manage the waste wisely.

Materials LCD projector, computer, internet, check list, sticky notes, list worksheet, Mahjong paper for closure.

Learning Outcome Students will understand that there are different types of waste.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Science

Introduction As a nation, we do not practice separating our waste daily. However, countries like Japan and Germany have implemented proper infrastructures to facilitate the separation of waste. These countries have taught the public how to separate their household waste so that it is easier to reuse and recycle certain products. Not only that, by knowing our waste and its properties, we could figure out ways we can upcycle our waste to be made into other products. Activity 1: Students will watch a video about waste and how the mismanagement of waste can affect us. Students will then be provided with a checklist to list down the waste around the school area. Students will visit the school area accompanied by their teacher. Activity 2: Students will return to the classroom, and they will discuss in a group the checklist. Activity 3: Students will then discuss in a group how they would manage the waste that is being produced around the school area. • Each team will be provided one notebook. • Each team will present their findings in Padlet or mahjong paper so that everyone can see them. • Each team will also present their plan in managing waste. • After the presentation, each team will be questioned by the students or teacher on the effectiveness of their plan. Activity 4: Students will be given worksheets to categorize the types of waste according to actual data on Malaysian waste. Closure: Students will use sticky notes and write about the types of waste in their school area and paste it on mahjong paper in front of the class. The teacher will then conduct a discussion with the students on managing the waste that they saw.

27 Environmental Education Playbook

Sustainable Consumption and Production - Types of Waste

Climate Fact In 2019, Housing and Local Government Minister mentioned that 60% of Malaysians do not know how to dispose of their garbage properly. This habit of ours is a growing problem among the younger generation as they may not know how to dispose of their waste. This habit is due to the lack of education on the segregationa of waste early on. An unsustainable supply chain may lead to loss of resources as we need to continuously rely on natural resources instead of reusing or recycling the waste that we have. Besides that, improper solid waste management may lead to destruction of wildlife habitats.

Non-biodegradable

Bio-degradable

Sample “match the waste” worksheet that can be given to students to classify waste.

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Sustainable Consumption and Production - Excessive Waste

Zero Waste Objectives Students will be able to identify waste and how to stop using products that may lead to waste.

Materials Google Classroom (Any other video conferencing software can be used), worksheets

Learning Outcome Student will understand the alternatives that can be used to prevent excessive waste from occurring.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language

Introduction Places like supermarkets are hotspots for excessive waste to occur due to excessive packaging. There is also potential for food waste to occur as some households may not use all of what they bought. Hence, for this lesson plan, we will be introducing a new concept of bulk food store, and students will be able to ideate how their future food stores will look.

What is a Bulk Food Store? A Bulk Food store is a concept where customers bring their containers to obtain their daily groceries. This bulk store tends to have sustainably sourced products and produce. It is a concept that is slowly growing in Malaysia, and there are specific stores around the country. These Bulk Food Stores can also be accessed online with biodegradable packing delivered to your doorstep. Steps 1. Students will be shown pictures of individuals in supermarkets buying groceries. They will then be told to identify potential waste that can occur based on what they see. 2. Students will then be shown a video of the Bulk Food Store concept and how it can reduce waste significantly in supermarkets. 3. Students will then design and draw their future supermarket where this Zero Waste concept of Bulk Food Store is implemented. 4. Students will then present their ideas of their Zero Waste supermarket concept. The students and teacher will then ask questions on their proposed concept. 5. Students will then discuss as a group and what they have learnt from this lesson plan. The teacher will also introduce to students what may happen if they do not control their waste. Some examples that can be shared among the students are: • Excessive plastic waste has lead to the occurrence of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. • The video of the turtle that had a plastic straw in its nose. • Excessive waste has to lead to animals consuming waste that can be found in their habitat.

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Sustainable Consumption and Production - Excessive Waste

Climate Fact Our rubbish can travel everywhere in the world if we do not manage it properly. We should give up this wasteful mentality. It is the leading cause of many habitat alterations and substances like microplastics being in our food. A good example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Most of the waste discovered in this area is plastics that float on the water’s surface. This phenomenon has changed the habitat around the area by reducing the level of light that penetrates the water. These habitat changes will eventually lead to warmer water bodies that can contribute to changes in our climate.

Discussion Questions 1. How do you feel using these zero waste products? 2. What are the advantages of using these products? 3. Do you think it will be expensive to implement zero waste products? 4. Other than the supermarkets, what can we do to implement zero waste in our shopping habits?

Some Examples of the Zero Waste concept

Use recycled paper bags instead of plastic bags.

Use bars of soap instead of soap bottles.

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Sustainable Consumption and Production- Renewable Energy

Turn Down 4 Watt Objectives Students will get to know about future renewable energy generation for sustainable consumption of power.

