Solid waste management

EDTM312 Audit task

As a teacher you must perform an audit of waste management and its possible implication for South
Africa. You must learn how to teach and support future learners to understand this issue as a learning
topic, hence, to integrate Environmental Education for sustainable development into teaching practice.
The gathering and interpretation of data and their relationship with human activities is not only done
to understand our surroundings but also to support the teaching of the curriculum in innovative and
active learning about sustainability. It also promotes inter-generational learning. All teachers need help
in learning how to deliver the curriculum in a practical, engaging and relevant way.

Here is a unique opportunity to integrate environmental education into the curriculum. Solid waste
management is the process of controlling and reducing the volume and toxicity of solid wastes through
the proper collection, treatment and disposal. Effective solid waste management mitigates adverse
health and environmental impacts, conserves resources, and improves the liveability of cities.
However, unsustainable solid waste management practices, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and
financial and institutional limitations, negatively impact public health and environmental sustainability.

In South Africa, solid waste collected from households and businesses is disposed of in landfills or
dumpsites. A landfill site is a place where waste is dumped, levelled, covered with soil and left to
decompose. Landfill sites are also called “rubbish dumps” or “rubbish heaps”. Various stakeholders,
municipal officials participate in the inspection of their local landfill sites to generate audit data of
compliance reports with the minimum requirements for landfill sites.

The table below shows statistics on compliance and non-compliance with minimum requirements for
audited landfill sites, per province. With the new knowledge and skills gained through an activity like
this audit task, you are empowered to act for the environment at home, as well as at school.
Question 1.

Draw a column graph using Table 1 and show the number of audited landfill sites per province not
complying and complying with minimum requirements in the 2022 report. (5)

Question 2.

Explain (5) possible environmental issues in provinces with landfill sites that do not comply with
minimum requirements (10)

Question 3.

Identify a subject and topic in your phase which you can teach your learners about waste management
and environmental education.

Your lesson contribution (introduction, presentation and conclusion) must ensure that your learner
understands the negative implications of unsustainable solid waste management practices.

Present on one page how, through your teaching (and the lesson), you will ensure that learners:

• become more informed citizens;

• develop a skill; and

• can suggest alternative solutions/practices that can be practiced at schools to minimize the
quantities of waste that goes into landfill sites.

It means that your group must say what you will have learners do in a lesson to ensure that they
become more informed citizens, develop a skill and what will they have to do in an activity so that they
can suggest alternative solutions that can be practiced at schools. (20)
Summary of assessment Rubric for the assignment (/35)

Group information.

Number of group Initials and Surname Student number

members
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Minimum 8 8.
9.
10.
11.
Maximum 12 12.
 Assessment criteria
Performance Outstanding – Meets the Meets the Plagiarism –
criteria exceeds the standard requirement does not meet
standard the minimum
requirement
1 5 4-3 2-1 0
Draw a column Graph is Exceed the Meet the Plagiarism is
graph using Table 1 presented standard. Graph standard. Graph committed.
and show the accurately. A present the data is not up to Graph is not
number of audited labelled graph correctly. A standard. present.
landfill sites per with heading. labelled graph
province not Exceed the with heading.
complying and standard.
complying with
minimum
requirements in
the 2022 report.

2 10 8-6 4-2 0
Suggest/Explain
(5) possible A thorough A thorough A thorough Plagiarism is
environmental discussion on the discussion on the discussion on the committed.
problems for environmental environmental environmental No discussion on
provinces with issues (5) issues (3 or 4) issues (1 or 2) the
landfill sites that associated with associated with associated with environmental
do not comply with landfill sites landfill sites landfill sites issues associated
minimum with landfill sites
requirements (10)

3 16-20 11-15 6-10 0-5

The subject and The subject & The subject & The subject & The subject &
topic in your phase topic in a phase topic in a phase topic in a phase topic in a phase
where you can are mentioned. are mentioned. are mentioned. are not
The presentation The presentation The presentation mentioned.
teach your learners is very well is well thought is satisfactory, The presentation
about waste thought through. through & a good but it partially is poor and hardly
management and A very good explanation of explains how the explains how the
so integrate explanation of how the teaching teaching and teaching and
environmental how the teaching & learning learning learning
education into the & learning experience will experience will experience will
experience will ensure that ensure that ensure that
curriculum must ensure that learners become learners become learners become
be presented. One learners become more informed more informed more informed
page must present more informed citizens; develop citizens; develop citizens; develop
how, through your citizens; develop a skill; & can a skill; and can a skill; and
teaching (and the a skill; & can suggest can suggest can suggest
lesson), you will suggest suggest suggest alternative
alternative alternative alternative solutions that can
ensure that solutions that can solutions that can solutions that can be practiced at
learners: be practiced at be practiced at be practiced at schools to
• become schools and schools to schools to minimize the
more informed community level minimize the minimize the quantities of
citizens (5). to minimize the quantities of quantities of waste that goes
quantities of waste that goes waste that goes into landfill sites.
• develop a waste that goes into landfill sites. into landfill sites.
skill (5); and into landfill sites. is present.
• can is present.
suggest alternative
solutions/practices
(10)
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