Label the landfill
Modern landfill systems have changed significantly from the days of tips or dumps. Many landfills that operate in New Zealand have components designed to protect the surrounding environment, allow for environmental monitoring and capture methane gas for reuse.
In this activity, students use online and/or paper resources to identify and label components of modern landfill systems.
Modern landfill system
Use this interactive to identify the components of a modern landfill system. Drag and drop the text labels onto the diagram. Selecting or hovering over a box will highlight each area in the diagram. If you hover your mouse over the text labels there is more information.
If you want to redo an answer, click on the box and the answer will go back to the top so you can move it to another box. If you want to check your answers, use the Reset incorrect button. This will reset incorrect answers only. When you are happy with your selection, use the Check answers button to check them. Use Reset all to practise again from the start.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
label the components of a modern landfill system
discuss how these engineering practices help to protect us and the environment
consider other aspects of landfill systems that are not explicitly labelled in the interactive.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
background information for teachers
student instructions
activity answers.
Nature of science
This activity is an ideal way to practise the science capability ‘Interpret representations’.
Related content
Find out more about the structure of landfills in New Zealand and the growing waste challenge we face.
Thinking about landfills is a ready-to-use cross-curricular student worksheet for NZC levels 4–5. It does not require internet access – making it suitable for students working away from a school setting.
Read the level 4 Connected article Turning old into new to discover where plastics and other materials come from and how we can minimise our ecological footprint.
Activity ideas
Use the activity Looking at modern landfill systems to deepen understanding regarding the history and science of landfills and how students can take action to reduce what goes into landfills.
