Students examine their role in polluting the environment and discuss the importance of recycling. In groups, they place earthworms into compost piles to observe why they are considered natural recyclers. They also practice sorting a...

Students review the garbage/landfill graphs included with the lesson. They discuss the information on the graphs and discuss which garbage products come from their homes. Students collect examples of over packaging to share with class...

In this recycling instructional activity, students cut out and assemble four recycling boxes: glass, paper, metal and plastic. Students cut out, color and place in the appropriate recycling boxes twenty items to be recycled.

Students examine the role of choice in a democracy, the choice to participate and not to participate. They take a position on the role of recycling and whether in a democracy people can be forced to recycle. They break into for and...

Students practice sequencing with recycling steps. In this sequencing lesson, students discuss how different materials are recycled. Students paste paper recycling in the order it happens and make their worksheet for the steps in...

Students examine physical and chemical properties of plastics, interfaces of plastics, and forms of plastics. In three lab activities, students discover the two characteristic responses of plastics to heating, thermoplastic or...

Paper or plastic? Explore the environmental effects of using plastic bags through mathematics. Learners manipulate worldwide data on plastic bag consumption to draw conclusions.

Did you know that clothing and textiles can be recycled, just like glass, paper, aluminum, and plastic? Pupils are introduced to textile recycling and design persuasive posters or letters that raise awareness about this unique...

You have to collect lots of materials (boxes, bags, toilet paper rolls, etc.) for this lesson to work successfully. After modeling how to create an imaginary creature out of the collection of recycled materials, let your class search...

From their sweat to the water vapor in their breath, astronauts recycle every possible drop of water while in space. After watching a short video describing the different ways materials are recycled and reused in space...

Students bring to school five items they would normally throw away and five items they would normally recycle. Expert groups are formed to present information on the recycling of glass, metal, plastic, and organics such as paper and...

Students apply what they have learned about throwaway products "and the valuable natural resources from which they're derived" by thinking about where garbage goes after they throw it out. They also examine their own ideas and habits...

What a great way to review information your class has learned about recycling and the environment! Learners can play the game Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to reinforce information they have learned about the earth and the environment.

Learners consider the life cycle of certain plastics products and propose improved recycling legislation in their own communities.

Students experiment with plastics.  In this what is plastic lesson plan, students make a simple polymer and discuss recycling.  Students identify various types of plastics. 

Students brainstorm and share opinions about products that can be reused or recycled after reading the article, "Seattle's Recycling Success Is Being Measured in Scraps." They then investigate, analyze and evaluate articles on recycling...

Elementary schoolers count and order objects using numbers 1-300. They bring recyclable items from home. Students group the items, skip count by 2's, 3's, and 5's, and arrange the items on a number line. Recyclable plastic bags are put...

Here is a 20-box bingo card to use when exploring ways that humans impact the environment. Various environmentally aware activities are listed in the boxes, and learners circulate the room to find someone who practices the different...

Seven pages of fascinating reading on marine debris preface the activities in this lesson plan. Four different activities are employed to simulate how the debris is distributed in the ocean and along beaches. Early ecology learners...

In this plastics worksheet, students read about how important it is to recycle plastics and why sorting the recycle materials is important. Students then complete 4 short answer questions.

Students investigate the recycling process. In this recycling activity, students read the article The Recycling Process After Collection and discuss the advantages of recycling. As an extension activity, students simulate the molding of...

Students plan a "no garbage" lunch and hold a classroom contest to sort grabage into what can and what can't be recycled. They assess the importance of reducing the amount of garbage in the environment and set up a book recycling program.

Anyone who has worked with small children know that color identification and color mixing can be fun! This simple idea has a lot of potential. It suggests to mix food coloring with corn syrup to provide an opportunity for color mixing...