Materials Google Classroom (Any other video conferencing software can be used), worksheets

Learning Outcome Students will understand the available green alternative energy resources in the market and get to know the importance of this resource.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Science

Introduction With the rise of alternative energy resources such as Solar, Wind, Hydro and Biomass, this lesson plan will teach students how these alternative sources of power can generate low carbon energy. Students will also give their ideas on how they can implement alternative forms of energy in their schools and learn about the importance of switching off appliances when not in use.

Lesson Development Activity 1 1. The teacher will introduce the students to alternative energy resources that are available in Malaysia. A video can be shown on this topic as well.* 2. The teacher will then ask students the following questions: • How are these renewable energy resources different from conventional plants? • What do you feel about renewable energy? Is it enough for us to rely on this resource? • If the above answer is no, what else can we do to use power sustainably? 3. The teacher should educate the students on the importance of switching off all appliances when not in use. This habit will ensure sustainable use of power due to the scarce and intermittent nature of renewable energy resources. Activity 2 1. Once Activity 1 is done, the teacher will have the option to introduce a presentation element to this activity. 2. For Activity 2, students will be asked to use their creativity in implementing renewable energy in their school. 3. Students will have the option to use any available renewable resource (i.e. Solar, Wind, Hydro, Nuclear). 4. Students can work in groups and draw how their renewable power plant will look like in their school. The student will have to write a report on their ideas.*

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Sustainable Consumption and Production - Renewable Energy

Climate Fact In 2018, 93% of Malaysia’s power came from Fossil Fuels, based on the Energy Commission’s data. This makes the energy industry the highest contributor of greenhouse gas emission (80% compared to other sectors). Hence, the government has introduced schemes such as Net Energy Metering to encourage businesses and individuals to produce renewable energy for the Malaysian grid. There is still a lack of people who contribute in this way. Hence, the public has to be educated to encourage them to participate in these renewable energy initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint, thus preserving our environment. Sample ideas and report for different types of renewable energy

Rooftop solar panels that can be used Mini wind turbine can be installed at within school compound. empty compound within the school.

Hydroelectric generator can be used if there is a water source nearby the school (i.e. river). *Suggested videos & Sample Report can be found in the DeRiA digital library.

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Sustainable Consumption and Production - Upcycling

Paplet Booklet Objectives Students will get to know how to upcycle the waste that they see around them

Materials Us ed one-sided A4 Paper, Scissors, masking tape, decorative stickers, Stapler, Stationeries

Learning Outcome Students will understand the importance of managing waste and how upcycling can give new life to the waste around us.

Age Group Upper Primary, Lower Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Arts and Crafts

Introduction There is a lot of waste around us, and sometimes consumption cannot be controlled. In this circumstance, what can we do to prevent this from happening? One of the best ways that are being done around the world is upcycling. By giving new life to waste, we are essentially displacing waste that can be seen in landfills but now have become a new product. Lesson Development 1. The teacher will talk to the students about upcycling. The teacher will have to address the following questions for explanation: • What is upcycling? • How does upcycling help our environment? • Sample pictures of upcycling in the community 2. Students will then be instructed to make a Paplet (a booklet out of one-sided A4 paper). The used one-sided A4 paper can be found in school, or the teacher can inform the students to bring these papers on their own. 3. Students will be organised into a human assembly line. There are 5 stages in making a Paplet. Stacking, Cutting, Stapling, Pasting and Decorating. The content page on the right has the layout for the assembly line. 4. Stacking: Students will be given a task to stack used one-sided paper into 10 sheets. 5. Cutting: Students will be given a task to cut the used one side paper into half. The students will have a stack of paper A5 in size. 6. Stapling: The stapling stage is the crucial part of this project. Students will need to restack and flip through the pages to ensure one side of the flip is all blank pages while the other side is printed. Once this is done, the students shall staple twice to secure all the pages together. Essentially the students will have a 20-page A5 booklet. 7. Pasting: Students will be required to stick masking tape on the stapled parts. The masking tape will cover all the sharp edges of the staples to prevent any injury while using the playbook 8. Decorating: Students in this stage will be in charge of decorating the booklets with either stickers or drawings on them. 9. Once this activity is done, the teacher will recap on the questions asked before this activity and inform the students on the following key points: • By reusing these used papers, they do not have to take a new sheet of paper to doodle. Hence, they are essentially saving the trees that grow in our habitat. • Using the used one-sided paper, we are also utilizing the paper fully as the other side of the paper will not go to waste. 10. This booklet is one of the ideas for upcycling. Many other disposable items can be repurposed into useful products, extending the lifespan of the product.

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Sustainable Consumption and Production - Upcycling

Climate Fact We are very wasteful when it comes to our resources. Hence, upcycling can significantly help us by saving these resources from becoming a complete waste. Upcycling reduces the consumption of new raw material when creating a new product. Companies utilize wastes as their resources. If all companies and individuals practice upcycling, we will observe significant carbon reduction and have a positive impact on climate change.

