Lesson Plan
Education Outside

Life Cycle of Compost

For Teachers 2nd Standards
As part of a study of the life cycle of compost, class members examine the differences between green waste disposal and backyard composting.
Unit Plan
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Environmental Sciences

For Teachers K - 8th Standards
Whether you are teaching environmental science in junior high or studying recycling in kindergarten, there is something for all in this set of lessons designed for environmental education. The 110-page packet comes with tips for...
Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Rotting Away

For Teachers 2nd
What happens at the end of a plant's life cycle? Show kids the natural way that plants show that they're decomposing, as well as the importance of compost, with a lesson about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne Schreiber,...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Crawly Composters

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Unit Plan
Cal Recycle

Conserving Natural Resources

For Teachers K - 3rd Standards
Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.
Lesson Plan
United Nations

Compost Monitor Training

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
What should go in the trash, and what can be composted? Guide your young conservationists through the process of composing their trash with a activity about the different ways we can dispose of garbage. Using a trash bag with clean...
Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Plant Parts Salad

For Teachers 1st
How are vegetables beneficial to a healthy diet? Have kids examine different types of vegetables, such as zucchini, broccoli, and carrots, and determine which parts of the plant they represent. Then, they taste the vegetables as a...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Kenan Fellows

Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
Unit Plan
Purdue University

Food Waste Solutions

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Easy doesn't always mean better. In an era with pre-packaged everything, learners consider the environmental impact of the convenient trend. They critique the packaging of food and how waste impacts cost and then look for solutions.
Lesson Plan
Education Outside

Soil Composition & Discovery

For Teachers 2nd Standards
Organic or mineral? How does the matter matter? Second graders use their knowledge of the rock cycle to label the different components in garden soil.
Activity
Wild BC

Climate Change Bingo

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Here is a 20-box bingo card to use when exploring ways that humans impact the environment. Various environmentally aware activities are listed in the boxes, and learners circulate the room to find someone who practices the different...
Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Sorting Out Soils

For Teachers K
Sift through soil and learn about why it's important for organic processes. After discussing what makes up soil, such as the living organisms and what types of soil have more nutrients, kids sample layers of mulch and deeper soil to...
Activity
PBS

Waste Audit

For Students 3rd - 7th
Does everything in the trash can belong there? Conduct a waste audit with your class by collecting a day's worth of garbage, separating it into recyclables, non-recyclables, or food waste, and properly distributing what they find into...
Lesson Plan
Nuffield Foundation

Microbes Ate My Homework

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Now you have a new excuse not to do your homework. A long-term experiment has learners explore cellulose-digesting enzymes. They simulate how paper breaks down in a compost bin. There's no need to blame your dog for eating your homework...
Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Adopt-A-Plant

For Teachers 2nd
Note the way that plants change during the season by adopting a plant on your school campus. After your class chooses their plant, they research the plant's needs, how it differs from other plants, find ways to support their plant's...