Curated OER
Fashion Forward, Fashion Functional
Young scholars consider the implications of waste. In this waste streams lesson, students learn what waste streams are and identify their impact on the environment. Young scholars also recycle waste materials to create functional objects.
Curated OER
Recycling-Taking it Easy on the Environment
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...
Curated OER
Solid Waste/Recycling
Students see that when we throw away garbage, it usually ends up in a landfill. Landfill space is getting increasingly scarce, and every time we throw something away we throw with it the energy, the money, and the raw materials it took...
Curated OER
Popular Paper
Students explore the benefits of recycling paper. In this recycling lesson, students use statistics to calculate the amount of paper that is thrown away each week and construct a graph. Students analyze the data and calculate the...
SF Environment
Pre-School Composting and Recycling!
You can never be too young to get involved in composting or recycling. Here is a lesson that has been made for the very littlest learners and it's all about the importance of conservation. They'll sort compostable and recyclable objects,...
Curated OER
Save the Earth: It's Everyone's Home!
Students research ways to conserve and reduce energy and resources. In this reducing waste lesson, students work in teams to experiment with water and losing resources. students brainstorm about ways to conserve and reduce energy and...
Curated OER
Worms, Nature's Recyclers!
Students study what worms need to survive in different environments. They study how worm composting improves soil and reduce waste. They discuss composting techniques and present a puppet show about a worm's life.
Curated OER
Needs and Wants
Students demonstrate responsible consumer choices. In this social studies lesson, students read The Lorax and discuss wants and needs. Students discuss how to save natural resources by making informed consumer choices.
Curated OER
What a Waste
Pupils analyze components of garbage. They collect and sort a few days' worth of garbage. They chart the results of an investigation.
Curated OER
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
Students examine the possible ways to recycle, reuse, and re-imagine products and objects in order to reduce pollution and waste on our planet. For this 100 things you can do to save the planet lesson, students take three actions to...
Curated OER
A Symphony of Decomposers
Students discover decomposition. In this environmental lesson, students explore different types of decomposers and their role within the ecosystem. Students also discover how waste interferes with the decomposition process.
Curated OER
Trash Bashing
Students define trash, garbage, or solid waste, discuss ways of disposing of trash, list examples of biodegradable materials, and have trash relay race in order to sort trash into appropriate containers labeled biodegradable, reusable,...
Curated OER
Going Green School Campaign
Young scholars explore ways to make their school's interior and exterior environmentally 'green.' In this environmental concern instructional activity, students work in groups to examine their school's interior and exteriors to make them...
Curated OER
Earth Day - Bursting Beans
Students fill jars with dried beans and water, cover the jars, and wait to see what happens in this excellent Science experiment ideal for Earth Day (April 22nd). Emphasis is placed on discovering the reactions of seeds to water.
Curated OER
MAKING PAPER FROM PAPER
Students tear paper into very small pieces and follow a formula to make recycled paper. They follow up with a discussion about the quality of their paper and its benefits.
Curated OER
Safe Subs
Students investigate ways to reduce use of hazardous materials. For this safe substitutes lesson, students review hazardous wastes used in many homes and possible safe substitutes for these harmful chemicals. Students write and...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Recycling
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
Curated OER
Trash Pizza
Students work together to identify items sent to landfills. They summarize percentages of the different items found in landfills. They create a pizza pie graph of all of the components found in landfills.
American Chemical Society
Production of a Gas - Controlling a Chemical Reaction
Though the publisher designated this unit for use with third through eighth grades, this particular activity would be best used with middle schoolers due to the specific measurement skills required. Basically, they set up the reaction...
University of Southern California
Mastering Microbes
Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.
Practical Action
The Wind Power Challenge
Up it goes! Groups must design and build a windmill able to lift a weight. The packet includes discussion points to use prior to the build that cover topics such as variables, fairness, and the design process.
Curated OER
ESL: Earth Day
In this Earth Day instructional activity, students read a passage about the day, then complete short answer questions and match lists of items to their descriptions.