Elementary students can turn trash into treasure by reusing old items in the classroom activity Waste Not Want Not
Students identify ways to reduce solid waste by reusing items that might be disposed of. Students will...
Student contemplates eco-dilemma
In groups, students consider several environmental and social dilemmas and discuss the consequences of various reactions. Students...
Elementary and middle school students take part in an interactive story about river pollution
Through an interactive story, students experience the pollution of a local river over time and propose methods...
Unit for elementary grades covers population density
An elementary-level reading that discusses our needs for personal and ecological space.
Demonstration using bowls of water and measuring cups shows population growth when the birth rate exceeds the death rate
In a visual demonstration using water and measuring cups, two students demonstrate the effect birth and death...
Exhaustion from cars on the road, a major source of pollution.
Students “catch” pollution (particulate matter) on prepared cards to see the environmental and health-related consequences of our...
Students build compost bins in 2-liter bottles to compare the breakdown of organic and inorganic materials
Students gather materials and observe if and how they decompose over time in a natural setting. Students...
Students weigh their lunch waste every day for a week and then employ strategies to decrease their waste footprint
Students track their lunch waste every day for a week and test strategies for reducing the amount...
Apple slices represent different areas of the Earth: water, inhospitable land, used arable land, and arable land for farming
An apple is sliced into pieces to model the amount of agricultural land being used on Earth...

PopEd Impact

64,000 educators trained
325 college
campuses
32,000 workshops conducted

"The activities not only bring out important content, but they also provide real-world context for environmental, population and sustainability issues. They engage participants in very thought-provoking and critical-thinking discussions.”

Helen de la Maza, Environmental Educator, Irvine, CA