+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solid Waste Takes Over

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They explain some of the major problems caused by waste disposal and the use of landfills. They suggest ways to reduce the amount of solid waste going into a landfill.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Now You See It, Now You Don't

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore organic and inorganic objects. In this environmental lesson students perform a composting experiment using flowers in different soils. Students record their observations.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycled Water?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars participate in a hands-on activity to investigate how water is recycled in a small environment, and determine how water is cycled on earth.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water We Drink

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders relate that the quality of their drinking water is subject to the condition of the environment and water found in streams and creeks in their community. They track the travel of a wad of paper from a student's desk to a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pollution

For Teachers 3rd
Young ecologists investigate some of the many ways that human activities adversely affect the environment. After identifying the main types of pollution (air, water, soil), 3rd graders fill in a Venn Diagram by pasting cut-out pictures...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Litter From Lunchtime

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students explore environmental care by participating in a litter identification activity. In this food trash lesson, students discuss the destruction litter causes in our environment and ways we can avoid littering ourselves. Students...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Special About Polyethylene Food Storage Bags?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students participate in an investigation in which they compare a polyethylene bag designed for recycling or disposal with a polyethylene food storage bag. Students use hexane to determine the differences between the low density...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kari's Earth Care

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore caring for their community. They select an area of a park to clean and collect trash. They place materials in trash bags to recycle plastic, paper, etc. They calculate the amount of items and percentages they collect...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compost Columns

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this unit of lessons, students examine the role of compost columns and recycling. They create a KWL chart about garbage in Chicago. They also examine life cycles and packaging of everyday products.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mini-Sanitary Landfill

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders work in groups to bury a variety of trash items and arrange them in a mini-landfill. They predict which items will biodegrade and then keep records of what the items look like every ten days. Students consider how...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fireplace Logs from Newspapers

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students discuss the topic of recycling. They identify items that can and cannot be recycled. They practice using their newspaper to make other items.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping the Village

For Teachers K - 12th
Learners measure, weigh, and document the amount of trash and garbage generated by the school for one day. They brainstorm solutions for trash in the area and assist with the school-wide recycle program.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Throw-Away Society

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students think about garbage disposal and the amount that we produce.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All I Want for Christmas is a Nice, Clean Earth

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students observe properties of items, determine time it takes for organic/inorganic items to decompose, identify differences/similarities between decomposition, identify practical uses in litter/garbage control, & establish reasons...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MAKING PAPER FROM PAPER

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students tear paper into very small pieces and follow a formula to make recycled paper. They follow up with a discussion about the quality of their paper and its benefits.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Wrapped Up

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners work in teams to identify and sort types of packaging used in food production. They consider ways to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and reflect how consumer choices play a role in trash production.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Composting With Worms

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders predict what happen in two (control and experiment) containers -- one with soil and trash, the other with soil, trash, and worms.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology of the Dump

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students recreate landfills in petri dishes, observe relative biodegradability in a year-long project, and isolate a cellulose degrading bacteria while discovering the need for recycling and the serious problem waste management has...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper Making

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students work together to make recycled paper. They identify examples of recycled materials and discover what can and cannot be recycled. They explore the history of paper making as well.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Man's Struggle for Environmental Preservation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the way all living things are connected to one another. In groups, they participate in experiments in which they analyze the chemical processes through the biosphere and explain the role of energy. They also brainstorm...
+
Unit Plan
1
1
PBS

Blow the Roof Off!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics from making...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reduce and Reuse

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Excavating Your Recycling Bin as a Fossil Record

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore how scientists examine the past and use rock layers with fossils to understand the past.  In this excavation lesson students divide into groups and complete an activity. 

Other popular searches