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...

Here is an interesting worksheet on waste. It puts waste into seven hierarchical categories. The text associated with the worksheet is interesting to read, then learners must give an example of types of waste that fit into each of the...

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....

Youngsters discover what recycling is and identify things that can be recycled. They use both video and Internet resources to aid them in their study. This is a well-designed lesson with excellent activities and a nicely-written letter...

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...

Seven pages of fascinating reading on marine debris preface the activities in this lesson plan. Four different activities are employed to simulate how the debris is distributed in the ocean and along beaches. Early ecology learners...

Fourth graders understand the benefits of recycling. For this recycling literacy lesson, 4th graders read an article and identify the main idea. Students understand the process of transfer to the landfill and discuss how recycling helps...

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...

Students 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 students in developing an environmentally friendly school with this upper-elementary conservation lesson plan. 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 plan 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 instructional activity. After discussing garbage and the importance of recycling, students perform a variety of activities that explore different ways of...

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 lesson 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 for...

Go hunting for recyclables in the second lesson plan 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 lesson plan of this three-part series. First, discuss and brainstorm different metal, plastic, glass, and paper products that can be recycled rather than thrown in the trash....

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...

Learners explore garbage. In this landfill instructional activity, students investigate how much garbage is collected in landfills on average each day. Learners discover hazardous materials that are disposed of improperly and the effects...

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...

Take the time to teach learners with moderate disabilities how to identify recyclable materials. They learn how to recycle as a mode of social responsibility and community involvement. They practice identifying and sorting recyclable...