Curated OER
Protecting Natural Resources
Third graders recognize what our natural resources are and their importance. In this natural resource recycling lesson, 3rd graders understand why it is important to recycle and conserve natural resources. Students can explain how...
SF Environment
Compost Tag
Composting is a great way to get children involved in recycling. First, they discuss how biodegradable products decompose to make compost. Then, they talk about what can and cannot be composted. They play a game similar to around the...
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...
Curated OER
The Landfill Loafers Meet the Wise Buys
Fourth graders identify recyclable materials in an experiment. They discover how to properly dispose of these items. They discover how to use materials again that cannot be recycled.
Curated OER
What a Can Can Do
Pupils explore properties of cans (including aluminum and steel) as they rotate through stations. They experiment with magnets, weight differences, resistance to corrosion and temperature conductivity.
Curated OER
Save the Earth: It's Everyone's Home
Students explore how recycling helps save trees and protect the environment. In this environmental concern lesson, students color a handout of animals that live in forests. Students discuss how recycling paper can save trees and set up...
Curated OER
Upcycled Garment or Art Work
Students explain the importance of recycling waste products. In this art lesson, students research different upcycled fashion designs and accessories. They design their own product and present it in class.
Curated OER
All Wrapped Up
Students explore packaging. In this cross-curriculum lesson, students bring in samples of food packaging and identify the packaging as natural or manufactured.
Curated OER
JUST THROW IT AWAY!
Students different types of reusable trash containers to class. They use the pieces of trash to create something like a bird feeder. They discuss other ways of reusing items to generate less garbage.
Curated OER
Trash Flash Through Time
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.
Curated OER
The Akron Global Polymer Academy Lesson Plan Format
Students identify types of garbage that will decompose quickly and the ones that do not. In this decomposing instructional activity students observe and record the photo degrading of six pack rings.
Teach Engineering
Electricity and Magnetic Fields
Introduce your class to the idea of magnetic fields around electrical wires with an activity that provides the information about the direction of a magnetic field around a wire carrying an electric current.
Curated OER
Genetics the Easy Way
Students use recyclable trash to construct a Recycle Critter family. They calculate the probability of the phenotype of the offspring that two heterozygous parents produced.
Curated OER
The Effects of Trash and Garbage On the Environment
Students recognize the importance of solid waste management. In this science lesson plan, students analyze individual solid waste management habits as they enhance their knowledge of solid waste disposal and the recycling process.
Curated OER
Earth Day Lesson
Students analyze Earth science by answering environmental study questions. In this Earth Day instructional activity, students read the book The Lorax and identify the themes within it. Students define several recycling vocabulary terms...
Curated OER
Greenhouse in a Bottle
Students create models of the greenhouse effect using recycled 2-liter bottles. They discuss how their models compares to the real greenhouse effect the earth experiences.
Curated OER
All Wrapped Up
Students 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.
Teach Engineering
Electromagnets
Show your class what goes on with a magnet that can be turned on and off with a resource that provides the information needed to build an electromagnet. The information allows the class to understand that creating loops with the current...
Curated OER
Water Filtering
Learners investigate how polluted water is filtered so people can use this recycled resource. They conduct an experiment in which they put "polluted" water through a filtering system. They investigate what happens at a water treatment...
Curated OER
UNWRAPPING PACKAGING
Students study product packaging and determine if it is excessive and if it is recyclable. In this packaging lesson students examine and identify waste reduction techniques.
Curated OER
Energy Efficiency: It really IS important!
Students compare the energy needed to produce new products versus recycling. In this physics lesson, students brainstorm ways to save energy. They create a presentation about the correlation between conserving energy and energy costs.
NASA
Pop Can Hero Engine
Hang a soda can from a string and watch it spin by the force created by water streaming out of slanted holes. This plan provides background information, detailed materials and procedures, discussion questions, a lab worksheet, and...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Circuit Boards
Students explore circuits. In this electricity science lesson, students build a circuit board after viewing a related PowerPoint presentation. Detailed instructions are included.