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 other-
wise, without the prior permission of the authors and publisher.
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Content
1...................DeRiA 25...................Theme 3:
2...................Inspiring Climate Actions Sustainable Consumption
3...................How to Use This Playbook & Production
27...................Hello to Rubbish
29...................Zero Waste
31...................Turn Down 4 Watt
33...................Paplet Booklet
5...................Theme 1: Climate Change 35...................Theme 4:
7...................Rise Temparama! Biodiversity Conservation
9...................Oops! Bloob!
11................ Four Season 37...................Happy Fishing
13.................Ice! Ice! 39...................Our Habitats
41...................Nature Bingo
43...................Living Ecosystems
15...................Theme 2: 45...................Theme 5: Pollution
Food Security & Food Waste 47...................Hello Bad Buddies
49...................Run for Ocean
17...................Let’s Compost! 51...................Tears of Sky
19...................Ugly Food 53...................The Noise Story
21...................Journey 4 Food 55...................Acknowledgements
23...................Hunger Games
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 Intergov-
ernmental 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
| 1EnvEirnovnimroennmtaleEndtuaclaEtidouncPalatyiobnooPklaybook
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 communi-
cate the science of climate change to our children through fun lessons and activities, nurturing a genera-
tion 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 pre-
pare 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, cogni-
tive-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. There-
fore, 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 highlight-
ed 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 nec-
essary 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
3 Environmental Education Playbook
How to Use This Playbook?
The objectives, materi- The array of icons here Climate fact that is spe-
al requirements, learning will indicate the senses cific to each lesson plan
outcomes, age group and involved, the nature of is included as an enrich-
subject suitability for each the activity (physical or ment reading.
lesson plans are stated virtual), and if it is
here. family-friendly.
Each lesson plan will Assisting resources, including work-
include an introduc- sheets, images, discussion questions
tion and a step-by-step and infographics, can be found on
guide to prepare the the second page of all lesson plans.
teachers and educators Additional material can be found in
for a quick start. 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 occur-
ring. Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for de-
cades 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-in-
dustrial 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
5 Environmental Education Playbook
Climate Change
Topics covered
• Global Warming • Flooding
• Melting of Icebergs • Changes in Season
Global Warming Flooding
Global warming is a very complex subject. Factors
that can have an impact on global warming include Flooding is a regular and common natural di-
the natural temperature fluctuations of the planet, saster in Malaysia, especially on the East Coast
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, volcanic of Peninsular Malaysia. The cyclical monsoons
eruptions, and increased solar activity. The rise in usually cause these flood events during the trop-
greenhouse gases from human activity and the land- ical wet season from October to March. Some
use change from deforestation and farming are the additional human causes are inadequate drain-
leading causes of past warming. age in urban areas and uncontrolled deforesta-
tion.
Melting of Icebergs Changes in Season
Glaciers are large sheets of snow and ice that are Seasons exists because of the Earth’s changing
found on land all year long. They are found in the relationship to the Sun. The Earth orbits around
western United States, Alaska, the mountains of Eu- the Sun every 365 days. As it orbits, the amount
rope and Asia, and many other parts of the world. of sunlight, each location on the planet gets ev-
Warmer temperatures cause glaciers to melt faster ery day changes slightly. This change causes the
than they can accumulate new snow. As glaciers seasons.
and the giant ice sheets on Greenland and Antarcti-
ca melt, they add more water into the ocean, which
causes the sea level to rise.
Environmental Education Playbook 6
Climate Change - Global Warming
Rise Temprama!
Objectives Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, stu- Old boxes, art and Students will have to de- Upper Primary
dents will be able to create drawing materials, scribe their future plans Suitable Subjects
awareness via a poster on the seeds, old newspaper, and produce plus dis- Language, Science
rise of Earth’s temperature. bowl, tray, internet con- play create artwork on
They produce a pop-up diora- nection and computer climate change.
ma about climate change.
