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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

3R's and Plastic Bags

Lesson Description:
  • Collect, record, organize, interpret and analyze data using a variety of graphic representations and draw logical conclusions.
  • 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.
  • Communicate their ideas in writing by writing a persuasive paragraph
  • Understand and summarize informational text.

Lesson Type:
  • Other

Sustainability Topic:
  • Waste Reduction

GEF Program Category:
  • Waste Reduction Challenge

Time Needed:
50 minutes
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:
  • Email format: Use provided email form below
  • A copy or multiple copies of “The Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle (What Do You Know About? Books) by Nuria Roca
  • A plastic shopping bag
  • Chart paper
  • Writing utensils
  • Open space for activity

School or Group:
Green Education Foundation (GEF)
Contact Email:
service@greeneducationfoundation.org
Lesson Documents:
application/pdf 3rs.pdf

The Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse is brought to you in partnership with

Center for Green Schools