Assembly Line

Table

Stacking

Cutting

Stapling

Pasting

Decorating

Booklet collection area

Sample of Paplet Booklet

Environmental Education Playbook 34

Theme 4: Biodiversity Conservation Biodiversity — Our Lifeline We are living in the Anthropocene, the age of humans. Being a single species that is capable of reshaping the landscape of the planet and even set foot on the Moon, we often think that the existence of other species cannot challenge us. Maybe that is right. Nonetheless, we often forget our civilisation was built on a foundation of nature. We Homo sapiens belong to a food web — a complex interconnection of food chains. Our survival depends on other living organisms’ existence, whether it is a plant, animals, fungi or microorganisms. Without their support, even with our advanced agricultural technology, we will not survive as a species, with a projected population to reach 8 billion in 2023. Besides that, our technological advancement came at the cost of ecological imbalance. Uncontrollable greenhouse gases emissions are only one of the side effects. In the past decade, based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 467 species have been declared extinct. Habitat fragmentation, illegal wildlife trade, pollutions, overharvesting and destruction of habitats are significant causes for extinction. Sensitive species will be impacted the most due to climate change, causing the rising sea level and rising surface temperature, diminishing their already limited habitats. There are good news and bad news. The bad news is climate change is also threatening our survivability with increased extreme weather events. The good news is biological diversity can help to slow down climate change for us. By establishing a balanced ecosystem, it will increase the resilience of all living organisms in the world and create a sustainable future for the human race.

35 Environmental Education Playbook

Biodiversity Conservation

Topics covered • Overharvesting • Habitat Loss

• Introduced species • Ecosystem diversity

Overharvesting Overharvesting is used to describe crops and animal products harvested at an unsustainable rate, given their natural mortality rates and capacities for reproduction/growth. Sustained overharvesting can deplete natural resources to the point where they cannot recover within a short time frame or ultimately lead to the extinction of a particular species.

Introduced Species An introduced species is a species living outside of its native range. They are introduced by natural means or artificially by humans. Some invasive alien species can potentially lead to an ecological disaster by outcompeting local species. Alien species in the form of virus and bacteria can substantially impact the agriculture industry.

Habitat Loss Habitat loss is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby reducing biodiversity and species abundance. Habitat loss is the leading cause of biodiversity loss everywhere in the world. Urbanization and agriculture are the main drivers for habitat loss.

Ecosystem Diversity Diversity in the ecosystem is significant to human existence. Healthy ecosystems will provide a variety of beneficial ecosystem services. Some of the benefits of a healthy ecosystem are the availability of oxygen via the photosynthesis process, water purification, and the decomposition of wastes.

Environmental Education Playbook 36

Biodiversity Conservation - Overharvesting

Happy Fishing Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to create awareness on sustainable harvesting and enable teamwork among the students.

Materials Paper, Satay stick, strings, magnet, glue, colourful paper clips

Learning Outcome Students will have to understand the need for sustainable fishing to ensure a continuous supply of food for society.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Science, Math, Physical Education

Introduction Overharvesting happens in many natural resources, especially in the seafood and timber industry. This interactive activity allows students to have hands-on experience on how overharvesting can negatively impact the fish stock in our oceans. They will also learn that good natural resource management is needed to supply our society with a sustainable source of nature-based materials. Steps: 1. Students will be organized into groups of 4-6 students, depending on class size. Each group will be seated in a circle. 2. Each student will get a piece of paper to fold an origami boat (Guide available on the next page) and a stick, strings, a small magnet, and glue to make a fishing rod. 3. Each group will get a big piece of paper representing the ocean, 20 random colourful paper clips representing a school of fish. These items will be placed in the middle of the group. 4. Students will be instructed that the group with the most fish will be the winner at the end of the activity. The first round will begin without the student knowing that there will be subsequent rounds. 5. After the first round, the teacher will inform the student that every pair of clips with the same colour will produce 1 extra fish in the next round. Students are then allowed to put some of the fish back in the ocean and discuss their strategy for 1 minute. They will be told that the activity will only last for three rounds in total. Every student must fish at least 2 fishes out of the ocean in each round. 6. The teacher will check each group and provide extra paper clips for groups according to the number of paired clips available in the ocean after every round. 7. After the third round, the teacher will total the scores. The fish in the boat is 1 mark each, whereas fish in the ocean gets 2 marks each (Marking system is not to be mentioned, students’ goal is to get the most fish from the ocean as a group). 8. Discuss the following questions: • What happened to the fish population in the last round? • What would you have done differently if you did this activity again? • What are some adverse effects of overfishing on the environment and the people? • What are some ways that we can reduce the harmful effects of overfishing? • In what way does technology harm the environment and people? In what ways does technology benefit the environment and people?