Introduction Teacher’s preparation
This lesson is taught to un- The teacher will need to prepare the Google Meet link (or any other video conferencing software) before-
derstand the concept of the hand to be shared in the class WhatsApp group. The teacher will need to prepare the slides*. The teacher
rise of the Earth’s tempera- also needs to download the videos to be able to conduct the virtual class. The teacher also needs to provide
ture. Students will learn the the song lyrics for the students so that they are able to sing along. The teacher is advised to send out the
cause and effects of the worksheets and lesson notes few days before the lesson day to allow the students to familiarize themselves
rise in Earth’s temperature about the topic of climate change and the rise of the Earth’s temperature.
through a virtual class. They
will learn how to take care Students’ preparation
of the environment through Students will be introduced to the lesson on climate change via a Google Meet session. They will also learn
mind mapping. Students through a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation which has pictures about the rise of the Earth’s temperature.
produce poster and diorama The teacher will also play 2 songs and have a sing-along activity. The students are also needed to prepare
as part of using art to send the worksheets beforehand plus download PicCollage App.
the message.
Activity 1: The students will be introduced to climate change and rise in Earth’s tempera-
ture.
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.
7 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 agri-
culture. 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. Do you feel that the Earth has become warmer recently?
2. In your own word, please explain what climate change is?
3. What are the causes of rising Earth’s temperature?
4. 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, the Video and pictures of Students will be able to Upper Primary
students listen and talk about flooding near them and
the causes and effects of flood- around the world. describe people, places Suitable Subjects
ing. The students also should Pictures include flood- and objects related to Language, Science
be able to understand the pre- ing of sea-level rise. flooding with the correct
ventive measures of flooding.
statements and phrases.
Introduction Teacher’s preparation
This lesson introduces students The teacher needs to prepare the materials according to the attachments by downloading the related
to the concept of flooding and videos and printing out pictures for the puzzle pack. The teacher also needs to prepare the huge tree-
the causes for it through puz- map and word cards plus the basket of apples for the cause and effect activity. The teacher will need
zles, videos and treemaps to to prepare the discussion questions and share examples of 3D models for the town to allow students
synthesise the concept of cause to have a better view.
and effect. Students are allowed
to create their 3D town models Students’ preparation
that have flooding prevention The students need to prepare their stationery and the recyclable materials to prepare for the 3D town
methods. 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 preven-
tion 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.*
9 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
Students should be able to ex- Songs in MP3 and vid- Students will be able to Lower Primary
press their thoughts on seasons eos, seasons pictures, understand the concept Suitable Subjects
using Padlet and answer quizzes Padlet sharing platform, of four seasons that exist Language
correctly based on a reading reading text, quizzes. in the temperate coun-
text related to seasons. tries.
Introduction Teacher’s preparation
The lesson introduces students The teacher needs to prepare the videos, songs lyrics and worksheet according to the attachments. The
to different seasons from around teacher also needs to prepare pictures and notes to assist them in explaining about seasons to the students.
the world. It can be taught via Furthermore, the teacher needs to prepare the platform for the reading text and Padlet plus learning dairies
visuals, songs, games and shar- to allow students to share constructively.
ing sessions through Padlet and
students learning diaries. 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 con-
duct 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. Howev-
er, 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, Experiment tools, work- Students will be able to Upper Primary
the students can say out the sheets and readers state the cause of ice- Suitable Subjects
causes of icebergs melting manual, treemap tem- bergs melting through a Language, Science
through an iceberg simu- plate, examples of post- simulation activity which
lation experiment which re- ers, videos includes measurements.
quires measuring skills.
Introduction Teacher’s preparation.
This lesson is to allow students to The teacher needs to prepare downloaded videos and quiz questions based on the topic. The teacher is
learn about the causes and effects encouraged to prepare the experiment tools for 5 different groups and related worksheets. The teacher is
of the iceberg and ice caps. The also required to prepare the reader manual for 3 different experiments.
lesson is conducted via simulation
experiment to enable students to Students’ preparation
learn through observation. It is The students are required to watch the videos and participate in the discussion. They are required to read
students centred. 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 re-
quired 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 ex-
periment. 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 conclu-
sions 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 Inter-
national 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 popula-
tion 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 According to UNICEF, 3.1 million
facing this issue of a lack of food. For this play- children die due to malnutrition
book, we will be mainly focusing on climate each year.
change. Scientists have already concluded that
climate change plays a significant role in food
production. Through the changes in tempera-
ture, 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 phe-
nomenon 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 glob-
ally.
Based on the above reasons, we should be wor-
ried. Something has to be done fast to prevent
this issue from trampling the very existence of
humanity.
