Supporting Interdisciplinary Learning Through the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence

This Recycling Enhanced Planning Brainstorm is a flexible, idea-rich resource designed to support early years and primary educators in delivering engaging, cross-curricular learning experiences aligned with the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).

Centred around the meaningful and relevant theme of recycling, this planning tool encourages children to explore sustainability, environmental responsibility, and global citizenship through a wide range of experiences and outcomes and includes links to curriculum for excellence benchmarks.

Organised to support interdisciplinary learning, the brainstorm includes suggested learning experiences and questions across key curriculum areas such as:

• Sciences – Understanding materials, waste, and environmental impact
• Social Studies – Exploring community responsibility and global issues
• Literacy – Engaging with non-fiction texts, persuasive writing, and discussion
• Numeracy – Sorting, classifying, data handling, and measuring impact
• Expressive Arts – Creating art from recycled materials, drama about environmental issues
• Health & Wellbeing – Exploring values, sustainability, and personal responsibility

Key Benefits:

• Fully aligned with CfE experiences and outcomes
• Promotes creativity, critical thinking, and real-world learning
• Encourages pupil voice, inquiry-based learning, and active citizenship
• Ideal for planning topic-based learning or eco-school initiatives
• Adaptable for Early, First, and Second Level learners

This brainstorm provides a strong starting point for designing rich, purposeful learning that empowers children to think globally and act locally, all while meeting curriculum goals in a meaningful and engaging way.