37 Environmental Education Playbook

Biodiversity Conservation - Overharvesting

Climate Fact Species play essential roles in ecosystems, which in turn provide vital services to humans. Climate change interacts with threats such as habitat loss and overharvesting that further exacerbates the decline of species. The decline of species and ecosystems can accelerate climate change, creating a feedback loop that further exacerbates the situation. Climate change threatens fish stocks, especially in tropical areas. It is predicted that fish stocks can declines up to 40% in potential seafood catch by 2050. Nonetheless, it also creates new opportunities for fishing in areas located at high latitudes. Setup

Origami paper boat

Overharvesting is a severe threat to many species, especially aquatic ones. Common resources – resources that are shared, such as fisheries, are subject to an economic pressure known as “the tragedy of the commons”. This is caused by the lack of motivation to exercise restraint in harvesting from a certain area because the harvesters do not own the area. The natural outcome of harvesting common resources is overexploitation.

Environmental Education Playbook 38

Biodiversity Conservation - Habitat Loss

Our Habitats Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the consequences of habitat loss and the prevention strategies.

Materials Videos, Pictures

Learning Outcome Students will be able to discuss the topic of habitat loss and think of solutions.

Age Group Lower Primary, Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Moral, Language, Science

Introduction Habitat loss is the greatest threat towards many species, especially large animals that require a large area for foraging or specialist plants that only occupy certain types of substrate. Habitat loss can be categorized into three main types: habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and habitat degradation. Through this activity, the students will learn the concept of habitat and why habitat loss is driving wild animals to extinction.

“I am going extinct because of habitat fragmentation. The roads and highways are preventing me from crossing to meet my family in other forests.”

Steps: 1. The students will be briefed on what is habitat and why are animals dying because of habitat loss. 2. The students will be asked to discuss what is human habitat, and the difference between home and habitat. 3. The teacher will show video(s) that explains the types of habitat loss and how to prevent them. 4. After watching the videos, the teacher will discuss with students the types of habitat loss they have seen or experienced around them. 5. The teacher will show the students pictures of rainforest and coral reefs (an example is shown on the next page), discuss the animals found in each habitat and how humans will be affected by the destruction/degradation of these habitats. 6. The students will be shown pictures (an example is shown on the next page) of habitat loss. 7. The students will be grouped into pairs to discuss these questions: • What type of habitat loss are shown in these pictures? • What can you do at school or at home to prevent these from happening? 8. The students will then write down and present their answers. 9. Using the pictures on the next page, the teacher can facilitate a class discussion on what they think are the best and easiest steps they can take in their classroom to prevent habitat loss from occurring.

39 Environmental Education Playbook

Biodiversity Conservation - Habitat Loss

Climate Fact Climate change has induced habitat loss everywhere. Sensitive habitats like the coral reefs are degraded or destroyed due to heatwaves, causing massive coral bleaching events. About 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on the coral reefs for shelter, food and spawning. Without healthy coral reefs, we will be facing a collapse of the marine ecosystem. Another sensitive habitat is the tropical montane cloud forests, which exist only at the mountains’ highest elevations. Cloud forests like the mossy forest in Cameron highlands will be gone if the Earth’s surface temperature continues to rise. What living organisms are found here and what will happen if the habitats are destroyed?

Rainforest

Coral reef

Human actions have caused habitat loss to happen as shown below:

Discussion: 1. What type of habitat loss are shown in these pictures? 2. What can you do at school or at home to prevent these from happening?

Environmental Education Playbook 40

Biodiversity Conservation - Introduced Species

Nature Bingo Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the differences between native and introduced species, and how invasive alien species affect local biodiversity.

Materials Bingo Worksheet, videos, pencil

Learning Outcome Students will be able to sharpen their observation skills and understand the importance of teamwork.

Age Group Lower Primary, Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Science, Physical Education, Language

Introduction Many wildlife and plants live around us, whether at school, home or in the garden. These species can be of native origin, or they might be introduced to our country. These alien species are sometimes invasive, causing harm to the local ecology and even the economy. This activity will lead the students out of their classroom to explore their surroundings while learning about Malaysia’s introduced and native species. Steps:

1. Prepare a bingo card that features plants and animals found around the school’s compound, for example, in the herb garden. The contents of the bingo sheet will depend on the creativity of the teacher. The students can fill the bingo cards with words or pictures. An example of a bingo card is on the next page. 2. The teacher will brief the student on the concept of native species and introduced species. To assist with the explanation, the teacher can show a video aid. 3. The teacher will show examples of native and introduced species found in Malaysia and their natural habitat, respectively. 4. The teacher will explain on how the non-native species have entered our country via these few possible ways: • • • • • •

Exotic Pet Trade Aquarium Trade Horticultural Trade Biological Pest Control Wildlife Trade & Smuggling Accidents or Chance Events

“Do not release me into the wild! I am an American.”

5. The teacher will hand out the bingo worksheet to the students and group them in pairs or trios to look out for the organisms or objects in the school compound as stated in the worksheet. 6. The students will take note of what organisms/objects are most commonly found and where the organisms/ objects are found. 7. When the students return to the classroom, the teacher will facilitate a discussion on what organisms/objects are the most commonly found and whether they are native or introduced species. 8. The teacher will debrief the students by explaining the harmful effects of invasive alien species and how climate change worsens native species.

