Use this slick video to introduce your environmental scientists to the wonders of biodiesel. They will learn about problems caused by our waste oil, how it can be recycled, and other benefits of using biofuels. Use the video, assessment...

Elmo does a good job at being a great friend to Abby and the earth. Instead of throwing her piece of art in the trash, Elmo suggests using it for something else, like making a paper airplane. Teach your class how to reduce, reuse, and...

Those recycled plastic bottles end up as some pretty interesting things in their second lives. A lesson explains the process of recycling plastic. Scholars learn about the different products of recycled plastic—including t-shirts!

Here's a resource that is definitely not a waste. Viewers learn about rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers, three types of dung beetle clean-up crews and the important roles they play in preventing global warming and in indicating the health...

Don't toss the lesson in the trash. Scholars watch an informative, up-to-date video that discusses how percents and proportions help clarify data about trash, recycling, and climate change. They consider their own trash output and create...

What types of water qualify for recycling and how does the recycling process work? The eighth lesson in the 10-part series exploring Fresh Solutions presents both the financial and water savings associated with emerging recycling methods.

How can something so important be, well, boring? Explore the opinions of random citizens through a video by Veritasium. The narrator asks open-ended questions to interviewees about global warming, their personal efforts to reduce...

Plant power! Soy beans are now a common food product in many forms, but what else can they do? Learners observe as the narrator introduces soy beans as an earth-friendly alternative to oil for ink production in part nine of a...

Where does that wrapper go after you throw it away? Most take the disposal of garbage for granted! An interesting lesson describes the structural requirements of a landfill and the special considerations that help keep groundwater safe....

Plastics present a challenge to the recycling community. A comprehensive video lesson presents the challenges of recycling plastics and the alternatives to recycling. The instructor expands on this discussion with an overview of...

Contrary to popular belief, recycling is not always the best option. A video lesson discusses the limitations of recycling. Viewers examine disadvantages of recycling in different scenarios.

Investigate the recycling process of glass products. Young scholars learn the types of glass that are recyclable and make a connection to environmental chemistry. The video instructor explains the process of recycling the glass and its...

From tree to paper to fuel — explore the life of a sheet of paper! An interesting lesson explains the benefits and challenges of recycling paper. Pupils learn you can only recycle paper a limited number of times before it is processed...

Aluminum, steel, and carbon are the most commonly recycled materials. Learn why these metals are so popular and discover the benefits of recycling. A video lesson compares recycling metals with the extraction of the same metals,...

Polymers are everywhere! But are oil-based polymers sustainable? Introduce your organic chemistry class to common materials formed from polymers, such as nylon, kevlar, and styrofoam. The video includes a discussion of the hazards of...

The use of biodegradable polymers revolutionized many branches of medicine. The video explains what synthetic polymers are and why they are important. Through numerous examples of real-life applications, scholars learn their importance...

Nature has the ultimate recycling program — the Carbon Cycle! How do fossil fuels fit into this program? Pupils answer this question as they observe how all this added carbon serves to unbalance the cycle. Using the perspective of "new"...

Waste not, want not! Pupils learn how plant-based products are making a dent in the volume of solid waste placed in landfills each year in part 10 of a 12-part series discussing the principles of green chemistry. The video includes...

Why do we recycle industrial waste? Zubera, a chemical engineer helps find ways to recover precious metals from industrial waste so the United States can decrease its reliance on other countries for the metals. Learners discover her...

Nurdles aren't the cute characters of a new children's cartoon, they are the tiny plastic pellets slowly polluting the world's water supply. Learn all about these little trouble makers with this short video that explores the impacts...

Rock out with a song, video, and quiz about the rock cycle. Learn how it is similar to recycling, the different kinds of rocks, and how they form. There is a karaoke feature that allows learners to sing along, helping to cement the...

Americans are some of the greatest consumers. Statistics are given in this introduction to the show "Human Footprint" that airs on National Geographic. Pique your biologists' interest in conservation efforts with this short clip.

Little learners will have fun playing with plastic if you do this activity with them. Have them write a message on Teflon tape, disguise it, and then pass it to a friend to decode. What they will find is that some polymers have an...

In this ZOOM video segment, cast member Francesco follows the paper trail to find out what happens to his recyclables. He visits a material recovery center and learns how paper is recycled and the number of trees that are saved as a result.