This workshop challenges students to think about plastics, packaging and sustainability. They’ll explore interesting questions like: • What impact do plastics and packaging have on the environment? • Are all plastics bad? • Whose responsibility is it to make a change? Throughout, students will build essential Skills Builder skills: creativity, problem-solving, listening and speaking. The whole workshop is student-led, so perfect for independent learning or home education.

This unit of work covers understanding and analysis of this important and topical issue. Students are asked to evaluate the facts and give their opinion through a range of activities. This resource is an issue that students cover in the Burnet News Club (www.burnetnewsclub.com) ----------- INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE Everyone needs to live in a home. Your parents may rent their home, which means they pay some money each month to their landlord, or perhaps they bought their home. In Britain, both renting and buying homes has become very expensive in recent years. In fact, Britain is one of the world’s most expensive places to live.To buy a home people have to take out a very big loan from a bank. The average adult in Britain earns about £25,000 a year but the average home costs about £300,000. Why is it a problem that it is expensive to buy a home in the UK? One reason is that if people are struggling to find a suitable home, this can have lots of negative effects on the communities we live in. For example, it can lead to homelessness, inequality and conflict.

Strict lockdowns have caused pollution levels in many countries to plummet. Yet, as activity returns to normal, so will emissions. Many see the pandemic as a huge opportunity to press the reset button and build back better. But how? Get students talking about the balancing act of boosting the economy whilst protecting the environment. Use this resource to help your learners: Develop the skill of forming and supporting their opinion and use data to strengthen their reasoning Improve their thinking by connecting one issue to another Practise viewing a topic from different perspectives Research the ways that disasters have led to positive change

This resource is in support of an issue that students cover in the Burnet News Club (www.burnetnewsclub.com) ----------- Students are introduced to some of the complexities of the housing crisis through a fun activity. A balloon-debate style group activity that ask students to decide who should live in an apartment block. It encourages evaluation, communication and negotiation.

Why did one ship hit the headlines? Discover the story of the Ever Given, the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal, and find out why it made global headlines! This resource is about more than just a ship - introduce your students to the topic of world trade and find out how a small event can have big consequences.

Extreme weather is one of the biggest threats facing our world. To minimise the impact, communities, economies and health care systems need to respond and adapt. But how? This six-lesson scheme of work explores the answer to this question and many more. These activities encourage learners to: Investigate how extreme weather affects different communities Consider links to climate change Evaluate different responses that the world can make Reflect on the responsibilities countries have to each other There are opportunities to make connections with the COVID-19 pandemic and draw parallels between different crises. This scheme of work is student-led, which means it is perfect for use at home independently, with a sibling or with parental input.