41 Environmental Education Playbook

Biodiversity Conservation - Introduced Species

Climate Fact Invasive non-native species is a threat to native species. They are sometimes so successful in their naturalisation that they have outcompeted the native species. One example is the Nile Tilapia fish that is currently in most of the major river systems. Sometimes, these invasive species can be viruses and bacteria, making it much harder to eradicate them. The warmer temperature of the Earth’s surface means these invasive species can invade more regions of higher latitude (Northern or Southern hemisphere) and higher altitude (grows higher up on the mountain).

Make your own Bingo card at canva.com/create/bingo-cards/

Environmental Education Playbook 42

Biodiversity Conservation - Ecosystem Diversity

Living Ecosystems Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able learn about ecosystems and explain the differences between a food web and a food chain.

Materials Picture, Worksheet

Learning Outcome Students will be able to explain different types of ecosystems and the components of an ecosystem.

Age Group Lower Primary, Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Language, Physical Education, Science

Introduction

An ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. Ecosystems that we can find in Malaysia are tropical forest, freshwater and marine. These areas cover montane forest, coral reef, peat swamp, mangrove, river, lowland forest and many more. Different groups of organisms usually inhabit them, and we will be exploring some of these areas to learn about their characteristics.

Steps:

1. The teacher will start by asking the students about what lives inside our forest. Discuss how their answers relate to each other and if they need each other to survive. 2. The teacher hands out a worksheet highlighting living things and non-living things where students will need to circle the living organisms (example shown on next page). 3. After completing the worksheet, the teacher will explain the definition of an ecosystem and an ecosystem’s components. • All of the plants and animals within an ecosystem depend on each other to maintain balance and health. • Natural disaster (storms, flood, and forest fire) and human intervention (habitat destruction, introduction of exotic species, farming activities) can disrupt ecosystems. • The new organism that enters an ecosystem will increase competition, resulting in an existing organism’s extinction. 4. The teacher will then explain the concept of the food chain, food web, producers, consumers and decomposers: • A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one eats another. • Food webs consist of many interconnected food chains and are a more realistic representation of consumption relationships in the ecosystems. • Producer: A living thing that makes its food from sunlight, air, and soil. Green plants are producers who produce food in their leaves. • Consumer: A living thing that cannot make its food. Consumers get their energy by eating food. All animals are consumers. • Decomposer: A living thing that gets energy by breaking down dead plants and animals. Fungi and bacteria are the most common decomposers. • Energy is transferred from Producer to Consumer, then to Decomposer. 5. The students will then be asked to complete a food web (example on next page) to gauge their understanding of the concepts. 6. The teacher can end the class by discussing with students what are the effects of climate change to a healthy ecosystem and how we can prevent the disruption of ecosystem.

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Biodiversity Conservation - Ecosystem Diversity

Climate Fact Climate change affects the living world, including people, through changes in ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Ecosystem services contribute to jobs, economic growth, health, and the well-being of humans. Impacts of climate change on ecosystems reduce their ability to improve water quality and regulate water flow. Rapid changes to ecosystems may cause the displacement or loss of many species. The timing of critical biological events is shifting. Hence, this will affect the stability of the species and their habitats and disrupt our agriculture.

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Theme 5: Pollution SAY NO TO POLLUTION Pollution defined as environment damaged caused by the harmful and poisonous substances from human activities. Generally, there are four main types of pollution including air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and sound pollution. Pollution leads to germs and bacterias to growth which are harmful to human, animals and natural habitats. Air Pollution – The vehicles that we use to get around such as motorbikes, cars and planes contribute to air pollution. These vehicles use fossil fuels, like petrol and gas, to power their engines. Due to the heavy usage of private vehicles, we are adding too much carbon dioxide to our atmosphere, causing the planet’s temperature to rise and the Earth become warmer. Land Pollution – Can you imagine how much trash is produced by human beings? Did you ever think about where the trash goes? Some of the stuff that we throw away, like plastics, are toxic to our environment. The waste may contain chemicals that can leak into the ground and contaminate the drinking water. Soil pollution affects food production, as the crops and plants may become affected. Water Pollution – What will we do when we run out of clean water to drink? What will happen when the oceans and river are so polluted? Human mindlessly throw most of the waste into the ocean, not thinking about what that may cause. Ships that carry oil can have accidents, spilling all the toxic oil into the ocean, causing havoc to our marine ecosystem and may kill the aquatic creatures in mass. volume.

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Pollution

Topics covered • Types of Pollution • Ocean Garbage

• Air Pollution and Acid Rain • Sound Pollution

Types of Pollution Pollution results from human activities releasing gas, liquid, substances and other residuals to the environmental space. The major types of pollution include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and sound pollution. Pollution causes direct and indirect adverse effect to the environment, flora and fauna, habitats and our planet.

Air Pollution and Acid Rain Air pollution is caused by the smoke or gas particles generated from private vehicles, commercial wastage, and industrial residuals. These smokes contain contagious particulars, and when rain falls, these contagious gases flow with the rainwater in the form of acid rain.

