Curated OER
Create, Design, and Invent with Plastic
Students explore creative ways to reuse materials. In this ecology/art lesson, students create artwork using trash. Students view examples of folk art from around the world that used waste products as a main component.
Curated OER
Think Green
Students experience and practice compositing and recycling through hands-on-activities. They distinguish between which items from their trash can be recycled, composted and reused. The process for making recycled paper is also covered in...
Curated OER
Reduce and Reuse
Students conduct a lunch waste audit by recording each item they throw away at lunch. They graph class lunch waste. They use this information to devise a plan of action to reduce lunch waste. There is also an activity to make paper.
Curated OER
Invention
Students discuss the importance of recycling to the environment. They classify different objects and put them into the correct recycling bin. They create their own invention out of recycled materials.
Curated OER
Invention
Students create an invention, or simple machine, out of items taken from the recycling bin. Students draw diagrams of their proposed inventions, then create simple machines.
Curated OER
Dumptown Game
Students engage in an interactive play scenario. They are the new managers of a fictional city and live in a place where nothing is recycled. Students are faced with various problems that need to be solved. They work together to propose...
Curated OER
Protecting Natural Resources
Third graders recognize what our natural resources are and their importance. In this natural resource recycling instructional activity, 3rd graders understand why it is important to recycle and conserve natural resources. Students can...
Curated OER
Waste Management
Young scholars set up a recycling program in their school. They first estimate the kinds and amount of trash generated and brainstorm ways to reuse the recyclables and create flyers explaining how their program will work at the school.
Curated OER
Lesson: Litter Hunt
Students examine the issue of littering. In this waste management lesson, students discover what littering is and how it affects the environment.
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
Are you going to eat that?
Students identify and define composting. STudents compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic composting. Students illustrate the benefits of composting and other methods to reuse, recycle, reduce, and respond. Students identify through...
Curated OER
The Akron Global Polymer Academy Lesson Plan Format
Students identify types of garbage that will decompose quickly and the ones that do not. In this decomposing instructional activity students observe and record the photo degrading of six pack rings.
Curated OER
Trash Check
In this trash worksheet, students keep track of all the trash they accumulate in one day. They categorize the trash into groups including recycled, reusable, hazardous waste and food scraps. They brainstorm as to how they can reduce the...
Curated OER
To Rot or Not!
Learners discover that composting helps reduce landfill waste and is good for the soil. They explore the techniques of composting through a variety of media, art activities and hands-on experience.
Curated OER
Buying in Bulk
Students investigate buying purchases in bulk. In this buying in bulk lesson, students consider ways to cut costs and reduce waste in landfills by making bulk purchases.
Curated OER
Earth Kids: Kindergarteners Taking Care of the Earth
Students explore a variety of ways of how to care for the environment in the nine lessons of this unit. They observe how to be responsible "Earth Kids."
Curated OER
Household Hazardous Waste Identification
Fourth graders discuss the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle. They identify products in their homes that are hazardous and discover alternatives to them. They examine the inventory of other classmates hazardous materials.
Curated OER
The Effects of Trash and Garbage On the Environment
Students recognize the importance of solid waste management. In this science lesson plan, students analyze individual solid waste management habits as they enhance their knowledge of solid waste disposal and the recycling process.
Curated OER
Earth Day Lesson
Students analyze Earth science by answering environmental study questions. In this Earth Day activity, students read the book The Lorax and identify the themes within it. Students define several recycling vocabulary terms and create an...
California Academy of Science
Energy: A Day in My Life
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily that...
Beyond Benign
Plastic Bags
Paper or plastic? Explore the environmental effects of using plastic bags through mathematics. Learners manipulate worldwide data on plastic bag consumption to draw conclusions.
Curated OER
Safe Subs
Students investigate ways to reduce use of hazardous materials. In this safe substitutes lesson, students review hazardous wastes used in many homes and possible safe substitutes for these harmful chemicals. Students write and decorate...
Curated OER
Trash Or Treasure
Students investigate the concept of garbage and define how it may be useful for people. The consumption of products is estimated to predict the annual volume of garbage for a household. Then students attempt to create a treasure made...
Curated OER
Help! Help! Save the Earth!
First graders analyze ways to save our natural resources and preserve the environment. In this environmental protection lesson, 1st graders complete four activities to analyze the importance of our natural resources and what trash does...