Background for the teacher

The three "R"s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) is probably the most important environmental concept that young students could learn. If they properly understand and apply the concept, that would be the environmental contribution with the biggest impact that they could make.

It is to be noted that the three "R" have a very specific order. Of the three, the best known is the third one, recycling. However, it is ranked last and has the least environmental positive impact of the three.

The three "R"s are as follows:

1. Reduce: in every aspect of your life, reduce the amount of material goods that you purchase and use.
2. Reuse: if you cannot reduce any more the amount of material goods that you purchase, try to reuse them for as long as you can.
3. Recycle: if the material goods that you have used can no longer be reused, make sure to recycle it.

Resources elsewhere on the web:

• Mottainai, wikipedia article on this Japanese word without translation in other languages, but whose meaning is closely related to the three "R"s.
• Waste hierarchy: wikipedia article which elaborates on the thre "R"s.

Activities for young learners

{
Curriculum: the three "R"s: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Level: beginner students.
Social issues: protecting the environment by understanding and applying the three "R"s.
Presentation: activities to include in lesson plan.
Copyright: openteacher.info and Augustin Masquilier.
}

Preliminary activities

Activity 1: Tell the students one letter in the alphabet. Ask them to write on the board or on their notebooks, or simply say as many words as they can starting with that letter. Do so with several letters. Lastly do so with the letter "R".

Activity 2: Tell the students that you will introduce three news words starting with "R". Write them and have them copy the words. Explain their meaning in their mother tongue.

More to come. See Issue: #39: The 3 "R"s..