Do Your Part - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The “three R’s” of environmental education; reduce, reuse, and recycle. PLT’s activity Reduce, Reuse, Recycle takes a closer look at the solid waste students generate, and how to reduce the amount in their family and community. Connect the knowledge and skills gained by this activity by linking the following PLT activities:

• Pollution Search
  
• Every Drop Counts
  
• Energy Sleuths
  
• Then and Now
  

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Asimov, I. 1992. Where Does Garbage Go? Gareth Stevens Audio.
Bailey, D. 1991. What We Can Do about Recycling Garbage. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Brimner, L.D. 2003. Trash Trouble. Children's Press.
Fuzellier, M. 1994. Rufus Recycles Paper. Child's World, Incorporated.
Galko, F. 2004. Ecology at Home. Heinemann.
Galko, F. 2004. Ecology on the Playground. Heinemann.
Galko, F. 2004. Earth Friends at Home. Heinemann.
Gibbons, G. 1996. Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids. Little, Brown Young Readers.
Green, J. 2005. Why Should I Recycle? Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Hare, T. 1991. Recycling. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Harlow, R. 2002. Garbage and Recycling. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Harlow, R. 2001. The Environment. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Jacobs, F. 1996. Follow That Trash: All about Recycling. Penguin Group.
Leedy, L. 2005. The Great Trash Bash. Holiday House.
Leeper, A. 2004. To a Garbage Dump. Heinemann.
Lepthien, E.U. 1991. Recycling. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Madden, D. 1993. The Wartville Wizard. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
McQueen, K. and D. Fassler. 1991. Let's Talk Trash: The Kids' Book about Recycling. Waterfront Books.
Murphy, S.J. 2004. Earth Day--Hooray! HarperTrophy.
Roca, N. 2007. Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Root, P. 1992. The Old Red Rocking Chair. Arcade Publishing.
Sensel, J. 2003. Garbage Monster. Dream Factory Books.
Shanks, A.Z. 1973. About Garbage and Stuff. Viking Juvenile.
Showers, P.1994. Where Does the Garbage Go? HarperTrophy.
Stecker, R. 2002. Recycled! Capstone Press.
Testa, F. 2001. Too Much Garbage. North-South Books.
Wallace, N.E. 2003. Recycle Every Day! Marshall Cavendish Corporation.
Weber, R. 2002. Waste Not: Time to Recycle. Capstone Press.

Grades 3-5
Amos, J. 1995. Waste and Recycling. Steck-Vaughn.
Anderson, R. and J. Buggey. 1991. Garbage: Understanding Words in Context. Thomson Gale.
Dorion, C. 2007. Earth's Garbage Crisis. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Handelsman, J.F. 1993. Gardens from Garbage: How to Grow Indoor Plants from Recycled Kitchen Scraps. Lerner Publishing Group.
Heilman, J.R. 1992. Tons of Trash: Why You Should Recycle and What Happens when You Do. HarperCollins Publishers.
Kalman, B.D. and J. Schaub. 1991. Buried in Garbage. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Kalman, B.D. 1991. Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Llewellyn, C. 2003. Let's Recycle. Thameside Press.
Love, A. and J. Drake. 2006. Trash Action: A Fresh Look at Garbage. Tundra.
Mandel, L. and H.M. Mandel. 1993. Treasure of Trash: A Recycling Story. Avery Publishing Group, Inc.
McQueen, K. 1991. Let's Talk Trash: The Kids' Book about Recycling. Waterfront Books.
Mitchell, J.S. 2005. Crashed, Smashed, and Mashed: A Trip to Junkyard Heaven. Ten Speed Press.
Nelson, S.E. 2006. Let's Reduce Garbage! Capstone Press.
Nielsen, S. 1993. Trash! Trash! Trash! ABDO Publishing Company.
Ostopowich, M. 2003. Science of Waste: Refuse, Misuse, and Reuse. Raintree Publishers.
Romanek, T. 2005. Switched on, Flushed Down, Tossed out: Investigating the Hidden Workings of Your Home. Annick Press, Limited.
Saunders-Smith, G. and K.M. Krebs. 2006. Let's Recycle! Capstone Press.
Skidmore, S. 1991. What a Load of Trash!: Rescue Your Household Waste. Lerner Publishing Group.
Ward, H. 2001. Tin Forest. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Wilcox, C. 1989. Trash! Sagebrush Education Resources.
Woods, S.G. and T.L. Stone. 2000. Recycled Paper: From Start to Finish. Thomson Gale.

