Curated OER
Streetfilms' Moving Beyond the Automobile
This is an exceptional series that you can use in an environmental or engineering unit. There are four lessons: "Sustainable Transportation," "Designing for Safety," "Changing the Landscape," and "Engaging in Policy." Each lesson...
Curated OER
Eco-Healthy Lunch
Learners plan healthy lunches and how to dispose of their lunch waste. In this pre-field trip lesson, students and teachers plan healthy, nutritious lunches to bring on a field trip. They also discuss how to sort their garbage into the...
Curated OER
Energy Efficiency Ambassadors
Definitely for high schoolers, this lesson is an open-ended exploration of energy efficiency. Groups of two to three junior environmental engineers design an experiment to test for efficiency. They prepare a full lab report and poster...
Curated OER
The Total Package
Students design streamlined packaging designed to reduce waste production. In this waste reduction lesson, students view a diagram to introduce the concept of the engineering design process and discuss ways that packaging can be useful....
Curated OER
Let's Build a Worm Bin
Students explore the process of decomposition. In this ecology and measurement lesson, students prepare a worm home to be used for vermicomposting. Students weigh a group of worms and the added food, recording this information on a data...
Curated OER
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost
Students expand their understanding of solid waste management. They examine the effects of packaging decisions. They study engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management.
Curated OER
Waste Management
Students explore the topic of waste management. They define key vocabulary words, take a pre-quiz, complete a questionnaire, evaluate their own waste reduction habits, and write a short summary.
Curated OER
Recycling and Waste Reduction
Students investigate recycling and waste reduction and its positive impact on the environment. In this environmental science lesson, students determine how and why materials are recycled. They apply their knowledge by making their own...
Curated OER
Waste Reduction Habits List
In this reduce, reuse, and recycle worksheet, learners study the 21 listed tips for waste reduction. This may be used in a variety of classroom activities.
Curated OER
Where Is Away?
Students explore ways to dispose of trash. In this lesson, students discuss where trash goes when it leaves their house and other inappropriate ways to dispose of trash. Students brainstorm ways to produce less waste.
Curated OER
Look At A Landfill
Students explore how landfills function. In this landfill instructional activity, students explore the use of landfills and the decomposition process by creating a model landfill. Students discuss pros and cons to landfills and how...
Geographypods
Geographypods: Patterns and Change: Patterns in Resource Consumption
This collection of three learning modules looks at issues related to resource consumption. It examines theories about how population size affects consumption, the changing patterns of energy consumption, and ways to minimize consumption....
Other
Institute for Local Self Reliance
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is an organization that provides technical assistance to communities about local solutions for sustainable community development in areas such as banking, broadband, energy, and waste through local...
Other
Keep America Beautiful: How Will You Keep America Beautiful?
An umbrella organization with hundreds of affiliate groups across the United States, whose goal is to educate and motivate people to reduce their litter by recycling, reusing, disposing of things properly, and by changing their consumer...
Other
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: Just for Kids: Recycling
Why should I recycle? What are recyclable materials? How does recycling work? Learn the answer to these questions and much more on this site about recycling.
McGraw Hill
Glencoe Health and Fitness: Health Quests: Recipe for Recycling
Use the given sites and worksheet to brainstorm an original invention for a product to be manufactured from recycled materials.
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: Make Recycled Paper
Step-by-step instructions, with photos, of how to make recycled paper.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: 3 Rc (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost)
In this lesson plan, students expand their understanding of solid waste management to include the idea of 3RC (reduce, reuse, recycle and compost). They will look at the effects of packaging decisions (reducing) and learn about...
Other
Recycling Council of Ontario: Waste Free Lunch Challenge
This site provides resources for educators to manage a litterless lunch program at their schools in order to promote environmental education objectives. Teachers register their classes and receive certificates at the end of the program.
Other
Think Green: Earth Day Project Ideas: Grades 6 8 [Pdf]
Give your students the tools to live and think green with these fun educational projects and art activities. Projects are useful for helping students learn to make good environmental decisions. [PDF]
Other
Clean Sweep u.s.a.: Energy to Burn [Pdf]
This informative and interactive site examines how we can get power from garbage. Topics include: waste to energy plants, only ash remains, a bright idea, and more.
McREL International
Mc Rel: What in the World Are You Doing?
For this activity, students decide on environmental concerns they have about their school environment, and work in groups to investigate an issue then report back to the class. The purpose is to raise awareness about how their school...
Better Planet Productions
Earth Care: Media Campaign
As a culminating activity for a waste management unit, students could undertake this task. It involves creating a media message, e.g., a pamphlet or video, to highlight the current waste management situation and to promote more...
Better Planet Productions
Earth Care: Worm Wranglers [Pdf]
A lesson in worm composting for Grade Three.