Curated OER
Product Packaging Conundrum
In this product packaging conundrum worksheet, students research product packaging to select materials and design for packaging a model of the school mascot. This page has numerous links to helpful web resources.
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After the Garbage Can: Where Does Our Trash Go?
Students explore how waste disposal has changed over time and what the current issues are. In this disposal lesson students collect data and create graphs.
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Applied Science - Built Environment Lab
Students evaluate trash. In this Science lesson, students collect and weigh trash from their classrooms. Students categorize the trash and the corresponding weights, recording the information on a data sheet.
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Radical Glass Worksheet
In these radical glass worksheets, students write 8 things that can be recycled in the 2 colored bins. Students then arrange the recyclables in alphabetical order. Students write names of items that can be recycled using the given...
Cal Recycle
Conserving Natural Resources
Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.
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Companion to Superfund -- The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Program
Students examine the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. They work together to discover how their local community handles waste disposal. They complete a worksheet to end the lesson.
Teach Engineering
Get the Word Out at McDonald's!
To get the word out that the Great Pacific garbage patch (GPGP) contains millions of pounds of non-biodegrading plastics, individuals research the GPGP and write an article for a newsletter. Researchers present their facts in a way that...
Curated OER
Look At A Landfill
Young scholars explore how landfills function. In this landfill lesson, students explore the use of landfills and the decomposition process by creating a model landfill. Young scholars discuss pros and cons to landfills and how...
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Recycle These in Blue Bin
In this recyclable materials worksheet, students cut out the puzzle pieces and scramble them. Students then put the puzzle of recyclable materials together again.
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Sludge
Students become familiar with the idea that sludge is a waste product but can also be a resource, depending on its characteristics and how we manage it. They read information and answers questions on a worksheet imbedded in this plan.
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Eco-Graphics - Photographic Studies of Man's Impact on the Environment
Students, in groups, explored and photographed their own community disposal problems, focusing on the impact of waste disposal behaviors, laws, systems, and management.
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Classroom Trash Audit
Learners investigate solid waste. In this environmental lesson plan, students collect their own garbage for a day and analyze the weight and the percentage of recyclable items in their trash.
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Debris Dilemmas
Students examine debris, what it is, where it comes from and where they go. In this debris lesson students view a video, answer questions and discuss what they learned.
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Rappin' Plastic Worksheet
In this recycling activity worksheet, complete a word search and treasure hunt for a recycling activity. Pupils write 3 ways to reuse a plastic jug and 6 things that can be recycled.
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Ecology of the Dump
Students recreate landfills in petri dishes, observe relative biodegradability in a year-long project, and isolate a cellulose degrading bacteria while discovering the need for recycling and the serious problem waste management has...
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Composting -- Nature's Disappearing Act
Studenst work together to discover the concept of biodegradability. They build a model of a landfill and how different items decompose. They examine how engineers use this information for better waste management.
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A Lot Of Garbage
Students collect their own garbage. In this recycling instructional activity, students keep their own garbage for a day in their own personal garbage bag and then consider methods to reduce wastefulness.
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Environmental Issues in South Carolina
High schoolers research governmental agencies that deal with the environment and chart aspects about each agency. They role-play a city council meeting to address the topic of building a waste to energy facility.
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Talkin' Trash (All About Landfills)
Students investigate the types of waste created by people and identify various options for trash disposal. They read and discuss a handout about what a landfill is and the different types of trash, match types of trash with the proper...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Teach English, Teach About the Environment
Spread the message of recycling while teaching your English language learners new vocabulary and practicing verb tenses. Included here are four lesson plans for each level (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) as well as accompanying...
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Plastics: Field Trip - Vancouver Landfill
Students examine the amount of garbage that is produced by the City of Vancouver. In this landfill lesson, students participate in a field trip to the City of Vancouver Landfill. They look at what happens to garbage, recycling, and yard...
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What is Trash?
Students consider what garbage is and where it ends up. In this recycling lesson, students read excerpts from Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little as they consider methods to reduce wastefulness.
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Is It Recyclable?
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...
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The Waste Paper Basket
Students examine the consequences of littering and creating garbage.