Grades 6-8
Becklake, S. 1991. Waste Disposal and Recycling. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Blashfield, J.F. 1991. Recycling. Children's Press.
Boekhoff, P.M. 2004. Recycling. Thomson Gale.
Bowden, R. 2002. Waste, Recycling and Reuse: Our Impact on the Planet. Raintree Publishers.
Foster, J. 1991. Cartons, Cans, and Orange Peels: Where Does Our Garbage Go? Houghton Mifflin Company.
Gutnik, M.J. 1993. Recycling: Learning the Four R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Hadingham, E. 1990. Garbage!: Where It Comes from, Where It Goes. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Hall, E.J. 1997. Garbage. Gale Group.
Nardo, D. 1992. Recycling. Thomson Gale.
O'Connor, K. 1989. Garbage. Thomson Gale.
Silverstein, A. 1992. Recycling: Meeting the Challenge of the Trash Crisis. Penguin Group.
Smith, H. and J. Rhatigan. 2002. Earth-Friendly Crafts for Kids: 50 Awesome Things to Make with Recycled Stuff. Lark Books.
Stefoff, R. 1991. Recycling. Chelsea House Publishers.
Woodburn, J. 1993. Garbage and Recycling. Gareth Stevens Audio.

Grades 9-12
Cozic, C.P. 1997. Garbage and Waste. Thomson Gale.
Gay, K. 1991. Garbage and Recycling. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Kimball, D. 1992. Recycling in America: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.
Rogers, H. 2006. Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage. New Press.
Stein, K. 1997. Beyond Recycling: A Re-user's Guide. Clear Light Publishers.
Strong, D.L. 1997. Recycling in America: A Reference Book. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.

Celebrate Earth Day - Plant a Tree

A simple, beneficial service project to celebrate Earth Day is planting a tree. PLT’s activity “Plant a Tree” will guide your students through this process, while promoting stewardship by allowing students to be involved in the decision making process. Urge students to choose native species when they select the type of tree to plant. Check out the Iowa DNR Forestry web site for reasons why to Iowa plant native trees.

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Albert, T. 2000. I Heard the Willow Weep. Trickle Creek Books.
Asch, F. 1994. The Earth and I. Gulliver Green.
Baker, J. 2004. Home. Greenwillow.
Berenstain, S. 1991. Berenstain Bears Don't Pollute (Anymore). Random House Children's Books.
Burnie, D. 2005. Tree. DK Publishing, Inc.
Douglas, L.G. 2003. Let's Get Ready for Earth Day. Children's Press.
Dr. Seuss. 1971. The Lorax. Random House, Incorporated.
Earthworks Group. 1990. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Fife, D. 1996. Empty Lot. Sagebrush Education Resources.
Glaser, L. 2002. Our Big Home: An Earth Poem. Lerner Publishing Group.
Jennings, S. 2001. Franklin Plants a Tree. Scholastic.
Lowery, L. 2003. Earth Day. Carolrhoda Books.
Martin, B. Jr. 2006. I Love Our Earth. Charlesbridge Publishing.
Marx, D.F. 2000. Earth Day. Scholastic Library Publishing.
McDonnell, J. 1994. Celebrating Earth Day. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Paolilli, P. and D. Brewer. 2001. Silver Seeds: A Book of Nature Poems. Viking.
Roop, P. 2001. Lets Celebrate Earth Day. Millbrook Press.
Salvo-Ryan, D.D. 1994. City Green. HarperCollins Publishers.
Schnetzler, P. 2004. Earth Day Birthday. Dawn Publications.
Worth, B. 2006. I Can Name 50 Trees Today!: All about Trees. Random House Publishing Group.

