Read like a geographer: What is a 'fatberg'?
This key stage 3 geography resource has been designed to help students improve their disciplinary literacy whilst learning about what fatbergs are and what causes them.
It is based on a purpose-written article about the blockages caused by a giant fatberg found in the London sewers in 2017. Firstly, students use clues in the text to put the parts of the article in the correct order. They then tick boxes to indicate how different waste products – including wet wipes, nappies and cooking oil – should be disposed of. Finally, they answer reading comprehension questions on fatbergs, the problems they cause and the solutions.
The article touches on the issues of urbanisation, population growth, waste disposal and water resource management.
The comprehension questions from the resource:
- What is sewage?
- What is a fatberg?
- What problems do fatbergs cause?
- How can we prevent fatbergs from occurring?
- What can fatbergs be turned into?
