Ready, Set . . . Go Green! Educational Resources K12 Learning, Earth Science, People and Their Environment, Science Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

What do you think the expression "Go Green" means?

Take a look at the choices below:

wearing green clothing all year long with absolutely no exceptions
eating only foods that are green, including brussels sprouts
cheering each time a traffic light turns green
watching The Incredible Hulk turn green when he gets mad
making better choices for the environment

What answer did you choose?

Explore this lesson to find out if you made the right choice, and to learn what it means to Go Green!

Although the expression "Go Green" may sound like a cheer at a football game, it simply means doing things that are not harmful to the environment.

Can you identify some things that are harmful to the environment?

Write down some of your ideas. When you are done, take a look at the following video presented by Volvo Construction Equipment and see what these kids think about What does it mean to go green? Stop the video once the kids in the video are finished presenting. Discuss your list and your thoughts about the video with your parent or teacher:

Now that you have more information about what "Going Green" means, explore why going green matters. Reflect on the following questions and write down your answers:

Were there any similarities between your responses and those presented?

This insightful video, What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Emma Bryce, from TEDEd, explores the harmful effects of not recycling plastics and why going green helps to preserve everything from the oceans to our health. Take a look at the video and be ready to share your thoughts:

Were you surprised to learn how much pollution has accumulated in our oceans?
Do you think it's important to protect our oceans even if you do not live near an ocean?
Can you think about one way you can become more involved in protecting the oceans?

Disposable products have become such an intergral part of daily life that the idea of going green may seem daunting. Plastic is just one material that can be harmful to the environment. There are other substances that can be just as harmful, if not more.

Thankfully, green methods such as recycling provide a safe way of managing and minimizing the harmful effects of waste on the environment. Before you continue with this lesson, take a few minutes to think about how much stuff you threw away today, and how much you conserved or reused.

When you are ready, explore the Got It? section to test your green knowledge.