Max and Millie:
Save the planet from waste
NOTES FOR Presenters
These notes suggest activities that you may wish to use in association with Max and Millie:
Save the planet from waste. Summarised below, they cover a range of curriculum topics at
Key Stages 1 and 2. Full details of each activity are provided in the following pages.
HOW TO USE
These exercises have been designed to stimulate discussion around topics covered in the
presentation. Suggested responses to each one are provided in the following pages and can
be used to encourage children to research the topics further. The activities require minimal
resources and can be extended or modified to suit your group.
Each sheet indicates whether activities are designed to suit individual, small-group or
whole-group situations, and worksheets are provided where appropriate. Italic text contains
information for presenters with suggested responses to questions, ideas for equipment and
how the activity can be used.
Slides
5-7
Exercise
How can we reduce waste?
Activity
•An individual activity
•A practical activity to help children
understand how to reduce waste
8
How can we reuse items?
14-15 Which items can we recycle?
Can you work out which items in Max and
Millie’s lunch boxes can be recycled?
•A group activity
•Children work in pairs (but could
work individually)
•Children work individually
How can we reduce waste?
Slides 5-7: Individual activity
Gets children to become aware of the waste
they produce and how it can be reduced.
EQUIPMENT
•Worksheet
•Pen
ACTIVITY
Ask the children to complete the worksheet. They should circle the option that produces the
least waste for each picture pair.
Talk through the answers and explain why each option wastes less.
Apple: It is best not to throw items away until we have completely finished with them.
Reusable shopping bag: This lasts longer, putting the material to better use than using a
plastic bag once and throwing it away.
Larger box of cereal: By buying larger packs we can reduce the amount of packaging used.
Concentrated drinks that need to be diluted: By buying more concentrated drinks that
need to be diluted, we use less packaging.
How can we reduce waste?
Can you circle the option that produces less waste?
JUICE
CONCENTRATED
JUICE
(20 SERVES)
CEREAL
(20 Serves)
CEREAL
CEREAL
CEREAL
How can we reuse items?
Slide 8: Group activity
This activity encourages children to think about
ways in which they can create less waste by
reusing items.
EQUIPMENT
•Worksheets
ACTIVITY
Ask the children to complete the first exercise on the worksheet. They will need to look
at the list of items that Millie no longer needs on the left hand side and suggest ways to
reuse them.
Afterwards, check through the suggestions and identify good ideas.
Empty plastic container > Pen pot
Empty glass jar > Paint pot
Old teddy bear > Donate to charity
Coat with a hole > Ask an adult if they can fix it
Ask the children to complete the last exercise on the worksheet by drawing an item that
they have finished with, and suggesting a way of reusing it rather than throwing it away.
How can we reuse items?
Can you think of ways to reuse the items on the left?
Can you draw an item you no longer need? How can you reuse this item rather than throwing
it away? Write your answer beside your drawing.
I can reuse this item:
by doing this:
Which items can we recycle?
Slides 14-15: This activity can be
done in pairs.
This activity encourages children to reduce the
environmental impact of waste.
EQUIPMENT
•Worksheets
•Pens
•Colouring pencils
ACTIVITY
Using the worksheet, ask the children to decide which of Max and Millie’s lunch box items
can be recycled. Why have they picked these items? Point out the recycling symbol shown
in the presentation.
If the children have lunch boxes then you could ask them to look inside and write down and
draw a picture of the items they can recycle when they are finished.
If not all children have lunch boxes, use one lunch box per table.
Don’t forget to mention that their left over food can be composted to help make healthy soil
for new plants to grow.
Which items in Max and Millie’s lunch boxes can
be recycled?
This is what Max and Millie have in their lunch boxes. Can you draw a link from the
lunch box item to the correct bin?
WASTE ONLY
PAPER
CANS & GLASS
PLASTIC
Which items in your lunch box can you recycle
once you have finished with them?
Can you list all of your lunch box items and then draw a picture of the ones that can be
recycled? If you don’t have your own lunch box, see if you can take a look at a friend’s.
Your lunch box items:
Items you can recycle