5 Minute Changemaker: Say No to Plastic Straws

by Marsha Rakestraw Plastic straws are one of those little things we don’t think much about. We pop them in our to-go drinks. Restaurants often automatically include them with our beverages. They’re readily available at restaurants, bars, cafeterias, special events, and so on. But ask this turtle and all the other sea animals, and they’ll…

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A bulldozer at a landfill pushing around trash

Fifth Graders Follow Their Trash

Humane educator Dr. Elizabeth Crawford helps teachers-in-training develop their competencies in helping their students become global citizens and solutionaries. Students in Elizabeth’s classes create “solutionary” units on a variety of global ethical issues, and then work with classroom teachers to pilot those units. Melinda Wiggins teaches 5th grade for an elementary school in the New…

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Waste and Recycling Issues

Waste and Recycling Issues

Resources (books, videos, lesson plans, articles, and more) to help teach and/or learn about issues related to waste, trash, garbage, and recycling.

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Resource header: True Price

True Price and MOGO Speed Rounds

Through these quick icebreakers, help make it second nature for students to think about how all their decisions relate to a just and humane world. Recommended for grades 5 and up. Time: 5-20 minutes

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Whale breaching the ocean's surface

Whale’s Stomach

Students learn about the impact of our “throwaway society” by exploring all the different kinds of trash found in a whale’s stomach. Recommended for grades 3-8. Time: 15-45 minutes   Common Core Standards for this activity (pdf): Download Common Core for grades 3-5. Download Common Core for grades 6-8.   Find out how some of…

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Resources: True Price

True Price

A lesson on the true cost of goods The true price activity helps students explore the positive and negative impacts of our product choices on themselves, other people, animals, and the earth. What is true price? The price that would cover all costs in the production process, including hidden costs, with a small profit margin…

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Resources: Trash Investigators

Trash Investigators

A lesson on waste What’s in our trash that doesn’t need to be there? Participants investigate a trash source and analyze which items can be removed from the waste stream. Grades: 4 – 8Time: 30 minutes Common Core Standards for this activity (pdf):Download Common Core for grades 4-5Download Common Core for grades 6-8 Related IHE…

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Whale breaching the ocean's surface

El Estómago de La Ballena

Los estudiantes aprenden sobre el impacto de nuestra “sociedad de usar y tirar” explorando todos los diferentes tipos de basura encontró en el estómago de una ballena. Recomendado para grados 3-8 Duración: 15-45 minutos

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