Recycling Basics Demo Lesson

Overview

Students learn the three Recycling Basics rules, experience a memorable “Scan & Build” moment with Brickit, then take a 12‑question Kahoot‑style quiz and reflect on one action to apply at home/school/community.

Local rules vary. This lesson teaches a baseline and builds habits (empty/clean/dry, no bags). Always add a local program reminder.

Recycling Basics (baseline)

Teach these three rules first, then practice them.

Rule 1: Recycle bottles, cans, rigid containers, paper and cardboard (baseline set).
Rule 2: Keep food and liquid out — items should be empty and reasonably clean/dry.
Rule 3: No plastic bags and no bagged recyclables — recyclables go loose in the bin.

Extra note: For plastics, sort by shape (bottles/cups/tubs), not by the “chasing arrows” symbol.

Teacher preparation

🧱 LEGO®

200–400 mixed bricks per team (2–5 students).

📱 Brickit App

One device per team (recommended) for Scan → Choose → Build.

🖥️ Screen

Projector or screen for host mode (optional). Students can also run the quiz on phones.

📝 Notes

Optional: a whiteboard to collect “one action we will do” at the end.

Organiser tip: You can run this with 20–30 students by having 5–7 teams. Use a timer and keep the rules visible.

Lesson flow (35–45 min)

This keeps Brickit’s classroom routine while teaching recycling honestly: the build is a memorable example of “turning a pile into something new”.

Block	Minutes	What to do
0. Warm‑up (What is recycling?)	4–5	Short talk: “Recycling turns used materials into new products.” Ask: “What’s one thing you recycle at home?”
1. Sort → Scan	10–12	Teams quickly sort LEGO, scan with Brickit, and choose a model they can build in 5–7 minutes.
2. Build	8–10	Build the Brickit model. Emphasize: “This pile looked random, but you turned it into something useful.”
3. Connect to recycling	5–7	Teacher talk + student share: “We didn’t buy new parts — we reused what we had.” Connect to circularity.
4. Teach the 3 rules	4–5	Rule 1/2/3 with examples; repeat as a chant: “Empty. Clean. Dry. No bags.”
5. Quiz game (12 questions)	8–10	Students answer on phones (self mode) or follow the host screen. Reveal answers with brief explanations.
6. Reflection	3–5	Each team shares one habit they will apply this week.

Teacher talk (simple and honest)

Use Brickit as a memorable example — not a simulation.

“This pile looked useless. With scanning and creativity, you turned it into something new.”
“Recycling is similar: used materials can become new products when we do the basics correctly.”
“Our job is to help the system by following simple rules — especially keeping items empty/clean/dry and not using bags.”

Facilitator script (what to say)

Word-for-word prompts you can read aloud. Keep the pace: the build is short, the learning happens in the explanations and reflection.

One line goal: “We’re learning the basics that make recycling work — and we’ll remember them because we built something new from what we already had.”

Moment	Say this
Warm‑up (1 min)	“Quick hands: who has a recycling bin at home? Today we learn how to recycle the right way so materials actually get a second life.”
Define recycling (30 sec)	“Recycling means used materials can become new products. It works best when we keep the ‘wrong stuff’ out.”
Sort (30 sec)	“Sorting is a skill. Not perfect — fast. Spread bricks into one flat layer so the scanner can see them.”
Scan & choose (30 sec)	“Scan your pile. Choose a model you can finish in 7 minutes. If it looks hard, pick a simpler one.”
Build (midpoint)	“Notice: we’re not buying anything new. We’re reusing what we already have. That’s the ‘second life’ idea.”
Connect (1 min)	“Your pile looked random, but now it’s something useful. Recycling is similar: when we do the basics right, materials can become something new.”
3 rules (1–2 min)	“Three Recycling Basics rules (local rules vary): 1) Recycle the basics: bottles/cans/rigid containers + paper/cardboard. 2) Empty, clean, dry — no food or liquid. 3) No bags — recyclables go loose.” “Say it with me: Empty. Clean. Dry. No bags.”
Quiz (10 sec)	“Now answer the 12 questions on your device. After each one, read the explanation — that’s the learning.”
Myths (45 sec)	“Myths that cause contamination: ‘If it’s plastic, it’s recyclable.’ ‘The arrows mean recyclable.’ ‘Bagging helps.’ Which myth do you hear most? What will you do instead?”
Action pledge (30 sec)	“One sentence per team: ‘This week, we will…’ Keep it specific. Example: ‘We will never bag recyclables.’”
Closing (10 sec)	“Recycling works better when we do the basics. You just learned the basics.”

Scan & Build CTA

Use Brickit to scan piles and choose a build that teams can complete quickly. Emphasize reuse: no new purchases needed.

Open Brickit App Run as an event (Launchpad)

Run the quiz with a class code

Students join your class by QR/code and answer the 12‑question quiz inside the live lesson. Results are saved to the teacher dashboard.

Teacher: start live lesson Student: join class View live lesson script