Students explore how landfills function. In this landfill lesson, students explore the use of landfills and the decomposition process by creating a model landfill. Students discuss pros and cons to landfills and how potential problems...

Students investigate natural resources and man-made items. In this earth science lesson, students classify items from trash into man-made items or natural resources. Students construct a flow chart to investigate the life cycle of a...

Students describe ways in which solid waste was disposed in the past and the present. They survey an older citizen about his/her solid waste disposal methods. They discover solid waste practices from long ago.

Students, in groups, explored and photographed their own community disposal problems, focusing on the impact of waste disposal behaviors, laws, systems, and management.

Students demonstrate responsible consumer choices. In this social studies lesson, students read The Lorax and discuss wants and needs. Students discuss how to save natural resources by making informed consumer choices.

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...

Students explore the recycling process. In this recycling lesson, students gain understanding of how garbage is disposed of. Students makes lists of things that can be recycled. Students discuss how animals and plants are damaged by...

Students examine the difference between recyclables, biodegradables, and the leftover that must be disposed of. They collect the trash which accumulated in the classroom after one day and separate it into three categories.

To get the word out that the Great Pacific garbage patch (GPGP) contains millions of pounds of non-biodegrading plastics, individuals research the GPGP and write an article for a newsletter. Researchers present their facts in a...

Students investigate the types of waste created by people and identify various options for trash disposal. They read and discuss a handout about what a landfill is and the different types of trash, match types of trash with the proper...

Students describe how shoe design, manufacturing, retailing, consumer use, and disposal impact environments and societies. They discuss ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle resources in the life-cycle for a shoe product.

Students consider what garbage is and where it ends up. In this recycling lesson plan, students read excerpts from Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little as they consider methods to reduce wastefulness.

Students use organizational skills and involve youth in the planning of their school and home recycling project. They brainstorm to find the most efficient way to set up a recycling collection system

Young scholars brainstorm a list of places where garbage is disposed. Working in groups, they discover through a classroom simulation how garbage can wither be recycled or hauled to a landfill. they complete the activity with a worksheet...

High schoolers determine which types of garbage are biodegradable and which are nonbiodegradable. They practice measuring skills, hypothesizing, taking data, and writing a lab report. Students observe the relative biodegradability of...

High schoolers summarize the three sectors of industry and how these sectors applied to the Industrial Revolution. Students apply their skills in research and note-taking, as well as vocabulary building through web organizers. High...

High schoolers name models that are representations of larger objects. They suggest ways that industry, agriculture, and mining affect water quality. Pupils demonstrate the use of lagoons for treating wastewater. Students define the...

Ninth graders study how cities affect the environment and design an ecologically-sound city. They focus their study on the benefits and constraints of life on the Northern Great Plains.

Students role play a town meeting in which a new resource facility could be built. They have time to question each other after all sides have presented.

Students examine the impact of recycling on the economy and environment. They develop a recycling plan for their own community in order to solve recycling problems.

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.

Students bring in a packaged item to unwrap. They weigh the pile of packaging and pile of product and determine which weighs more. They identify the source of raw materials for packaging and discuss ways to reduce packaging and overall...

Young scholars research the effects of sodium bentonite being combined with water. They discuss the reasons why this chemical is used in landfills. They measure the swelling index of sodium bentonite clay.

Fifth graders examine the cycle of flower reproduction. They listen to a poem about a bee, observe and examine flowers in small groups, and develop a class KWL chart. Students then read about flower reproduction in their textbook, and...