Environment: Sustaining Our World

Unit of 3 Lessons
Grade Levels: 
K
1
2
3
4
5
Subjects: 
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Language Arts
Issue Area: 
Global
Focus Question 

What can we do to promote responsible care of natural resources? How does pollution affect our lives and future? 

Photo Credit:  Trash pick-up by Sustainable Coastlines is licensed under CC by 2.0

Unit Overview 

Children participate in a trash clean-up and analyze the issue of pollution caused by trash, especially plastics. They discuss who should be responsible for preventing or cleaning up pollution - government, business, charitable organizations, or individuals. They learn the effects of plastic garbage on the environment, including the lives of animals. 

Service Experience 
Youth may sign personal statements to promise to reduce their use of plastic and plastic bags and spread the word of the importance of avoiding plastic. They may write to municipal and state legislators about the need to limit the use of plastic bags or ask for laws that customers must be charged to use new plastic bags.
Lessons in This Unit 
Unit: 
Environment: Sustaining Our World
Lesson 1 of 3
Grades: 
K
1
2
3
4
5

Children participate in a trash clean-up and analyze the issue of pollution caused by trash, especially plastics. They discuss who should be responsible for preventing or cleaning up pollution - government, business, charitable organizations, and/or individuals.

Unit: 
Environment: Sustaining Our World
Lesson 3 of 3
Grades: 
K
1
2
3
4
5

The youth take action by determining ways to reduce their own use of plastic bags and by advocating for ways to reduce the use of plastic bags in their own households, the community, state and nation.  To take further action, they may propose ways to influence government officials to change laws so plastic bags are banned, taxed, or not given out for free.