Grades 3-5
Arthus-Bertrand, Y. 2004. The Future of the Earth: An Introduction to Sustainable Development for Young Readers. HNA Books.
Ball, J. 2003. Conservation and Natural Resources. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Bang, M. 1997. Common Ground: The Water, Earth and Air We Share. Scholastic, Inc.
Berry, J.W. 2001. Every Kid's Guide to Saving the Earth. Warehousing & Fulfillment Specialists, LLC.
Binns, T.B. 2005. Clean Planet: Stopping Litter and Pollution. Heinemann Library.
Brenner, B. 2000. Earth Is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems about Our Planet. Scholastic, Inc.
Elkington, J., D. Hill, J. Hailes, and J. Mekower. 1990. Going Green: A Kid's Handbook to Saving the Planet. Viking Children's Books.
Gardner, R. 1992. Celebrating Earth Day: A Source Book of Activities and Experiments. Lerner Publishing Group.
Holmes, A. 1993. I Can Save the Earth: A Kid's Handbook for Keeping Earth Healthy and Green. Silver Burdett Press.
Iverson, D. 1999. My Favorite Tree. Dawn Publications.
Landau, E. 2002. Earth Day: Keeping Our Planet Clean. Enslow Elementary.
Petersen, C. 2004. Conservation. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Ross, K. 1995. Every Day Is Earth Day. Millbrook Press.
Savan, B. 1992. EarthWatch: Earthcycles and Ecosystems. Addison-Wesley.
Suzuki, D. 1992. Looking at the Environment. Jossey-Bass.
Van Allsburg, C. 1990. Just a Dream. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Grades 6-8
The Earthworks Group. 1990. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Fleischman, P. 1999. Seedfolks. HarperCollins Publishers.
Gay, K. 1993. Caretakers of the Earth. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Giono, J. 2003. Man Who Planted Trees. Random House UK Distribution.
Stille, D.R. 2005. Natural Resources: Using and Protecting Earth's Supplies. Capstone Press.
Watson, S. 2003. Protecting Global Environments. Smart Apple Media.

Grades 9-12
Fitzpatrick, T. 1992. Signals from the Heartland. Walker & Company.
Hayes, D. 2000. Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair. Island Press.
Middleton, J. 1989. Atlas of Environmental Issues. Facts on File, Incorporated.

Unexpected Guests

Are non-native species beneficial or harmful? WILD Aquatic’s activity “Aquatic Roots” explores this question by looking at local non-native plants and animals. Check out a short list of exotic species found in Iowa.

Extend this activity into a service learning project by contacting a local public area and asking if they need help removing exotic invasive plants (garlic mustard, Japanese bamboo, etc.) from their boundaries. Chances are your call will be more than welcomed!

Want to see the positive effects from exotic species? Contact a local fish hatchery and ask for information about the DNR’s stocking program; specifically the species of trout the State stocks. For more information visit the hatcheries page on the DNR's website.

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Book List
Grades 3-5
Batten, M. 2003. Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems. Peachtree Publishers.
Guiberson, B. 1999. Exotic Species: Invaders in Paradise. Lerner Publishing Group.
Lesinski, J.M. 1996. Exotic Invaders: Killer Bees, Fire Ants, and Other Alien Species are Infesting America! Walker & Company.
Roth, C.E. 1973. Walking Catfish and Other Aliens. Addison-Wesley.
Souza, D.M. 2003. Plant Invaders. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 6-8
Collard, S.B. 1996. Alien Invaders: The Continuing Threat of Exotic Species. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 9-12
Leland, J. 2005. Aliens in the Backyard: Plant and Animal Imports into America. University of South Carolina Press.
Lockwood, J.L., M. Marchetti and M. Hoopes. 2006. Invasion Ecology. Blackwell Publishers.
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive Plant Species of the World: A Reference Guide to Environmental Weeds. Oxford University Press.

