Waste Management

Grade Level: 5-8

Time Required: 30 minutes

This activity includes a slideshow and game that paired together introduce the advantages and disadvantages of various waste sorting methods including landfills, recycling, composting, and littering in nature. Beginning with some questions, the slides help students to think about how they manage waste they produce in their everyday lives. Slides introduce waste disposal methods as they are added into this active, strategy-based game. Students work in teams to develop a waste disposal strategy that will score the most points and win them the game! This game is relevant to a wide range of ages, and discussion questions can be framed in more detail for more advanced classrooms.

A lesson plan is included below including background about waste management strategies. See the game instructions for an outline of the activity procedure. This activity can be adjusted to a variety of timeframes.