15 Environmental Education Playbook
Food Security & Food Waste
Topics covered
• Food Waste in Supply Chain • Food Availability
• Food Waste by Consumers • Sustainable Food Consumption
Food Waste in Supply Chain Food Availability
Food waste can arise in many areas, including the pro- As a nation, we face issues in food availability as well.
duction and processing of food as well. Almost 3,000 As our population increases exponentially, our de-
tonnes of perfectly edible food is being wasted every day mand for food increase proportionally. However, our
in Malaysia just because the look of the food does not current food production can only provide between
follow the industry standards. This wastage leads to a 20% and 70% of the local consumers’ requirement
massive waste of resources and ultimately resulted in as climate change our output to harvest food. To
overharvesting. meet the demand, Malaysia has to import food prod-
ucts which will increase food prices.
Food Waste by Consumers Sustainable Food Consumption
Food wasted by consumers, especially at night mar- Our food consumption patterns will drastically
kets and stores, are common in Malaysia. The usual change as climate change affects our food produc-
practice is to look for the best-looking product, and tion. Due to the shortage in the food supply, fresh
as a result, a lot of perfectly edible fruits and vege- fruits and vegetables that were once affordable will
tables are wasted in the process. About 24% (4,005 increase in prices. This price increase will cause
tonnes) of food that is wasted is generated due to food insecurity among lower-income groups who
this habit. This is sufficient to provide 3 meals to are forced to consume cheaper processed food.
close to 3 million people a day in Malaysia. 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, stu- Google Classroom (or Students will be able to Lower Primary,
dents will be able to identify any other video confer- understand that food Upper Primary
what type of wastes are suit- encing software), scraps and other wastes Suitable Subjects
Sample food scraps can be used to make Language, Science
able for composting. compost.
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 Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, stu- Fruits, Stationary, Paper Students will be able Upper Primary
dents will be able to create to understand the true Suitable Subjects
their own recipe using over Language, Science
ripe fruits. value of ugly fruits and
vegetables
Introduction
This lesson teaches students the essential features to look for when purchasing food from the su-
permarket. 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 pro-
duce. 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 Very Overripe
ripe ripe
Ripe
*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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, people School Bags, Goo- Students will be able Lower Primary,
will be able to learn the food gle classroom(or any to understand the food Upper Primary
disparity among countries and
human dietary requirement. other video confer- security issues directly Suitable Subjects
encing software) in other countries. 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 con-
ducting 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 ac-
tivity.
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 run-
ning.
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 re-
quired 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 Farmers traveling for a long
motorcycles for transportation. 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
Students will be able to Pictures of countries (Ma- Students will be able to Upper Primary
learn the food dispari- laysia, Guatemala, Ugan- understand the dietary
ty among countries and da). Play money, pictures needs and why some Suitable Subjects
human dietary require- (Vegetables, Fish, Rice countries have issues Language,
ments. bags, Juices and sweets), fulfilling them. Physical Education
3 Boxes
Introduction The teacher will need to have two stations. One
Students will be briefed on food security and food station will be the dinner table which will be
disparity by the teacher. Students will get to know situated at one end of the classroom. Another
how some countries have it hard when it comes to station will be the “Marketplace” that will be on
acquire food and have a balanced diet. One of the other end of the classroom. Below are the
the critical causes of some countries having food functions of the two stations.
disparity issues is due to climate change. Most
countries that are in the southern hemisphere Dinner Table
have it hard to grow crops due to global warming. • 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.*
23 Environmental Education Playbook
Food Security & Food Waste - Sustainable Food Consumption
Climate Fact
Climate change can significantly disrupt food availability in many countries. One good ex-
ample 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. Why can’t Uganda and Guatemala achieve a balanced diet?
2. Why do you think Uganda and Guatemala have less money compared to Malaysia?
3. Is the food that they bought enough for them?
4. 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 relat-
ed 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 cyclical-
ly reusing products, whereas upcycling is
making new products through the creative
reuse of existing waste materials.
How is this topic Important? Landslide at Karak Highway due to excessive logging.
Recycling has been a hot topic for many This can be avoided if we limit our consumption
years. However, recycling is an energy-in- towards products that require natural resources.
tensive process, and it does not help the
environment when most of our electrical re-
sources 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
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Topics covered
• Types of Waste • Renewable Energy
• Excessive Waste • Upcycling
Types of Waste Renewable Energy
Waste can be broadly classified into four main catego- Most electric generators that run in Malaysia use fos-
ries, namely: Industrial, Commercial, Domestic, and sil fuels such as natural gas, coal and petroleum.
