Lesson plan

Exploring NBS: Recycling and Upcycling

Students demonstrate how they can implement nature-based solutions, recycling, and upcycling to contribute to a sustainable future.

Grades K–5Ecosystems & Environmental Impact
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Overview

Students in grades K-5 learn to identify nature-based solutions, recycling, and upcycling and to describe how they can apply them toward a sustainable future. The lesson opens with a discussion of waste using questions for K-3 and grades 4-5 and a video on the 3 Rs. Students learn to identify recyclable items by the recycling emblem and are introduced to nature-based solutions and how recycling and upcycling align with them. In small groups they sort paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum and graph the counts on butcher paper, then use bottle caps to create animal artwork. A Kahoot or worksheet checks understanding of the 3 Rs.

Lesson Objectives

  • Identify nature-based solutions, recycling, and upcycling. Students will describe how they can implement nature-based solutions, recycling, and upcycling to contribute to a sustainable future.

Standards

NGSS · 3

  • K-ESS3-3Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
  • 3-LS4-4Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes.
  • 5-ESS3-1Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment.

CCSS Math · 3

  • K.MD.A.1Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
  • 3.MD.A.2Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (I).
  • 5.MD.A.1Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real-world problems.

CCSS ELA · 3

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.1With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RI.3.1Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
  • RI.5.2Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.