Lessons

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  Materials 2: Recycled Materials

  K-2  |  Hands-On
  In this lesson students are introduced to the idea that some materials can be recycled.
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  Artifacts 1: What Can We Learn From Artifacts?

  3-5  |  Hands-On
  In this lesson, students will learn about artifacts, how they are discovered, and what information can be learned from them.
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  Engineering Solutions

  3-5  |  Hands-On
  In this lesson, students explore the side effects of technology by designing, implementing, and evaluating solutions related to the problem of waste disposal.
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  Garbage 1: The Roots of Trash

  3-5  |  Hands-On
  In this lesson, students identify natural resources used to produce common items and how science and technology are used in the process.
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  Garbage 2: Recycling

  3-5  |  Hands-On
  In this lesson, students learn about the problems of waste disposal and how recycling can help to reduce the amount of waste we create.
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  True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet

  3-5  |  Hands-On
  This lesson shows that products and objects have lifespans so we need to recycle, reuse, and re-imagine new purposes for them.
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  Collapse 2: Interpreting the Evidence

  6-8  |  Hands-On
  This lesson offers useful information and activities that help students learn about the ways that scientists learn about civilizations that have disappeared, archaeological issues, methods, evidence, and types of measurement.
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  Sanitation and Human Health

  6-8  
  In this lesson, students develop an understanding of the impact of improved sanitation on human health.

Tools

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  Power Up!

  3-8  |  Interactive
  This interactive challenges students to think about the positive and negative consequences of various types of power.

Science Updates

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  Bacterial Batteries

  6-12  |  Audio
  Bacteria get a bad rap for causing disease, but many of these organisms are beneficial. Without them, we wouldn't be able to digest our food, and garbage would never decompose. This Science Update describes how one group of scientists has found another way to put bacteria to work.
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  Elephant Grass

  6-12  |  Audio
  In this Science Update, you can hear about how researchers make car parts out of biodegradable plastic using elephant grass as a filler.
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  Litter Life

  6-12  |  Audio
  Floating trash could be a significant way for unwanted organisms to travel to distant lands.
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  Ocean Plastics

  6-12  |  Audio
  Scientists are getting a better handle on how much plastic we put into the oceans and what effects it’s having.
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  Ships to Reefs

  6-12  |  Audio
  Sinking old warships creates new habitats for marine species.
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  Wasted Food

  6-12  |  Audio
  In this Science Update, hear how nearly half of America's food gets wasted.
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  Wasted Food Energy

  6-12  |  Audio
  In this Science Update, hear how reducing food waste could translate into big energy savings.
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  Zeolites

  6-12  |  Audio
  In this Science Update, hear how scientists are creating new ways to separate toxic waste and dangerous chemicals from the environment.