1. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN
The Three Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
TOPIC
Environmental Conservation
GRADES
1-4
OBJECTIVES
Each student learns about the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) and learns that
reducing waste has a positive impact on the environment. First, students put
environmental conservation into context by creating a picture illustrating what they love
about nature. Next, students learn about the three Rs and discover actions they can
utilize to reduce waste. At the end of the unit, each student becomes an activist by
creating an environmental poster for the classroom.
STANDARDS
National Science Education Standards, Grades K-4
 6.3: Life Science - Organisms and Environments
 6.5: Science and Technology - Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and
objects made by humans
 6.6: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - Types of Resources
 6.6: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - Changes in environments
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
 Kerpoof’s Make a Card, Make a Picture, and Make a Drawing
 Handouts:
o Brainstorming Worksheet
o Vocabulary List
 Local Recycling Information Sheet (optional)
PREPARATION
 Before the lesson, research local recycling guidelines and policies.
o Are there recycling bins at your school?
o What materials are accepted for recycling in your area?
o Is there a center for hard-to-recycle material nearby?
o Is there a deposit for recycling cans and bottles in your state?
o Does your city offer curb-side pick up?
 Optional: Make a handout with your findings for your students.

2. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
ACTIVITY 1: My Reason to Protect the Earth
STEP 1: Ask students to think about their favorite things to do in nature. Ask:
 What is your favorite outdoor activity?
 Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?
 If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
STEP 2: Ask students to write down their answers, and then call on a few students to share
their experiences with the class. Explain that all of the activities they enjoy and
places they’ve been are good reasons to protect the earth.
STEP 3: Tell your students that they will be illustrating their ideas on Kerpoof. They can
either draw a picture on Make a Drawing or use one of the Make a Pictures to
express their idea. Students should title their creation, “My Reason to Protect the
Earth.” Project the example, if desired.
STEP 4: Encourage students to share their artwork and award each other stars.
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3. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
Example: Activity 1
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4. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
ACTIVITY 2: The Three Rs
STEP 1: Draw (or project) the recycling symbol on the board. Ask students if they know what
the symbol means.
STEP 2: Explain to the class that recycling is actually the third step in reducing waste. There
are three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and then Recycle. The three Rs are in order of
importance, so reduce is the most important step!
 Reduce means to use less – it’s the most effective way to prevent waste
from happening in the first place. Ways to reduce include: Using and buying
less, turning off the lights when you leave the room, taking shorter showers,
and carpooling or taking the bus to school.
 Reuse means using something as many times as you can. To practice
reusing: Use both sides of a piece of paper, repair broken items instead of
replacing them, shop at garage sales, read books from the library, and
include secondhand clothes in your wardrobe.
 Recycle means to dispose of certain products – like paper, glass, aluminum,
and plastic – at a special facility that will break them down for use in a new
product.
STEP 3: Share the results of your local recycling research and ask students what items they
already recycle.
STEP 4: Discuss the vocabulary list and encourage students to use the new words they have
learned in the rest of the lesson.
STEP 5: Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students and ask each group to brainstorm as
many actions for the three Rs that they can in 5 minutes. Remind them to put each
action into the correct category!
STEP 6: When time’s up, have each group share their list with the class. Have a discussion
about the actions that most excite the students.
STEP 7: Remind students of the pictures they made in the first activity. Ask them to imagine
the scene they drew if there were litter in the picture, if the forest was gone, or if the
water weren’t safe for swimming. Tell them that reducing waste by following the
three Rs helps keep nature beautiful and healthy.
STEP 8: In the computer lab, ask students to open Kerpoof’s Earth Day Make a Card activity.
Using the provided stamps for inspiration, students should use the canvas to list the
Three Rs and describe an action for each they want to implement. If students don’t
see the stamp they want, they can draw their own illustrations. Project the example,
if desired.
STEP 9: Encourage students to share their artwork and award each other stars.
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5. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
Example: Activity 2
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6. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
ACTIVITY 3: Be an Activist
STEP 1: Ask each student to make a sign for your classroom with one of the tips he or she
brainstormed in Activity 2 (Example: “Turn off the faucet when you’re brushing your
teeth”).
STEP 2: Optional: Make this assignment a research project. Have students conduct online
research for statistics and facts related to their actions to include on the poster.
STEP 3: Students can make their signs in any activities – Make a Picture, Make a Drawing,
and Make a Card would all work well. Project the example, if desired.
STEP 4: Print the signs (on recycled paper, of course) and display around the classroom.
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7. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
Example: Activity 3
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8. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
VOCABULARY LIST
 Composting: How nature recycles food scraps and other organic
materials
 Conservation: To use resources wisely, preventing waste
 Hazardous Material: Something that can harm the environment if not
disposed of properly
 Landfill: A specially constructed site where waste is buried
 Natural Resource: Materials we use that are made by nature
o Renewable Resource: A natural resource that can be easily
replaced by natural processes (example: timber)
o Non-Renewable Resource: A natural resource that cannot be
easily replaced by natural processed (example: fossil fuels)
 Recycle: To process materials (such as glass or cans) to make them
suitable for reuse
 Waste: Garbage; useless material that we throw away
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9. KERPOOF LESSON PLAN: The Three Rs
BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET
NAME_____________________________________________ DATE___________________
Ways to Reduce
1 6
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
Ways to Reuse
1 6
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
Ways to Recycle
1 6
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
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