This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Trilogy Chemistry GCSE, particularly the 'Earth’s Resources’ SoW.
 
The first part of the lesson focuses on the problems of metal extraction, particularly to the environment. Students will firstly brainstorm their ideas of how metal extraction can cause problems, then some examples are revealed using the PowerPoint presentation and the need for recycling is also explained.
 
Students will then need to complete a progress check, a set of questions to assess their knowledge of what they have learned this lesson. The answers to which are included in the PowerPoint presentations so students can self-assess or peer-assess work.
Pupils will now focus on the extraction and recycling of three metals: aluminium, copper and iron. They will firstly be given some information sheets on these three metals and using these they will need to answer a 6-mark exam question which requires pupils to give a use for each metal and outline reasons why they should be recycled by listing both economic and environmental reasons. This task can then be peer or self-assessed using the comprehensive mark scheme provided.
 
Pupils will now watch a video which outlines limits to recycling, pupils will need to answer a set of questions whilst watching the video. This work can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
 
The last task is a word search, pupils need to find a list of key words in the word search and for each word they find they need to write a sentence which links that word to the extraction of metal from it’s ore.
 
The plenary activity is for pupil to spend five minutes thinking about what they have learned in the lesson - what they have understood and what they would like to spend more time on.