Curated OER
Urban Ecosystems 4: Metabolism of Urban Ecosystems
Cities are compared to living, breathing, metabolizing organisms. Fourth in a five-part series of lessons, this one focuses on the flow of materials through a city. Links to interesting websites and images make your delivery of...
Curated OER
Fitting Trash into Yesterday: A Fifth Grade Activity
Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling lesson plan, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.
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.
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Disposing Garbage
Students explore environmental cleanliness by completing a worksheet in class. In this waste management lesson, students identify the technological advances in society and how they increase waste production our planet is unable to deal...
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Molehill or Mountain
Students explore the concept of waste management. For this environmental stewardship lesson, students consider the trash generated by people per day and discuss what steps they can personally take to reduce waste.
Curated OER
Watershed Works: Unit 3
Geology whizzes observe the effects of change within a model of a watershed. They place replica waste dumps within the models and note the path that the waste takes as water passes through. This detailed lesson plan provides teacher...
Baylor College
Fuel for Living Things
During a three-part lesson plan, learners make a cabbage juice pH indicator and use it to analyze the waste products of yeast after feeding them with sugar. The intent is to demonstrate how living organisms produce carbon dioxide, which...
Curated OER
Where Is Away?
Students explore garbage. In this landfill lesson, students investigate how much garbage is collected in landfills on average each day. Students discover hazardous materials that are disposed of improperly and the effects of these...
Curated OER
What Do We Need In Our Environment To Survive?
Students discuss and write about waste management to save the environment. In this environment lesson, students discuss what an alien coming to Earth would notice about the environmental needs of humans for survival. They pretend that...
Curated OER
Where is Away?
Focusing on where are garbage goes once we dispose of it, learners explore environmental concerns. Using a clear format, this instructional activity leads learners through a discussion of waste reduction, recycling, and composting. Then,...
Beyond Benign
E-Factor: Environmental Impact Factor
Explore how chemical processes reduce production waste. The 19th lesson in a 24-part series has learners explore the impact of green chemistry techniques on waste in production scenarios. They consider petrochemicals, bulk chemicals,...
Curated OER
Integrated Solid Waste Management
Students examine the EPA's approach to integrated solid waste management. They read about source reduction, recycling, composting, waste-to-energy incineration, and land filling, and create symbols for each of the aspects of solid waste...
Curated OER
Integrated Unit on Nevada Solid Waste Disposal
Sixth graders examine how to gather and interpret data, accept responsibility for the environment, and demonstrate an interest in making a difference in this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost
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.
Curated OER
Spanish Lessons on Waste
Students investigate waste. In this environmental lesson, students read a worksheet in both Spanish and English and share how they recycle at home. Students are encouraged to use key vocabulary words from the worksheet such as "recycle"...
Curated OER
Waste: Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go?
Students work together to identify sources of hazardous waste in their community. They discover the threat it poses to the environment. They examine how to properly dispose of hazardous waste as well.
Curated OER
Eco-Healthy Lunch
Students plan healthy lunches and how to dispose of their lunch waste. In this pre-field trip lesson, students and teachers plan healthy, nutritious lunches to bring on a field trip. They also discuss how to sort their garbage into the...
Education Outside
Life Cycle of Compost
As part of a study of the life cycle of compost, class members examine the differences between green waste disposal and backyard composting.
Curated OER
Dispose of Waste Properly
Students explore biology by participating in an environmental role-play activity. For this animal waste lesson, students identify the appropriate way to dispose of human and animal waste when staying outdoors. Students conduct an outdoor...
Curated OER
Energy Efficiency Ambassadors
Definitely for high schoolers, this lesson is an open-ended exploration of energy efficiency. Groups of two to three junior environmental engineers design an experiment to test for efficiency. They prepare a full lab report and poster...
Curated OER
Love Canal-A Man Made Disaster
Students watch a "Waste Management" Power Point as well as a "Love Canal" PowerPoint (a link is provided for the second presentation). Students write the chemical formula for each chemical and convert the contamination to grams using...
Curated OER
What Should I Recycle?
First graders discuss a plan to minimize waste. In this waste management lesson, 1st graders read "Why Should I Recycle," by Jen Green and create a classroom recycling plan.
Curated OER
Vermiculture Food Waste Compost Program for Touchstone School
Students explore the advantages of composting. In this recycling lesson students complete a worm compost project and collect food waste to feed them.
Curated OER
Garbage Pizza
Fourth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling lesson, 4th graders identify materials that must be landfilled as well as items that may be recycled or reused.