Endangered and Threatened Species

Scientists estimate there are 10 to 30 million plant and animal species on the planet, most of them unidentified. Each year as many as 50,000 species disappear.* Project WILD’s activity “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” looks at extinction by exploring endangered species. To make this activity more Iowa related, use the list of animals and plants that are classified as endangered, threatened, or rare in Iowa.

* Source Minnesota Public Radio

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Amos, J. 1995. Animals in Danger. Steck-Vaughn.
Charman, A. 1996. I Wonder Why the Dodo Is Dead and Other Questions about Extinct and Endangered Animals. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Dobson, D. 1997. Can We Save Them? Endangered Species. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Fowler, A. 2000. It Could Still Be Endangered. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Herschell, M. 1995. Animals in Danger. Steck-Vaughn.
Jenkins, S. 2006. Almost Gone: The World's Rarest Animals. HarperCollins Publishers.
Martin, Jr., B. 2006. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Mason, P. 1999. Return of the Osprey. Harbour Publishing Company, Limited.
Mastin, C.O. 1997. North American Endangered Species. Grasshopper Books.
McLimans, D. 2006. Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet. Walker & Company.
McNulty, F. 1996. Endangered Animals. Scholastic, Inc.
Reading, R.P. 2000. Endangered Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues. Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Taylor, D. 1992. Endangered Grassland Animals. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Taylor, D. 1992. Endangered Wetland Animals. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Wright, A. 1993. Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.

Grades 3-5
Arnold, C. 1985. Saving the Peregrine Falcon. Lerner Publishing Group.
Bright, M. 2002. Endangered and Extinct Animals of the Mountains, Deserts, and Grasslands. Millbrook Press, Inc.
Chinery, M. 2004. Animals in Danger. Anness Publishing, Ltd.
DK Publishing. 2005. Animals Like Us. DK Publishing, Inc.
Facklam, M. 1990. And Then There Was One: The Mysteries of Extinction. Little, Brown & Company.
Field, N. 1990. Discovering Endangered Species. Dog-Eared Publications.
Horton, C. 1995. Endangered Bears. Benchmark Books.
Jackson, D.M. 2000. The Wildlife Detectives: How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature. Houghton Mifflin Company.
McKay, G. and K. McGhee. 2006. National Geographic Encyclopedia of Animals. National Geographic Society.
Priebe, M. 2000. The Peregrine Falcon: Endangered No More. Mindfull Publishing.
Radley, G. and J. Sherlock. 2001. Grasslands and Deserts. Lerner Publishing Group.
Somervill, B.A. 2004. Animal Survivors of the Wetlands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Ward, A. 2004. Pocket Factfiles: Endangered Animals. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Wolkomir, J.R. 1992. Junkyard Bandicoots and Other Tales of the World's Endangered Species. John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Grades 6-8
Benson, S. 2003. Endangered Species. Gale Research, Incorporated.
Escoto, D. 2006. Going, Going, Gone Volume One: A Collection of Poems on Endangered Species of the Western Hemisphere. Xlibris Corporation.
Greive, B.T. and M. Iwago. 2003. Priceless: The Vanishing Beauty of A Fragile Planet. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Hickman, P. 2006. Birds of Prey Rescue: Changing the Future for Endangered Wildlife. Firefly Books, Limited.
Hoose, P. 2004. The Race to Save the Lord God Bird. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Kalman, B. 2006. Endangered Bats. Crabtree Publishing Company.
McClung, R.M. 1994. Lost Wild America: The Story of Our Extinct and Vanishing Wildlife. Linnet Books.
Penny, M. 2002. Endangered Species: Our Impact on the Planet. Raintree Publishers.
Pollock, S.T. 1993. Atlas of Endangered Animals. Facts on File, Incorporated.
Souza, D.M. 2003. Endangered Plants. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Swinburne, S.R. 2001. Once A Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Grades 9-12
Burton, J.A. 1998. Atlas of Endangered Species. Macmillan Library Reference.
Gaughen, S. 2005. Endangered Species. Thomson Gale.
Gessner, D. 2002. Return of the Osprey: A Season of Flight and Wonder. Random House Publishing Group.
Minnich, M. 1993. Vanishing Species: The Wildlife Art of Laura Regan. CEDCO Publishing.
Reading, R.P. 2000. Endangered Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues. Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Roberts, R. 1998. Endangered Species. Thomson Gale.
Tate, M. 2006. Going, Going, Gone: Animals on the Brink of Extinction and How to Turn the Tide. Think Books.
Vergoth, K. 1999. Endangered Species. Scholastic Library Publishing.

