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Classroom Tools & Worksheets

The Solid Waste District offers worksheets, education materials and lesson plans for teachers, educators and youth leaders.

The District's educator has worksheets, education materials, lesson plans and a newsletter for teachers and classrooms in Cuyahoga County.

For details about resources for teachers, contact our education specialist at (216) 443-3731 or send an email.

Classroom Tools & Worksheets

Mission: Recycle Newspaper

Youth learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle correctly in Cuyahoga County. This newspaper is intended for students in grades 3 - 4. A teacher guide is included.

Request copies of the Mission: Recycle Newspaper + Teacher Guide for your classroom by contacting our education specialist.

Mission: Recycle newspaper, fourth edition (2019). Available in hard copy.
Mission: Recycle newspaper, third edition (2018). Available in hard copy.
Mission: Recycle newspaper, second edition (2017). Available in hard copy or see the PDF.
Mission: Recycle newspaper, first edition (2016). Available in hard copy or see the PDF.

Early Education Worksheets

Early educators teach the youngest recyclers. The Solid Waste District offers a series of early education worksheets that allow kids to practice motor skills, math, language, and thinking skills while focusing on the sustainable material management known as reduce, reuse and recycle.

Working with other early educators, the District created a series of worksheets to use in the classroom. Consider using the worksheets with lessons, during free time, or as extras during bell work. If time is limited during school or daycare, consider sending the worksheets home with students.

By using the worksheets during a child's early education years, parents and educators can pass along good environmental habits like reducing waste through using less, reusing, recycling and composting.

Compost Worksheets: 4 pages, view the PDF
Recycle Worksheets: 6 pages, view the PDF
Reduce Worksheets: 3 pages, view the PDF
Reuse Worksheets: 5 pages, view the PDF

Lesson Plans

Our educator provides lesson plans and classroom activities for teachers, educators and student organizations.

Lessons have been adapted from:
Reduce, Reuse Recycle, Sandra Ford Grove and Dr. Judi Hecktman Creative Teaching Press, 1996.
Super Savers Investigators, ODNR, DRLP, 1995.
Investigating Solid Waste Issues, David Landis ODNR, DRLP, 1994.
Keep Middletown Beautiful, Activity Guide Pre-K to 3 grade, Lynn Getter, 2000.

Newsletter for Educators

Our education specialist issues a quarterly Recycling Education Resources newsletter about recycling education, environmental-based contests and sustainable projects happening in Northeast Ohio and Cuyahoga County. Sign-up for the newsletter.