Incorporating Sustainable Materials

Sustainability Education Resources

3RC: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost (Teach Engineering)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Recycling

Content Type: Curriculum

Topics Covered: This lesson plan is designed to expand students’ understanding of sustainable solid waste management, including reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. Students will explore different methods of sustainable waste disposal.

Target Audience: Grades K-5

Follow That Trail! (U.S. E.P.A.)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Recycling

Content Type: Activity Booklet

Topics Covered: In this activity booklet, students engage in fun activities to find out how recycled bottles and cans be used. They also learn facts about resource conservation.

Target Audience: Grades K-5

Planet Protectors Club: Case of the Broken Loop (U.S. E.P.A.)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Recycling

Content Type: Activity Booklet

Topics Covered: In this activity booklet, students follow the detective through word scrambles, a crossword puzzle, and matching games to learn about reducing waste. 

Target Audience: Grades K-5, 6-8

Planet Protectors Club: Trash and Climate Change (U.S. E.P.A.)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Recycling

Content Type: Activity Booklet

Topics Covered: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created this activity booklet to educate students about the benefits of recycling. Activities require students to fill in the blanks, unscramble words, use math skills, do a crossword puzzle, and play a game.

Target Audience: Grades K-5

Recycle City (U.S. E.P.A.)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Recycling

Content Type: Game

Topics Covered: Recycle City is an interactive game that teaches students hundreds of ways a town can recycle, reduce, and reuse waste. After exploring Recycle City, students are encouraged to become the mayor of Dumptown and turn this trash-laden city around by introducing sustainable waste management practices.

Target Audience: Grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12

The Quest for Less: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-8 (U.S. E.P.A.)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Recycling

Content Type: Curriculum

Topics Covered:Quest for Less is a curriculum that provides hands-on lessons and activities, enrichment ideas, journal writing assignments, and other educational tools related to preventing and reducing waste. Its multidisciplinary focus includes math, science, art, social studies, language arts, and health.

Target Audience: Grades K-5, 6-8

1 Minute Design Tip – Recycled Concrete (Design Classics)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Composting 

Content Type: Video

Topics Covered: This 1-minute video shows how homeowners can reuse old concrete to create raised planters, patios, or walkways around their home. This helps divert construction waste from landfills.

Target Audience: Grades 6-8, 9-12

Civic Arena Engineering & Innovated in Pittsburgh (PitCityWatcher)

Topic/Subtopic: Reusing Transportation Infrastructure/Salvaged Buildings

Content Type: Video

Topics Covered: The Pittsburgh Civic Arena’s unique architecture and storied history make it a landmark and source of civic pride for the city. Though it has outlived its useful life as an arena, the city has ideas to transform the building into a public park, marketplace, and outdoor civic space.

Target Audience: Grades 6-8, 9-12

How to Make and Use Compost in Your Garden (Howdini)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Composting

Content Type:Video

Topics Covered:Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine, shows how to make and use compost. Households produce a great deal of organic waste, and composting offers a sustainable way for people to reduce the amount of trash they send to landfills while at the same time creating garden fertilizer.

Target Audience: Grades 6-8, 9-12

Repurposing Trash to Treasure (Triple Pundit)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Salvaged Materials

Content Type: Video

Topics Covered: In order to divert construction and demolition waste from landfills, building materials can be put to other useful purposes. This video documentary shows how reclaimed wood can be repurposed into country furniture. 

Target Audience: Grades 6-8, 9-12

The NYC High Line Opens! (Inhabitat)

Topic/Subtopic: Incorporating Sustainable Materials / Infrastructure Reuse

Content Type: Video

Topics Covered: This video shows how New York City’s High Line was transformed from a defunct elevated train track into an urban park. This project demonstrates how outdated infrastructure can be reused and repurposed.

Target Audience: Grades 6-8, 9-12