Curated OER
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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Look At A Landfill
Students explore how landfills function. In this landfill lesson, students explore the use of landfills and the decomposition process by creating a model landfill. Students discuss pros and cons to landfills and how potential problems...
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Our Natural Resources
Young scholars investigate natural resources and man-made items. In this earth science lesson plan, students classify items from trash into man-made items or natural resources. Young scholars construct a flow chart to investigate the...
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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.
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Eco-Graphics - Photographic Studies of Man's Impact on the Environment
Pupils, 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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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.
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Ecology of the Dump
Young scholars 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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Recycling
Learners explore the recycling process. In this recycling lesson, students gain understanding of how garbage is disposed of. Learners makes lists of things that can be recycled. Students discuss how animals and plants are damaged by...
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WHAT IS TRASH?
Students examine the difference between recyclables, biodegradables, and the leftover that must be disposed of. They collect the trash which accumulated in the classroom after one day and separate it into three categories.
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...
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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...
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Saving Humpty Dumpty;Recycling, Environmental Science, Math, Ecology, Athletic Shoes
Students describe how shoe design, manufacturing, retailing, consumer use, and disposal impact environments and societies. They discuss ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle resources in the life-cycle for a shoe product.
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What is Trash?
Learners 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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LET'S GET ORGANIZED
Young scholars use organizational skills and involve youth in the planning of their school and home recycling project. They brainstorm to find the most efficient way to set up a recycling collection system
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Garbage Routes
Students brainstorm a list of places where garbage is disposed. Working in groups, they discover through a classroom simulation how garbage can wither be recycled or hauled to a landfill. they complete the activity with a worksheet on...
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Ecology of the Dump
Students determine which types of garbage are biodegradable and which are nonbiodegradable. They practice measuring skills, hypothesizing, taking data, and writing a lab report. Students observe the relative biodegradability of metal,...
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Industrialization of the American Landscape
Students summarize the three sectors of industry and how these sectors applied to the Industrial Revolution. Students apply their skills in research and note-taking, as well as vocabulary building through web organizers. Students...
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Settling The Wasterwater Problem
Students name models that are representations of larger objects. They suggest ways that industry, agriculture, and mining affect water quality. Pupils demonstrate the use of lagoons for treating wastewater. Students define the...
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What's in the Pond?
Sixth graders are introduced to microorganisms within a specific ecosystem and have the opportunity to make observations, explore the environment, conduct experiments and draw conclusions through firsthand experience at a pond. They also...
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Building on the Land
Ninth graders study how cities affect the environment and design an ecologically-sound city. They focus their study on the benefits and constraints of life on the Northern Great Plains.
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Not In My Backyard: Siting A Resource Recovery Facility
Students role play a town meeting in which a new resource facility could be built. They have time to question each other after all sides have presented.
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Recycling
Students examine the impact of recycling on the economy and environment. They develop a recycling plan for their own community in order to solve recycling problems.
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Compost Columns
In this unit of lessons, students examine the role of compost columns and recycling. They create a KWL chart about garbage in Chicago. They also examine life cycles and packaging of everyday products.
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NECESSARY WRAPPERS?
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...