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Welcome to the Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse

Here, you can find free sustainability lessons to use in your class and upload your own lessons to share. Be sure to rate the lessons you use and leave comments for your colleagues!

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Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse

The Adventures of Plastic Bottles and Aluminum Cans

Lesson Description:
  • Explain the need to reduce the amount of trash they generate, and describe ways in which they can make changes in their actions to support waste reduction.
  • Identify and describe the life cycle of consumer products.
  • Communicate their ideas in writing and by creating graphic representations to classmates about the life cycle of a plastic bottle or aluminum can.
  • Understand and summarize informational text.

Lesson Type:
  • Other

Sustainability Topic:
  • Waste Reduction

GEF Program Category:
  • Waste Reduction Challenge

Time Needed:
60-90 minutes, could be divided into two sessions
Standards Addressed:
Geography Standard 16: Understand the changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources.
  • Benchmark # 5: Know advantages and disadvantages of recycling and reusing different types of materials.

Geography Standard 18: Understand global development and environmental issues.
  • Benchmark # 2: Know ways in which resources can be managed and why it is important to do so (e.g., conservation practices, recycling non-renewable resources).

Language Arts Standard 8: Use listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.
  • Benchmark # 3: Respond to questions and comments (e.g., gives reasons in support of opinions).

Language Arts Standard 7: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts.
  • Benchmark # 1: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines) .
  • Benchmark # 5: Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts (e.g., includes the main idea and significant supporting details of a reading selection).

Materials Needed:
  • Multiple copies of “The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle” by Allison Inches
  • Multiple copies of “The Adventures of an Aluminum Can” by Allison Inches
  • Writing paper
  • Pencils
  • Provided conclusion and reflection worksheet
  • Large white construction paper
  • Crayons or markers

School or Group:
Green Education Foundation (GEF)
Contact Email:
service@greeneducationfoundation.org

The Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse is brought to you in partnership with

Center for Green Schools