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Pick It Up!
Students investigate recycling by creating receptacles that can hold trash or recyclable items. In this graphic design lesson, students encourage their classmates to help save the environment by using a recycling receptacle they...
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Aluminum Can Drive
Second graders complete a recycling project to clean-up their school. In this service project lesson, 2nd graders assess their campus for litter, set up a recycling project, clean up their campus, and recycle the trash. Students also...
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JUST THROW IT AWAY!
Students different types of reusable trash containers to class. They use the pieces of trash to create something like a bird feeder. They discuss other ways of reusing items to generate less garbage.
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Life Science- Useful Waste
Fourth graders explore the topic of waste and recycling. In this useful waste lesson plan, 4th graders classify objects and sort them into most usable and least usable categories. Students complete an activity sheet and have a discussion...
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Everything's Connected
Students explore how trash decomposes. In this ecosystem instructional activity, students discuss new vocabulary words, such as producers and consumers, and think critically to answer how landfills work.
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Fashion Forward, Fashion Functional
Students consider the implications of waste. In this waste streams lesson, students learn what waste streams are and identify their impact on the environment. Students also recycle waste materials to create functional objects.
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Paper Making
Students work together to make recycled paper. They identify examples of recycled materials and discover what can and cannot be recycled. They explore the history of paper making as well.
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It’s Your Trash!
Students identify the different sections of a landfill. In this ecology instructional activity, students brainstorm ways that they can help in proper trash disposal. They write a reflection journal about their thoughts on the subject.
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Save the Earth, it's Everyone's Home!
Students examine trash for items to recycle and reuse. In this trash instructional activity, students explore how people in the community can use recycled and reused items as they play a recycling game.
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Make Your Own Trashasaurus Rex Sculpture
Students explore environmental awareness through reusing materials. In this environmental awareness lesson, students use trash to create a "trashasaurus," a large dinosaur sculpture made from waste. Detailed structure and papier-mâché...
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Think Green
Students experience and practice compositing and recycling through hands-on-activities. They distinguish between which items from their trash can be recycled, composted and reused. The process for making recycled paper is also covered in...
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Protecting Natural Resources
Third graders recognize what our natural resources are and their importance. For this natural resource recycling lesson, 3rd graders understand why it is important to recycle and conserve natural resources. Students can explain how...
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1-Use, 2-Use, Re-Use, New Use
Students list the possible uses of grocery bags. They trace the steps of a grocery bag either to recycle or trash. In groups, students use the grocery bags to create posters promoting reuse.
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Illegal Dumping
Students go on an outing and note garbage near picnic tables. They brainstorm ways to be involved with anti-litter campaigns and write letters to local officials.
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Invention
Students create an invention, or simple machine, out of items taken from the recycling bin. Students draw diagrams of their proposed inventions, then create simple machines.
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MY REDUCE/REUSE STORY
Students go through old magazines and select pictures of things which ultimately become a waste product. They paste these pictures into a small "recycling" book. They dictate a story about reuse and/or recycling of these materials.
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All Wrapped Up
Students work in teams to identify and sort types of packaging used in food production. They consider ways to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and reflect how consumer choices play a role in trash production.
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Earth Day...Comin Atcha!!!
Students explore the idea of consequence that every individual leaves a daily environmental footprint. They read articles about creative solutions to solid waste issues and then create an artwork from household trash.
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To Rot or Not!
Students discover that composting helps reduce landfill waste and is good for the soil. They explore the techniques of composting through a variety of media, art activities and hands-on experience.
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Let's Clean Up Our Act and the Earth!
Students complete activities that help clean up the Earth and protect the environment. In this Earth protection instructional activity, students go outside and listen to the environment. Students discuss their observations and their role...
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Introducing the Incredible RBT-2000
Fourth graders construct a miniature robot using recyclable materials. They write a descriptive explanation from the robot's point of view explaining how it aid in protecting the environment.
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Environment: Waste Walk
Young scholars assess the positive and negative affects of humans on the environment. The lesson explores ways in which individuals and societies can reduce the negative impact on the environment. By taking a "waste walk" around their...
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Great Lakes at Stake
Students explore conservation of the Great Lakes. In this geography and ecology instructional activity, students identify the Great Lakes on a map and view a video depicting the history and importance of these lakes. Students work in...
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Our Green City
Students practice beginning reading while exploring an environmental theme. In this our green city lesson, students create their own published books, examine phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, comprehension, and vocabulary.