Agricultural. These include, but are not limited to, mu- These generators are a huge detriment to our envi-
nicipal solid waste, agricultural and animal waste, con- ronment. Hence, renewable sources of energy are
struction and demolition debris, oil and gas exploration vital in maintaining our environment whilst generat-
and production waste, and medical waste. ing power for our use.
Excessive Waste Upcycling
The waste we generate has been detrimental to our Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the pro-
environment for quite some time now. Humans are cess of transforming by-products, waste materials or
producing too much rubbish and cannot deal with unwanted products into new materials or products.
it sustainably. Waste that is not biodegradable and This upcycled product could be perceived to be of
cannot be properly be recycled is filling our oceans artistic value or environmental value if done correctly.
and landfills.
Environmental Education Playbook 26
Sustainable Consumption and Production - Types of Waste
Hello to Rubbish
Objectives Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
Students should be able to LCD projector, comput- Students will understand Upper Primary
identify the waste materials er, internet, check list, that there are different Suitable Subjects
produced by schools and sticky notes, list work- types of waste. Science
ways to manage the waste sheet, Mahjong paper
wisely. for closure.
Introduction
As a nation, we do not practice separating our waste daily. However, countries like Japan and Ger-
many 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 af-
fect 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 effec-
tiveness 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.
Environmental Education Playbook 28
Sustainable Consumption and Production - Excessive Waste
Zero Waste
Objectives Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
Students will be able to iden- Google Classroom Student will understand Upper Primary
tify waste and how to stop us- (Any other video con- the alternatives that can Suitable Subjects
ing products that may lead to ferencing software can be used to prevent ex- Language
waste. be used), worksheets cessive waste from oc-
curring.
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 exam-
ples 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.
29 Environmental Education Playbook
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 chang-
es 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 Use bars of soap
of plastic bags. instead of soap bottles.
Environmental Education Playbook 30
Sustainable Consumption and Production- Renewable Energy
Turn Down 4 Watt
Objectives Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
Students will get to know about Google Classroom Students will understand Upper Primary
future renewable energy gen- (Any other video con- the available green al- Suitable Subjects
eration for sustainable con- ferencing software can ternative energy resourc- Science
sumption of power. be used), worksheets es in the market and get
to know the importance
of this resource.
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 Malay-
sia. 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.*
31 Environmental Education Playbook
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 En-
ergy 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.
Environmental Education Playbook 32
Sustainable Consumption and Production - Upcycling
Paplet Booklet
Objectives Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
Students will get to know how Us ed one-sided A4 Pa- Students will understand Upper Primary,
to upcycle the waste that they per, Scissors, masking the importance of man- Lower Primary
see around them tape, decorative stick- aging waste and how
ers, Stapler, Stationeries upcycling can give new Suitable Subjects
life to the waste around Language,
us. Arts and Crafts
Introduction
There is a lot of waste around us, and sometimes consumption cannot be controlled. In this circum-
stance, 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 stu-
dents 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 prod-
ucts, extending the lifespan of the product.
33 Environmental Education Playbook
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 consump-
tion of new raw material when creating a new product. Companies utilize wastes as their re-
sources. 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 reshap-
ing 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 be-
long 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 fragmenta-
tion, 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 survivabil-
ity 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 • Introduced species
• Habitat Loss • Ecosystem diversity
Overharvesting Introduced Species
Overharvesting is used to describe crops and An introduced species is a species living outside
animal products harvested at an unsustainable of its native range. They are introduced by natu-
rate, given their natural mortality rates and ca- ral means or artificially by humans. Some invasive
pacities for reproduction/growth. Sustained over- alien species can potentially lead to an ecological
harvesting can deplete natural resources to the disaster by outcompeting local species. Alien spe-
point where they cannot recover within a short cies in the form of virus and bacteria can substan-
time frame or ultimately lead to the extinction of a tially impact the agriculture industry.
particular species.
