Take & Teach Lessons
Keep Lee County Beautiful (KLCB) is proud to announce its innovative “Take & Teach” program, designed to empower educators with ready-to-use, environmentally-focused lesson plans at no cost. This resource is available to public, private, and homeschool teachers and is tailored to align with Florida State Standards, making it an invaluable tool for fostering environmental stewardship in the classroom. By using Take & Teach lessons, educators can inspire the next generation to take an active role in preserving our planet. Whether you’re looking for a one-time activity or a series of lessons, KLCB’s program makes it easier than ever to teach environmental responsibility.
What is “Take & Teach”?
“Take & Teach” provides teachers with pre-assembled lessons covering topics such as litter, waste management, recycling, and the importance of caring for our environment. Most lessons come with all the materials needed to complete the activities from start to finish, though a few may require basic items like markers or internet access.
The “Take & Teach” program is available year-round, providing a flexible and accessible solution for educators seeking to enhance their environmental curriculum. Whether you’re planning lessons months in advance or need a resource on short notice, KLCB has you covered. Public school teachers have the added benefit of receiving the materials through the PONY delivery system, while private and homeschool educators can arrange a pickup time from the KLCB office.
As an added bonus, KLCB’s Education Specialist, Jenn Downes, is available to visit classrooms as a guest speaker. She can provide engaging talks on litter, recycling, and environmental conservation either before or after the lesson, adding a real-world perspective to classroom discussions.
For more information or to request a lesson, email jenn@klcb.org today and join the effort to Keep Lee County Beautiful!
Available Lessons
The lessons below are currently available. If you have an idea or topic in mind that you want to see as a lesson, please message jenn@klcb.org to make a suggestion!
Suitable for Any Elementary Grade:
- DIY Paper Mache Coasters with Flower Seeds (Y)
- Understand the process of paper recycling
- Hands-on: create paper mache coasters from recycled classroom paper
- Everything provided except for a large mixing bowl
- Recycling Using Classroom Trash (Z)
- Identify recyclable materials by examining what students would normally throw away during a school day
- Hands-on: practice sorting trash into recyclable and non-recyclable categories, gaining a hands-on understanding of how recycling helps the environment.
- Everything provided except two big boxes and chart paper
Grades K-1:
- “Dumpster the Recycling Dog” by Lisa Pipes (A)
- Understand the importance of recycling and what can/can’t be recycled
- Hands-on: sorting images of items into recycle/garbage, creating an image on a paper of their own animal sorting materials to show understanding, guided writing: create a recycling promise
- Everything provided
Grades 2-3:
- “The Whale Who Ate Plastic” by Stephanie O’Connor (J)
- Understand the impact of pollution on marine life, learn about recycling and waste management, create a plan
- Hands-on: whale creation and presentation
- Everything provided except one piece of chart paper and markers
- “I am Earth” by Rebecca and James McDonald (E)
- Understand the importance of taking care of the planet, learn about the Earth’s environment and its different components, engage in creative and interactive activities to reinforce their understanding.
- Hands-on: create a collage and present to the class
- Everything provided except markers / crayons
- “Keeping My Town Beautiful” by Linda Schertz (F)
- Understand the impact of litter and pollution and take part in activities that encourage environmental stewardship, explore the importance of community involvement in keeping their town clean and beautiful.
- Hands-on: sorting items into recycle or trash categories
- Everything provided
- “Look Out For Litter” by Lisa Bullard (G)
- Understand the importance of keeping the environment clean by evaluating litter’s impact
- Hands-on: engage in a hands-on activity to clean up and prevent litter.
- Everything provided except for markers/crayons
- “Team Trash” by Kate Wheeler (H)
- Understand the importance of recycling and teamwork in keeping the environment clean, learn how to sort trash and recycling materials, and discuss ways they can contribute to a cleaner environment.
- Hands-on:
- Everything provided
- “Trash Magic: A Book About Recycling a Plastic Bottle” Angie Lepetit (L)
- Understand the journey of recycling a plastic bottle, the importance of recycling, and how individual actions can contribute to reducing waste and protecting the environment.
- Hands-on: make a Rumba shaker from a plastic bottle
- Everything provided except markers and an empty plastic bottle for each student
- “Evelyn Takes Action” by Eva Sisisky (D)
- Understand the importance of individual and community action in protecting the environment
- Hands-on: Choose an environmental issue you want to address, create posters with their action plans on how they could help solve their issue and present to the class
- Everything provided except: art supplies (scissors, glue sticks)
- “Earth Ninja” by Mary Nhin (B)
- Understand the importance of recycling, develop empathy for Earth, identify actions to help the environment
- Hands-on: draw yourself as an Earth ninja doing something to help the Earth
- Everything provided except: globe or map, crayons or colored pencils
Grades 4-5:
- “This Class Can Save the Planet” by Stacy Tornio (K)
- Understand how they can make a positive environmental impact as individuals and as a group, identify simple actions they can take to protect the planet, and develop a plan to implement an eco-friendly project at school.
- Hands-on:
- Everything provided
- Recycling Fun and Learning with Math (C2)
- Understand the importance of recycling and how to properly sort recyclable materials, practice basic math skills (counting, addition, and graphing) through recycling-related activities, create a project that promotes recycling awareness and includes math elements.
- Hands-on:
- Everything provided except: poster paper, glue
- “Your Planet Needs You” by Philip Bunting (D2)
- Objectives: Students will understand the importance of taking care of the planet and identify practical steps they can take to contribute to sustainability.
- Hands-on:
- Everything provided
- Understanding Litter and Recycling Through Math (O)
- Understand the impact of litter on the environment and use basic math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and data interpretation) to analyze and solve litter-related problems.
- Hands-on: making a bar graph, sorting litter vs trash, discussion cards
- Everything provided
Grades 6-8:
- Careers in Recycling, Litter Reduction, and Community Beautification (U2)
- Understand the importance of various careers in the environmental industry, explore career choices and evaluate the skills for each.
- Hands-on: group research, discussion, and presentation of career
- Everything provided, need internet and laptops for research
- Beautify Our Community: A Hands On Approach (Y2)
- Understand the importance of community beautification and develop practical skills
- Hands-on: plan and model (possibly implement) a community project
- Everything provided except chart paper / construction paper and markers
- The Impact of Litter on the Environment (W2)
- Understand the environmental impact of litter and different types of waste, learn about the decomposition rates of various materials.
- Hands-on: Conduct an experiment to observe how different materials break down over time.
- Everything provided except for a fruit peel
Grades 9-12:
- Environmental Dilemmas (S2)
- Analyze and evaluate different perspectives on environmental dilemmas, research relevant information to support their arguments and understand various viewpoints.
- Hands-on: develop and articulate arguments, consider counterarguments, and engage in constructive debates
- Everything provided, students will need access to the internet
- The Impact of Litter on Our Natural Environment (T2)
- Understand the detrimental effects of litter on natural ecosystems and develop strategies for reducing and managing litter in their communities.
- Hands-on:
- Everything provided
- Litterology and Environmental Psychology (Q2)
- Explore the psychological factors behind littering and develop strategies to promote litter-free environments in their community.
- Hands-on: Conduct a “litter audit” of the school or nearby public space
- Everything provided