Classroom Lesson Plans and Resources

Lesson Plans

IDEM’s lesson plans are designed to help students recognize the importance of their environment. Students will also learn about their role in the environment and how their choices impact themselves, their community, and all of Indiana.

Elementary School Lesson Plans:

• Indiana's Environment and You

Preschool Lesson Plans:

• Composting with Worms
• Recycling

Teacher Resources:

• Vermicomposting: A Starter's Guide for Teachers
• Vermicomposting Fact Sheet (available on the IDEM Fact Sheets page)
• Earthworm Exploration Placemat [PDF]
• IDEM Nonpoint Source Watershed Education Tools

External Lesson Plans, Toolkits, & Other Teacher Resources

• Greening STEM Educator Toolkit
• NASA Climate Kids
• Rooted in Math Educator Toolkit
• U.S. EPA Air Quality Activities
• U.S. EPA Recycling Activities: Recycle City

Videos

• Where Trash Goes: WFYI Indianapolis Indiana Expeditions with Rick Crosslin
• Energy to Waste: Covanta Facilities Virtual Tour (click "Welcome" on left side of screen to start video
• Can I Recycle That? (PepsiCo Recycling)
• What is a Watershed? [YouTube] (IDEM)
• What is Nonpoint Source Pollution? [YouTube] (IDEM)

Citizen Science Resources

• U.S. EPA Citizen Science for Environmental Protection
• Hoosier Riverwatch
• National Geographic Citizen Science Projects
• Citizen Science
• Scistarter