Ocean Garbage Domestic and industrial waste often ends up in the nearby drains, rivers and beach. The waste then flows into the big ocean and become ocean garbage. Plastics is one of the main components of ocean garbage. Plastics usually do not compose and put the aquatic creatures in danger.

Sound Pollution Sound pollution is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on human beings or animal lives, most of them harmful to human, animals and natural habitat. Noises from vehicles, aircraft and industrial machines are the primary sources of sound pollution in our daily lives.

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Pollution - Types of Pollutions

Hello Bad Buddies Objectives Materials Students will be able to distin- Color pencil, crayons, guish the different types of pol- paper and stationeries. lution that resulted from their daily life activities.

Learning Outcome Students will have to define and describe different kinds of pollution, also explain the main causes of water, air. land and sound pollution.

Age Group Lower Primary Suitable Subjects Arts, Moral, Language, Science

Introduction This lesson is created to teach students about different types of pollution that exist in their daily lives. This lesson can be conducted in the classroom with artwork activities for effective learning. Towards the end of this lesson, the students will understand the different types of pollution, the causes and consequences to human beings, flora, fauna, and Earth as a whole. This lesson will help teachers create awareness among students on pollution and become responsible citizens to minimize pollution in their daily life activities. Warm Up Activity 1. Explain the concept of land, water and air pollution through a simple introduction activity. 2. The teacher can take a paper, cut it into different pieces and spread it throughout the classroom then ask the students: How do you now see the classroom environment? (Expected answer: Dirty/Messy) 3. The teacher can place water in two cups, one is clean, and the other is dirty water. Then, the teacher can ask the students: Which water would you like to drink? Let the students explain their choices. 4. The teacher can burn a matchstick in the classroom and allow smoke to spread in the surrounding. Then, the teacher can ask students: how do they feel? What is their observation from all these activities? 5. Finally, the teacher can share the day’s topic with all the students before beginning the lesson. Drawing and Colouring Activity 1. The students are given drawing blocks to draw and colour the type of pollution they see, touch, and smell in their daily lives. 2. The students will start to ideate, draw and colour the desired pollution concept. 3. Once the drawings are completed, each student will come forward and show their drawings, and other students in the classroom will need to guess what type of pollutants are those. 4. Towards the end of this activity, all the students can paste their artwork on the classroom wall. Assessment Activity 1. The students are given 10 images in the list to fill in the blanks, and the answers will be the types of pollutions. 2. The students are given one big portrait with various type of pollution activities; students will be required to circle the pollution as seen in the image. 3. The teacher will play a video on different types of pollution. The students can shout out each time they see any form of pollution shown in the video. 4. The teacher can do a short sum up and debriefing activity to end the lesson.

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Pollution - Types of Pollutions

Climate Fact Pollution is the environmental damage caused by the individual act, commercial waste and hazardous industrial residuals. Water pollution, land pollution, soil pollution and sound pollution are some of the examples. Humans choose the easy way to dispose of or release unwanted substances into landfill and the ocean to avoid the high cost of treatment. Humans also contaminate rivers and seas with plastics or domestic waste, which leads to water pollution. Soil pollution is also alarming, with heavy industry and chemical pollutants from the manufacturing sectors. It is observed that in the recent years, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution and visual pollution have been on the rise.

Urbanization

Heavy Industrialization

Fossil Fuel Mining

Household Waste

Discussion: 1. Name any pollution you know, and the causes. 2. What will be some of the potential consequences of air pollution? 3. What will you do to reduce rubbish in your home?

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Pollution - Ocean Garbage

Run for Ocean Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the ocean garbage concept and remedy methods.

Materials Labeled dustbin, rubbish, whistle, record book

Learning Outcome Students will have to define the cause and consequences of ocean garbage, also generate upcycling ideas.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Science, Physical Education

Introduction This lesson is created to help the teacher communicate with students on daily littering, river pollution and ocean garbage issues. This lesson can be conducted in the classroom with outdoor activities for effective learning. Towards the end of this lesson, the students will able to understand the consequences of ocean garbage to the environment and act as one of the small heroes to reduce ocean garbage by throwing the trash into recycling bins for recycling and reuse purposes. Activity 1 - Warm Up 1. The teacher uses storytelling methods to introduce the ocean garbage issue. 2. The teacher can project images of the affected endangered aquatic creatures due to ocean garbage. 3. The teacher can ask a reflective question: What will happen in 20 years if garbage increases and is left in the ocean? Activity 2 - Ocean Garbage Telematch 1. The teacher can divide students into group of 5 students, minimum 2 groups. Each group to complete a running course of 50m. 2. Point A: Various type of garbage placed on a table. 3. Point B: A bucket of water is placed (Ocean simulation), and 2 types of dustbin (recyclable and non-recyclable) are placed. 4. The students will run from Point A by carrying 1 piece of garbage to Point B (50 metres), where the water bucket and dustbin are placed. 5. The students will then throw the rubbish into either the water bucket or dustbin. (3 choices given) 6. Each student will get 2 turns, totaling up to 10 rounds of running for each group. 7. When all the teams have completed the telematch, the teacher can count the points and add them to Activity 3. Activity 3 - Video Sharing and Design Thinking Session 1. The teacher plays a video on the causes and consequences of ocean garbage. 2. After the video has ended, the teacher can conduct a debriefing and discussion session focusing on the upcycling of ocean garbage. 3. The students can then complete team discussion on what can be done with the collected garbage, followed by the ideation process. 4. Each team can present their ideas on how to turn the ocean garbage items into valuable upcycled items. 5. The teacher evaluates the idea presentation by the student groups. Finally, the teacher can sum up all the marks to announce the winner for all the activities.