Habitat Loss Ecosystem Diversity
Habitat loss is the process by which a natural habitat Diversity in the ecosystem is significant to human ex-
becomes incapable of supporting its native species. istence. Healthy ecosystems will provide a variety of
The organisms that previously inhabited the site are beneficial ecosystem services. Some of the benefits of
displaced or dead, thereby reducing biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem are the availability of oxygen via
species abundance. Habitat loss is the leading cause the photosynthesis process, water purification, and
of biodiversity loss everywhere in the world. Urban-
ization and agriculture are the main drivers for the decomposition of wastes.
habitat loss.
Environmental Education Playbook 36
Biodiversity Conservation - Overharvesting
Happy Fishing
Objectives Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, Paper, Satay stick, Students will have to un- Upper Primary
students will be able to strings, magnet, derstand the need for
create awareness on sus- glue, colourful pa- sustainable fishing to en- Suitable Subjects
tainable harvesting and per clips sure a continuous supply Language,
enable teamwork among of food for society. Science, Math,
the students. 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 im-
pact 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. Cli-
mate change interacts with threats such as habitat loss and overharvesting that further exac-
erbates 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 threat-
ens 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 – resourc-
es 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, stu- Videos, Pictures Students will be able Lower Primary,
dents will be able to under- to discuss the topic of Upper Primary
stand the consequences of habitat loss and think of
habitat loss and the preven- solutions. Suitable Subjects
tion strategies. 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 Steps:
because of habitat 1. The students will be briefed on what is habitat and why are animals
fragmentation. The roads
and highways are dying because of habitat loss.
preventing me from 2. The students will be asked to discuss what is human habitat, and the
crossing to meet my fam-
ily in other forests.” 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 de-
struction/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 for-
ests 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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, stu- Bingo Worksheet, Students will be able to Lower Primary,
dents will be able to under- videos, pencil sharpen their observa- Upper Primary
stand the differences between tion skills and under-
native and introduced species, stand the importance of Suitable Subjects
and how invasive alien species teamwork. Science, Physical
affect local biodiversity. 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 “Do not release me
• Aquarium Trade into the wild! I am
• Horticultural Trade
• Biological Pest Control an American.”
• Wildlife Trade & Smuggling
• Accidents or Chance Events
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 cli-
mate 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 tempera-
ture of the Earth’s surface means these invasive species can invade more regions of higher lati-
tude (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 Materials Learning Outcome Age Group
At the end of the lesson, Picture, Worksheet Students will be able to Lower Primary,
students will be able learn explain different types Upper Primary
about ecosystems and ex- of ecosystems and the
plain the differences be- components of an Suitable Subjects
tween a food web and a ecosystem. Language, Physical
food chain. 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 com-
ponents.
• 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 con-
sumption 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 an-
imals are consumers.
• Decomposer: A living thing that gets energy by breaking down dead plants and animals. Fungi and bac-
teria 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.
43 Environmental Education Playbook
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.
Environmental Education Playbook 44
Theme 5:
Pollution
SAY NO TO POLLUTION
Pollution defined as environment damaged caused by the harmful and poisonous substances from human ac-
tivities. 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.
45 Environmental Education Playbook
Pollution
Topics covered
• Types of Pollution • Air Pollution and Acid Rain
• Ocean Garbage • Sound Pollution
Types of Pollution Air Pollution and Acid Rain
Pollution results from human activities releasing Air pollution is caused by the smoke or gas parti-
gas, liquid, substances and other residuals to cles generated from private vehicles, commercial
the environmental space. The major types of wastage, and industrial residuals. These smokes
pollution include air pollution, water pollution, contain contagious particulars, and when rain
soil pollution and sound pollution. Pollution falls, these contagious gases flow with the rainwa-
causes direct and indirect adverse effect to the ter in the form of acid rain.
environment, flora and fauna, habitats and our
planet.
Ocean Garbage Sound Pollution
Domestic and industrial waste often ends up in the Sound pollution is the propagation of noise with
nearby drains, rivers and beach. The waste then ranging impacts on human beings or animal lives,
flows into the big ocean and become ocean gar- most of them harmful to human, animals and nat-
bage. Plastics is one of the main components of ural habitat. Noises from vehicles, aircraft and in-
ocean garbage. Plastics usually do not compose dustrial machines are the primary sources of sound
and put the aquatic creatures in danger.
pollution in our daily lives.
Environmental Education Playbook 46
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THE ENVIROMENTAL EDUCATION PLAYBOOK
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