In this lesson, students learn about the Habits of a Systems Thinker and apply them to articles that explain how places and companies have already achieved “zero waste.” They explore the Material Cycles hierarchy and apply this to their idea for eliminating “waste.” Then, students create a proposal that uses either cradle-to-cradle design thinking or upcycling to reduce or eliminate “waste.”
Grade Level: 6 – 8
Source: The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education and Terracycle
By: Gerald Lieberman, Ph.D. , Jennifer Seydel, Ph.D. In a world with many critical issues in the news, teachers and students sometimes struggle to find meaning in the content they are expected to teach and learn. The Student Climate Strike, protests related to gun...
By: Jennifer Seydel, Ph.D. Green, healthy, and sustainable schools have a common set of practices that distinguish them from traditional schools. For each issue of the Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly, we pick one of these commonalities and use a magnifying lens to...
Becoming a green school or district is a multi-year process that requires planning, collaboration, and lots of hard work. The most important step in this process, by far, is securing buy-in from your district’s leadership team. Their support and involvement are...
National Recycling Day is November 15. If your school or district doesn’t have a recycling program, now’s a great time to start! If your school or district has an established program and you want to take your recycling game up a notch, here are three fun ways to do so...
Education is a rewarding, yet exhausting profession. Educators often put students and their families first, giving of their time, energy, and resources, before meeting their own needs. This isn’t healthy or sustainable. Many passionate educators cut their careers...
Mental health is top of mind for many in the United States these days and schools are taking steps to support the mental health of their teachers, staff, and students. One way that schools are offering support is through the implementation of schoolwide mindfulness...