Resources for Green Team Teachers

Use the resources below for teaching and engaging students in waste reduction at your school.

Green Star Schools Waste Pathway Steps
This document provides an overview of the 5 steps of the Green Star Schools program, its educational objectives, some fun facts, and a glossary of terms. >>Download GSS Waste Pathway Steps.doc

Teaching the 4Rs

• Resources for Teaching the 4Rs - Lesson plans, skits, recycling race, trash can quiz and more! Resources for teachers to use in the classroom or at an assembly.
  >>Download Teaching the 4Rs.doc
• Fun Facts About Waste: 2 pages of amazing and disturbing statistics about waste, environmental impacts of schools, and practicing the 4Rs. Use some of these "fun facts" in morning announcements, newsletter articles, posters or other communications. >>Download Waste Fun Facts.doc
• Waste Lesson Plan: A sample lesson plan about waste and the 4Rs from Rosa Parks Elementary
  >>Download Waste Lesson Plan.doc

Video: Think Before You Throw
Show this video - made by Berkeley High students - in your classroom, at your PTA meeting, or at an assembly to teach everyone about why it's important to reduce waste and how to sort properly at school. 

Audits 
School Waste Audit Worksheet A simple audit worksheet for students to use to do a visual waste audit of the school garbage, compost, and recycling bins in the cafeteria, classrooms, outdoor areas, staff room, etc. Do this at the start of the school year to establish a baseline. Repeat in Spring to track your progress. >>Download Waste Audit 2013.doc

Central Dumpster Audit Form - Use this form to audit the central waste dumpsters and/or bins to evaluate both how full they are and the level of contamination. The goal is to have the garbage dumpster less full and the compost and recycling dumpsters more full so that the size of the garbage dumpster and frequency of pickups can be reduced in order to save the school money. Ask a parent to do this task, or work with older students. Do for three weeks in the Fall, repeat in Spring to track your progress. >>Download Dumpster Audit Form.doc

 Student Jobs
 • Lunchtime Monitors: Tips and a  template that will help you create a  lunchtime monitor schedule for  student jobs to rotate among classes  at your school. 
 • Classroom Jobs - Establish  classroom jobs for students to take  out the compost and recycling to a  central bin that custodians will service. For example, students who pickup and return breakfast can also bring the compost back to the cafeteria. Students can take out paper recycling to a larger bin in a hallway or in courtyard.

Green Team Calendar and Checklist
Use this checklist and calendar to plan your classroom, PTA, and school-wide activities throughout the year.
>>Download Green Team Calendar and Checklist.doc

Green Classroom Recognition
Get your Green Classroom recognized! Download the Green Classroom Checklist here. This Word document includes instructions, the award checklist, and a sample award certificate. Your classroom can earn one or two stars for taking steps to improve waste sorting and reducing total classroom waste, and for demonstrating that your students understand why it's important to reduce waste. 

StopWaste.Org
Stopwaste.org has partnered with Berkeley Unified School District and the Green Star Schools program to provide BUSD schools with FREE assemblies, classroom visits, and curricula that educate students about the importance of recycling, composting, and waste diversion. Click here to find out more about StopWaste.org's school-specific program, iRecycle@School.

BUSD Waste Management Checklist
Download this checklist for an overview of systems and infrastructure for how waste is managed at BUSD schools.

School Waste Pickup Schedule Coming soon!
Find out when each type of waste is picked up from your school. 

School-Wide Events & Parties

• Help reduce waste at large school-wide parties and events like fairs and picnics. For large school-wide events, you can borrow Clear Stream containers by contacting Andy Schneider, (510) 981-6357,  aschneider(at)cityofberkeley(dot)info, at least three days in advance. Containers and bags for compost, recycling, and trash are provided free of charge; the pickup location is at Gilman and 2nd. 
• Tips for greening your events - This page has all sorts of ideas for making your events more green, from holding them outdoors to using online invitations to buying local or waste-free products. Encourage participants to BYOC - Bring Your Own Cup - to PTA and faculty meetings.
• Create a Classroom Party Basket - Ask a Green Team or PTA Parent to create a "Zero Waste Party Basket" with reusable plates, cups, and utensils. The basket can be checked out from the office, used, washed, and returned clean for the next classroom party. 
• Waste Reduction Action Projects - A list of 7 steps to start your school waste reduction program, and a longer list of ideas for fun activities to help engage your whole school community. >>Download Waste Reduction Action Projects.doc

Signs
Downloadable PDF/JPEG and Adobe Illustrator copies of Landfill, Compost, Mixed Paper, and Bottles signs.