Teacher Resources
We have compiled a variety of videos, activities, and lesson plans to help teachers integrate sustainability concepts into the classroom.
Some can even earn Green Schools Recognition Program points, so be sure to document your sustainable activities!
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Recycling
This activity is written for early elementary students. The lesson focuses on the children being detectives and “discovering” materials around the room/school that are recyclable.
This PBS lesson plan allows students to learn about recyclable objects and use fractions and proportions to calculate how much waste we can reduce by recycling and composting correctly.
This activity from King County is written to show elementary aged students the harm of packaged foods and how to reduce the amount of waste they produce when eating lunch.
Composting
This guide provides several activities for all grade levels to teach how composting works, how worms affect the process, and how students can share their knowledge of composting with others.
Cornell University provides easy-to-understand reasons for composting, waste management plans and tips, and K-12 composting activities.
In this video, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission demonstrates how worms help to speed up and improve the process of composting.
Widely viewed on National Geographic, this video shows how simple it is to compost outdoors. From this video, students and teachers alike can learn how to compost on school grounds or at home.
Energy
Project Learning Tree offers multiple free lesson plans about sustainability in schools and at home. Sign up and download free Green Schools Investigations to explore the energy usage in your school.
This website offers different energy activities and educational competition opportunities for students to present their energy-conserving knowledge.
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy offers educational videos, lesson plans, activities and coloring pages on the topic of conserving energy.
The Green Energy Challenge lists a range of activities for students to do either in the classroom, around the school, or at home.
Water
The Groundwater Foundation provides educational resources for teachers and families to share the importance of protecting our groundwater.
Downloadable activities, lesson plans and other curriculum are available on the Sonoma Water website to teach students about water and its ecological value.
This PBS lesson covers freshwater availability and water management tactics, and teaches students about ways to conserve water at home.
