Curated OER
Garbage Pizza
Fourth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling lesson plan, 4th graders identify materials that must be landfilled as well as items that may be recycled or reused.
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Applied Science - Built Environment Lab
Students evaluate trash. In this Science lesson, students collect and weigh trash from their classrooms. Students categorize the trash and the corresponding weights, recording the information on a data sheet.
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Trash a Pizza!
Students investigate data about America's trash production. In this environmental lesson, students use statistics about what we throw away to create an art pie chart project called a "trash pizza."
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Talkin' Trash
Use these lesson plans to illustrate the effects of trash on our environment and the ways in which we dispose of it.
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Toxic Transmission
Students read article, "Toxic Transmission" and discuss technology pollution, specifically cell phone pollution and its ripple effects in other parts of the world.
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Composting and Mulching
Second graders define composting and recognize what can be composted. In this composting and mulching lesson, 2nd graders classify objects or pictures as good or bad for composting. Students write a story about life in the compost...
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Performance Art and The Waste Stream
Students research local waste management services, discuss findings, give opinions about what they have found, offer solutions and ideas, and create performance art, design art works, and fine art works to convey information on waste...
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Garbage Routes
Pupils 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 on...
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Making a Mini-Landfill
Young scholars examine the materials that comprise the products they use. Students describe whether these materials are renewable or nonrenewable resource. Young scholars observe what happens to materials when placed in a landfill.
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Landfills and Dumps
In this environmental issues worksheet, students learn about sanitary landfills and dumps by reading a one page information text. Students also study the cross section of a landfill. There are no questions to answer.
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Recycled Water?
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.
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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...
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The Water We Drink
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...
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Pollution
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...
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Don't Let the Earth Down
Although recycling is definitely beneficial, reducing our waste and conserving our natural resources should really be the focus of environmentalists. Encourage the future generation to create a public service announcement about a...
California Academy of Science
Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
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Trash Disposal Choices
Students investigate the use of landfills. In this landfill use and recycling lesson, students discuss what happens to trash and junk. They review the types of trash before categorizing a list of items they throw away each day. They...
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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...
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Ecology of the Dump
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...
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Musical Instrument Workshop: Somerset Waste Action Programme
Young scholars use recyclable material they bring from home to create a musical instrument. They play their instrument for the class and work as a class to play as in a band or orchestra. Students discuss recycling, and other uses they...
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Compost Columns
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.
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Second Time Around
In this recycling worksheet, students read how landfills are being filled up because of the amount of trash each person throws out per day. Students list ways to recycle nine different items. These items include a paper bag, coffee...
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It’s Your Trash!
Students identify the different sections of a landfill. In this ecology lesson plan, students brainstorm ways that they can help in proper trash disposal. They write a reflection journal about their thoughts on the subject.
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Wise Use of Paper
Students explore the paper recycling process. They experiment with ways to conserve and recycle paper products.