For Your Eyes Only

Wildlife watching has become the fastest growing form of outdoor recreation in the United States. WILD’s activity “For Your Eyes Only” allows students to observe nature, and then follow up on their and other’s viewpoints on the environment. A hands-on extension to this activity is to have students enhance or restore the natural environment for plants and animals. See the following websites for more “Taking Action” information and ideas.

• Iowa Action Involvement Programs
  
• Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund grant for outdoor classrooms
  
• Iowa Conservation Education Council list of grants
  
• PLT GreenWorks Grants
  
• Youth Service America
  

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Arnosky, J. 2002. Watching Water Birds. National Geographic Children's Books.
Giogas, V. 2007. In My Backyard. Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Kelly, I. 2003. It's a Hummingbird's Life. Holiday House, Inc.
Robertson, K. 1986. Signs along the River: Learning to Read the Natural Landscape. Rinehart P.
Selsam, M.E. and J. Hunt. 1991. Keep Looking! Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Ward, L. 1993. A Walk in the Wild: Exploring a Wildlife Refuge. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.

Grades 3-5
Arnosky, J. 2002. Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-watching, Shore Walking. HarperCollins.
Arnosky, J. 1983. Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher. HarperCollins Publishers.
Bair, D. and P. Wright. 1999. Deer Watching. Capstone Press.
Bair, D. and P. Wright. 1999. Eagle Watching. Capstone Press.
Bateman, R. 2005. Bateman's Guide to Backyard Birds. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Bernhard, D. 2000. Earth, Sky, Wet, Dry: A Book of Opposites. Scholastic, Inc.
Doolittle, B. and E. M. 2001. Reading the Wild. Greewich Workshop Press.
Green, J. 2002. In a Backyard. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Loates, G. and B. Kalman. 1988. Birds at My Feeder. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Montgomery, R.G. 2001. The Living Wilderness. Caxton Press.
Ross, M.E. 1997. Wildlife Watching with Charles Eastman. Lerner Publishing Group.
Russo, M. 1998. Watching Nature: A Beginner's Field Guide. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Shattil, W. 2000. On the Trail of Colorado Critters: Wildlife Watching for Kids. Westcliffe Publishers, Incorporated.
Shedd, W. 2002. Kids' Wildlife Book. Williamson Kids Can Series.
Squire, A.O. 1996. 101 Questions and Answers about Backyard Wildlife. Walker & Company.
Sterry, P. 2005. Nature Explorer. Running Press Book Publishers.
Swinburne, S. 2003. The Woods Scientist. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Wilkinson, T. 1999. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks: Wildlife Watcher's Guide. T&N Children's Publishing.

Grades 9-12
Dinsmore, S.J. 1995. Iowa Wildlife Viewing Guide. Falcon.
Harrison, G. and K. Harrison. 1987. America's Favorite Backyard Wildlife. Fireside.
La Tourrette, J. 1997. Watching Wildlife: The National Wildlife Federation Guide to Observing Animals in the Wild. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.