Computing · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Sustainable Technology Practices

Active learning works for Sustainable Technology Practices because students need to see and feel the environmental cost of devices before they will value change. When students handle real school equipment, compare repair costs, and design campaigns, they connect abstract ideas like resource scarcity to tangible actions they can take.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Computing - Digital Literacy
• KS2: Computing - Information Technology

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

E-Waste Audit: School Device Survey

Students inventory classroom and school devices, noting age, condition, and disposal history. They tally data on a shared spreadsheet and calculate potential waste avoided through repair. Groups present findings with charts.

Justify the importance of recycling and repairing electronic devices.

Facilitation Tip

During the E-Waste Audit, have students work in mixed-ability groups with one device per group to make the physical sorting concrete and reduce off-task behavior.

What to look for

Present students with images of two different phone designs: one with easily replaceable parts and one with integrated components. Ask them to write one sentence explaining which design is more sustainable and why, referencing concepts like repairability or modularity.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Pairs

Repair Challenge: Gadget Teardown

Provide broken toys or old keyboards for pairs to disassemble safely. Students identify reusable parts and discuss repair steps versus replacement costs. They reassemble one item to demonstrate feasibility.

Compare different approaches manufacturers can take to design more sustainable products.

Facilitation Tip

For the Repair Challenge, provide safety goggles and labeled containers for screws to keep the teardown organized and safe for all students.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you have a tablet that is no longer working. What are the first three steps you should take before considering buying a new one?' Guide students to discuss options like checking warranties, seeking repair services, or exploring recycling programs.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 50 min · Small Groups

Campaign Workshop: Persuasive Posters

In small groups, students research sustainable tips and design posters or digital infographics using school software. They incorporate slogans, stats, and calls to action. Groups pitch campaigns to the class for feedback.

Design a campaign to encourage responsible technology consumption in the school community.

Facilitation Tip

In the Campaign Workshop, set a 15-minute timer for poster creation so students practice concise messaging under time pressure, mirroring real advocacy work.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to list one action they can take to reduce their personal technology consumption and one reason why this action is important for the environment.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Design Debate: Manufacturer Strategies

Divide class into teams to debate eco-design approaches like modular phones versus planned obsolescence. Teams prepare evidence from provided case studies and vote on best practices.

Justify the importance of recycling and repairing electronic devices.

What to look for

Present students with images of two different phone designs: one with easily replaceable parts and one with integrated components. Ask them to write one sentence explaining which design is more sustainable and why, referencing concepts like repairability or modularity.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should avoid lecturing about sustainability and instead let students discover contradictions firsthand. Research shows that hands-on repair and direct cost comparisons shift attitudes more effectively than lectures. Encourage skepticism of easy fixes like 'just recycle it,' and guide students to question why some devices are designed to be unfixable.

Successful learning looks like students justifying their choices with evidence from the activities, not just repeating facts about recycling. They should explain why repair is better than recycling in one case and why buying new might be justified in another, using data from their audits and calculations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the E-Waste Audit, watch for students grouping all e-waste together and assuming recycling is the only solution.

  Use the audit sheet to ask students to physically separate items into 'repairable,' 'recyclable,' and 'non-recoverable' piles, forcing them to see that repair often comes first.

• During the Repair Challenge, listen for comments that repairs are always more expensive than new devices.

  Provide catalogs or QR codes to real repair part costs and have students calculate the total cost of repair versus replacement using the teardown parts they removed.

• During the E-Waste Audit or Campaign Workshop, watch for students assuming all old devices have the same environmental impact.

  Ask students to compare two devices from the audit, noting differences in weight, materials, and replaceable parts, and explain which one has a lower footprint based on these features.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning