What happens to our recycling once it is hauled away? In the third of four Earth Day lessons about recycling and reducing our impact on the world's natural resources, learners explore where recycled materials go and what becomes of them....

When Earth Day rolls around, a lot of kids ask why recycling is so important. Middle schoolers find out their own answers by examining 10 ordinary household items, working in a group to estimate how long it would take for each to break...

First, young chemists practice polymer identification by density and flame tests. With the data collected, they propose a method of separating polyethylene from other plastics and determine what property makes it desirable for recycling....

To recycle or not to recycle, that is the question. Your class can find the answer by taking a teacher created WebQuest, where they assume a role of a community member taking a stand on implementing a community wide recycling plan. The...

Young scholars seek scientific and technological solutions to envrionmental problems. They record class activities in a journal. They identify relationships among living things and their environments.

Engage young scholars in developing an environmentally friendly school with this upper-elementary conservation lesson. After an introductory discussion about recycling, children practice sorting common classroom items based on whether...

Knowing what can be recycled or reused and what has to be thrown away is difficult for children. This conservation lesson teaches young learners to distinguish between different kinds of waste by first sorting through used classroom...

Raise young children's environmental awareness with this early elementary recycling lesson. After discussing garbage and the importance of recycling, students perform a variety of activities that explore different ways of recycling and...

Work with your class to examine how trash can affect the environment while practicing reading skills. Class members read a very brief passage about garbage in the US, examine a pie chart that shows what types of things are thrown away,...

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...

In the final activity of a four-part series, kids take what they have learned about the importance of recycling and reducing one's impact on the environment and put it into action by creating posters. Originally intended for a contest...

Go hunting for recyclables in the second lesson in this series on conservation. Using the included scavenger hunt worksheet, learners search their homes for paper, glass, metal, and plastic items that can be recycled as well as food...

Explore different types of recyclable materials in the second instructional activity of this three-part series. First, discuss and brainstorm different metal, plastic, glass, and paper products that can be recycled rather than thrown in...

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.

Ever wondered how toilet paper is made? It's actually a pretty interesting process. This informative video takes the viewer through the entire process. The most amazing thing is to see all of the machinery involved on the assembly line...

Do kids use problem solving skills when they create scrap art? You bet they do! After examining the art of Mary Katherine Lamb, they create their own pieces using recycled products and vintage art techniques. They watch a video about the...

Young scholars explore garbage. In this landfill lesson plan, students investigate how much garbage is collected in landfills on average each day. Young scholars discover hazardous materials that are disposed of improperly and the...

Students raise their design awareness about construction considerations for large public facilities including safety, accessibility, funding, construction materials, and space, use geometry and other mathematical skills to calculate size...

Students plan healthy lunches and how to dispose of their lunch waste. In this pre-field trip lesson plan, students and teachers plan healthy, nutritious lunches to bring on a field trip. They also discuss how to sort their garbage into...

"Ecological Services" is a unique look at how natural ecosystems provide resources and supportive processes to sustain human life. It examines the value of food production, gases and water recycling, climate moderation, genetic records,...

Sixth graders keep track of the amount of paper they consume on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The goal of the lesson is to have them all find ways to reduce the amount they use. Everyone creates recycled paper from old newspapers...

Scientists define and discuss decomposition, and watch pumpkins decompose and return to soil in classroom experiment. They record the date the experiment began, chart changes in pumpkins on a calendar, count how many days it takes...

Ten multiple questions about recycling comprise this quiz. Administer this as a pre-test prior to presenting a lesson on recycling glass, plastic, and metals. Since an answer key is provided along with comments, you can use it as a guide...

Elementary schoolers engage in an inviting lesson which helps them learn about Earth Day, and the importance of recycling materials whenever possible. They utilize the Pics4Learning program in order to create many enjoyable and creative...