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Pollution - Ocean Garbage

Climate Fact Ocean garbage, including plastics, paper, wood, metal and other manufactured materials, are found on beaches across the world and at all depths of the ocean. Water pollution usually starts from the river banks where industries release their chemical or harmful residuals and households throw their daily consumption waste into nearby rivers. All these harmful and non-biodegradable substances then flow from the river into the big ocean. All across the world, ocean garbage is an alarming issue, especially plastic waste, which turns into microplastics and being consumed by aquatic creatures. Hence, ocean garbage affects marine life, including coral reefs, turtles, and exotic marine.

*

*According to the 2012-2018 Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project. Debriefing: The teacher can tell a story on “The Life of Plastic” or play a video on plastics to create awareness on ocean garbage. Discussion: 1. Do you know what is ocean garbage? 2. What will be some of the waste included as ocean garbage? 3. What will you do to reduce single-use plastics at your home?

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Pollution - Air Pollution and Acid Rain

Tears of Sky Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand about air pollution, formation of acid rain and its danger to daily life.

Materials To conduct this lesson, students may need items like computer, internet, headphone, and stationaries.

Learning Outcome Students will get to know about air pollution and acid rain. Students will also get to know how to prevent these pollutants from happening.

Age Group Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Science, Moral and Language

Introduction This lesson is created to teach students about air pollution, acid rain and related issues. This lesson can be conducted virtually during science lesson for effective learning. Towards the end of this lesson, students will understand the causes and consequences of air pollution to the environment and the formation of acid rain. By conducting this lesson, the students are expected to be more concerned about air pollution and ensure daily life activities do not harm air quality and minimize air pollution. Activity 1: Hi Hello to Air Pollution

1. The teacher can play a video for 10 mins on air pollution, air quality index and acid rain. 2. Then, the teacher can allow students to express their feeling in short. 3. The teacher can conduct a brief intro on the topic using images, facts, and information about air pollution. 4. To end the introduction activity, the teacher can do a short question and answering session. Activity 2: Engage with the Air

1. Connect-The-Dots The teacher will share an A4 size dotted image with the student during the class. The students will then connect all the dots to form an image that is related to acid rain. The student will have an option to colour the picture if time permits. 2. Crossword Puzzle The teacher displays a crossword puzzle on the screen, and students can be tested on their knowledge and facts about acid rain through this crossword puzzle activity. 3. Storytelling and Discussion The teacher can conduct a virtual storytelling on air pollution, acid rain and how to prevent it. Then, the teacher can do small discussion with students before end this activity. 4. Tell your Message to the World The teacher can guide students to create a short slogan or tagline to stop air pollution on an A4 paper. Students will share their message virtually with the class.

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Pollution - Air Pollution and Acid Rain

Climate Fact

Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals from factories, dust, pollen and mould spores can be categorized as air pollution. These particles pollute the air quality and may cause haze. When the air is polluted, a mixture of harmful gaseous compounds is released into the atmosphere. These gases include sulfur dioxide and various other oxides of nitrogen. Hence, when it rains, the water becomes acidic and fall in the form of acid rain. Acid rain has been shown to have adverse impacts on forests, freshwaters, and soils, killing wildlife and aquatic life forms and impacting human health.

CO2

Sulfur dioxide Nitrogen oxides

Acid Rain Forest

Land

Humans and industries

Stream Lake

Acid Rain Discussion: 1. Please list 5 types of activities that lead to air pollution. 2. Do you think acid rain is dangerous for your health? 3. How can you stop air pollution in your daily life?

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Pollution - Sound Pollution

The Noise Story Objectives At the end of the lesson, students will be able to define the different types of noise and sound pollution in daily life.

Materials Computer, headphone, internet, drawing blocks, pencil colours, crayons and stationaries.

Learning Outcome Students will have to understand the fundamental concept of noise, sound disturbance, and health issues due to sound pollution.

