Below is a list of various lesson plans about resource recovery, developed by teachers and project staff. Click on any title to see the full lesson plan. Feel free to use any of these materials, or adapt for your own use – we would be very happy to hear how you have adapted the materials, so we can share that information with others.
Food Waste Module – How can energy produced by food waste contribute to a more sustainable food system?
Last updated Spring 2024
| Overview | Lessons | Additional Module Resources |
| Module Introduction | Lesson 1: Where does trash go? | Module Vocabulary Sheet |
| Food Waste NGSS Storyline | Lesson 2: What are the six major steps of reducing the problem with food waste? | Background and Resources for Teachers |
| Food Waste UBD Learning Plan | Lesson 3: What resources go into food and how do we reduce food waste? | |
| Lesson 4 Part 1: How can we recover energy from food waste? | ||
| Lesson 4 Part 2: How can we recover energy from food waste? | ||
| Lesson 5: How can we recover fertilizer from food waste? | ||
| Lesson 6: Where are the best places for food waste to go? | ||
| Lesson 7: How do we decrease the impact of humans on the environment? |
Poopy Power- Middle and High School Classroom Ready Science Experiments on Anaerobic Digestion
| AP Environmental Science: Measuring Methane from Biogas |
| Regents Chemistry: Poopy Power Experiment |
| Middle School: My Bacteria Has Gas! Experiment |
Middle School Food Waste After School Program Module
Module implemented and used in an afterschool program for middle school students (4th-6th grade)
| Overview | Resources for Lessons | Additional Resources |
| Introduction | ||
| Lesson 1 | Lesson 1 Resources | Vocabulary Sheet |
| Lesson 2 | Lesson 2 Resources | |
| Lesson 3 | Lesson 3 Resources | |
| Lesson 4 | Lesson 4 Resources | |
| Lesson 5 | Lesson 5 Resources | |
| Lesson 6 | Lesson 6 Resources |
Where Does Our Trash Go? Lessons
A majority of these lessons are included in the modules above. These lessons are mainly earlier versions of the lessons found above.
 | Where does my Trash Go? BINGO Suitable for middle and high school students |
 | Where does our Trash Go? Sorting Activity Suitable for all ages |
 | Where does our Trash Go Coloring Sheet Suitable for elementary students |
Additional Lessons for High School Students
| Separating Organic Particulates Using Coagulation: Food Waste Lesson Plan Suitable for high school students | |
| Using Solar Desalination for Water Purification: Food Waste Lesson Plan Suitable for high school students | |
| Evaluating a Food Waste Collection Program: Math Modeling Lesson Plan | |