Where does our garbage go? What is the difference between a recyclable and non-recyclable item? Pose these important, but often overlooked, questions to your class and invite them to consider the lasting and damaging effects of the...

Young scholars develop a working model computer program of a recycling center addressing the material management, work schedules and business finances of running the recycling center.

Students discuss what happens to trash after it is collected. They sort "clean" trash into groups depending on whether it should be recycled, incinerated, placed in a landfill, composted or if it is something we could avoid using.

Students investigate how to reduce, recycle, and reuse items in order to conserve natural resources. They complete a trash graphing activity after discussing different types of trash. Finally, the examine ways to buy recycled products to...

In this recycling worksheet, students study items in a list and circle those that can go into the recycling bin. Students solve 5 recycling riddles, unscramble letters to find 6 recyclable items. Students write 4 ways that a milk carton...

Young scholars explore the benefits of recycling paper. For this recycling lesson, students use statistics to calculate the amount of paper that is thrown away each week and construct a graph. Young scholars analyze the data and...

Students discover the types of batteries and their uses. They experience static electricity by rubbing glass jars and using it to raise their hair. After discussing the importance of recycling batteries and using ones that are...

Students examine different "cycles" that are found in nature, such as the water cycle and recycling. They create their own artwork about cycles to be displayed on a bulletin board

Students explore the amount of waste produced by humans. In this ecology lesson, students predict which lunch bag and its contents will produce the most waste. Leftover material is examined, amounts are recorded, and a bar graph is...

Students investigate solid waste. In this environmental instructional activity, students collect their own garbage for a day and analyze the weight and the percentage of recyclable items in their trash.

Middle schoolers investigate the recycling system in the United States by participating in an online activity.  In this environmental care lesson, students research what makes up our trash output in this country and where it goes....

Students conduct a lunch waste audit by recording each item they throw away at lunch. They graph class lunch waste. They use this information to devise a plan of action to reduce lunch waste. There is also an activity to make paper.

Students separate plastics according to their densities, develop a method for separation and identify variables in an experiment and a fair test, changing only one variable at a time for a fair comparison. After testing, they develop a...

Students investigate buying purchases in bulk. In this buying in bulk lesson, students consider ways to cut costs and reduce waste in landfills by making bulk purchases.

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

Students examine how riding a bike can impact the environment and cut down on carbon emissions.  In this environmental lesson students design a bike rack that is made from recycled material.

Middle schoolers identify and define composting. STudents compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic composting. Students illustrate the benefits of composting and other methods to reuse, recycle, reduce, and respond. Middle schoolers...

Learners identify the sources of pollution and waste in their community. They examine the process of recycling and how to eliminate some of their family waste.

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...

Fourth graders examine the types of garbage that they collect on the playground. They collect the information in a spreadsheet and create a graph that displays the number of types of trash found. They design and monitor a playground...

In this percentages worksheet, students read about how to express numbers as fractions, convert to decimal form and find the percent. They practice by solving four problems using the method they read about.

Students use the mathematics of surface area to approach the problem of garbage pollution from the classroom. After watching a video, students construct replicas of cereal boxes and compute their surface area.

Students analyze the packaging process. For this consumer awareness lesson, students analyze the process of packaging a potato and identify positive and negative ways of packaging. Students study statistics on an overhead transparency to...

Middle schoolers investigate the ways energy is used at their school and how it can be changed.  In this energy lesson, students participate in a service project related to energy. Middle schoolers record and calculate changes that...