Age Group Lower Primary, Upper Primary Suitable Subjects Music, Moral, Language

Introduction This lesson is created to teach students about sound pollution and its correlation to the environment. Towards the end of this lesson, students will be able to understand the causes and effect of sound pollution on human, animals and natural habitats. By conducting this lesson, the students are expected to be more concerned about the harm of noise and sound pollution. The teacher will also create awareness among students on minimising sound pollution and its impact on the environment throughout the lesson. Activity 1: Make a Right Guess (Puzzle and Mystery) Part A 1. The teacher uses music/sound clips to demonstrate different sounds heard in the city and let students guess the noise or sound pollution source. 2. The teacher shall explain the harmfulness of noise and sound pollution to humans, animals, and the environment. Part B 1. The teacher can play a video consisting of various noises and sound pollution from commercial and industrial activity. 2. The teacher can request students to unmute and express their feeling on the noise heard. 3. The teacher can provide tips on minimising sound pollution and the impact on human, animals and the environment. Activity 2 Draw for me Awareness 4. The teacher can show 5 awareness posters on sound pollution in our daily lives, like trucks, trains, and machines in the factory. 5. The students need to create an awareness poster on the cause, effect and remedies to protect the environment from sound pollution. 6. The students can do a simple sharing on their poster. 7. The students can be given extra time to explain the proposed remedies for the debriefing session afterwards. 8. Finally, the teacher conducts a presentation on how innovation has reduced sound pollution, like zero noise machine and others to protect human, animals, and the environment from sound pollution. The teacher can end this activity with a small reflective discussion based on the topic.

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Pollution - Sound Pollution

Climate Fact Sound pollution is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on humans and animals. Noises from vehicles, aircraft, and industrial machines are the primary sources of sound pollution. The increased global ship traffic and geologic exploration activities contributed to the disruption of marine ecology, such as the migration and communications of marine animals. Underwater noise pollution used in maritime seismic survey operations could kill most zooplankton, an essential food source for many fishes and marine mammals, thus breaking the marine ecosystem’s food chain. For a human, environmental noise can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, stress, and fertility imbalance.

The teacher can provide the above icon images to students for their poster drawing and colouring purpose during the class lesson. After the drawing is completed, the teacher can continue with debriefing and discussion as below: Discussion: 1. What is sound pollution? 2. What causes noise and sound pollution in our daily lives? 3. How can you protect your eardrum from sound pollution?

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Acknowledgements DeRiA and this Environmental Education Playbook would not have been possible without the help, support, partnership, encouragement and trust of many organisations and individuals. We want to thank our sponsor, British High Commission Kuala Lumpur, for funding us under the ‘Communicating Science for Climate Action’ grant programme, in partnership with the UK Science and Innovation Network and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), and supported by EcoKnights. We are blessed to have had the support of three distinguished advisors, Professor Piers Forster from University of Leeds, Associate Professor Choong Weng Wai from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Dr Alistair Hunt from University of Bath, who have graciously shared their invaluable insights and advice, and environmental education experiences. We are also ever grateful to the following 24 teachers, namely Thanesh Balakrishnan, Santhy A/P Rengasamy, Elavarasan A/L Selvom, Subramaniam S/O Pasumpon, Fadzillah Binti Mohamed Osman, Lavanya A/P R. Krishnamurthy, Pavitthra A/P Arulchelvan, Thaneswari A/P Supparao, Norafizah Binti Mohd, Shanizan Imran Bin Mohd Radzi, Hari Rao S/O Subramaniam, Sounthra Devi A/P Annamalai, Jen Renita Binti Mappah, Thomas Mason Lim Beng Ann, Kokilavanni A/P Balan, Samzuraidah Binti Zolkurnain, Mohd Yahya Fadzli Bin Jusoh, Mohd Fikri bin Md Jamil, Nur Hanis Binti Mohd Khalid, Atiqah Binti Abdul Samad, Mohamad Halim Bin Hamdan, Navintharan A/L Thanka Velu, Elansegaran Thangamani, and Kugeneswaran Tamilmany who have attended our inaugural DeRiA Virtual Training Programme to contribute their innovative ideas that are used and adapted in this playbook. Heartfelt thanks to our DeRiA Virtual Training Programme’s speakers and mentors — Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize finalist Samuel Isaiah; GreenSmith’s representatives - Christina Lind-Hunter, Wong Yeong Ru, Nancy Sual, and Neyna Chaicaran; UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Global Schools Programme’s representative Amanda Abrom; Eco-Schools Programme Malaysia’s representatives Jessie Chew, Khou Jerome, and Deyvanai Arumugam; Klima Action Malaysia’s representative Aroe Ajoeni; Me.reka/Biji-Biji Initiative’s representative Jeyasudan Balasundran, S.K. Ba’ Kelalan’s representative Leoforster Ruben; Sekitar Kita’s representative Affan Nasaruddin; and Goh Mun Ting — for their unwavering partnership and support to inspire the teachers and share their environmental education expertise. This Playbook has been designed using resources from Canva, Freepik.com, Pixabay, Unsplash and Pexels. Special thanks to Kelly Dochy for the design and original watercolor illustrations.

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