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...

More people, more garbage! Young environmentalists graph population growth against the amount of garbage generated per year and find a linear model that best fits the data. This is an older resource that could benefit from more recent...

Students use the mathematics of surface area to approach the problem of garbage pollution from the classroom. After watching a video, students construct replicas of cereal boxes and compute their surface area.

Students discover that recycling is using a product more than once so that natural resources can be saved and so that we won't need so many garbage dumps and landfills. They see that there are different ways to recycle. Students design a...

Students investigate solid waste. In this environmental lesson, students collect their own garbage for a day and analyze the weight and the percentage of recyclable items in their trash.

Young scholars investigate data and recyclable materials. In this math lesson, students save recyclable materials and create a graph of the materials. Young scholars discuss how they could help the environment by recycling.

Students develop a working model computer program of a recycling center addressing the material management, work schedules and business finances of running the recycling center.

Fourth graders examine the types of garbage that they collect on the playground. They collect the information in a spreadsheet and create a graph that displays the number of types of trash found. They design and monitor a playground...

Pupils investigate the air pollution situation in China by fitting a curve to historical data. They dig deeper into environmental issues that are of interest and provide a mathematical analysis of the issue. Class members develop a route...

Students discuss what happens to trash after it is collected. They sort "clean" trash into groups depending on whether it should be recycled, incinerated, placed in a landfill, composted or if it is something we could avoid using.

Students look at a day's accumulation of recyclable trash from first through fifth grade classrooms, not knowing which classes it came from. After setting up a collection sheet for data, students remove items from the receptacle and...

Students evaluate trash. In this Science lesson plan, students collect and weigh trash from their classrooms. Students categorize the trash and the corresponding weights, recording the information on a data sheet.

Young scholars explore the benefits of recycling paper. In this recycling lesson plan, students use statistics to calculate the amount of paper that is thrown away each week and construct a graph. Young scholars analyze the data and...

Students explore the amount of waste produced by humans. In this ecology instructional activity, students predict which lunch bag and its contents will produce the most waste. Leftover material is examined, amounts are recorded, and a...

Students identify the sources of pollution and waste in their community. They examine the process of recycling and how to eliminate some of their family waste.

Learners determine the percentage increase in output of solid waste in the U.S. They determine the length of time it takes for throw away items to decompose.

Don't put the resource on curves of best fit out on the curb. Using researched data on trash and recycling, scholars create scatter plots and regression curves to analyze the information. As a culminating activity, they complete projects...

Students examine how trash is removed and evaluate statistics related to trash removal. In this trash removal instructional activity, students explore the different methods of trash removal and make an original diagram graphing...

Students investigate how to reduce, recycle, and reuse items in order to conserve natural resources. They complete a trash graphing activity after discussing different types of trash. Finally, the examine ways to buy recycled products to...

Students figure out math equations based on the recycling of cans and gas consumption. In this recycling lesson plan, students have challenge cards that ask them challenge questions on how to save gas and what a difference recycling can...

Students investigate the recycling system in the United States by participating in an online activity.  In this environmental care lesson, students research what makes up our trash output in this country and where it goes....

Students are introduced to the resource economies of recycling aluminum cans. They develop understanding about their own impact on the amount of solid waste produced and recognize the impact of recycling on energy and natural resources.

Students label boxes and sort trash into those items that can be recycled, composted, incinerated or taken to the landfill.

Students work together to identify items sent to landfills. They summarize percentages of the different items found in landfills. They create a pizza pie graph of all of the components found in landfills.