Grades(s) K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Subjects(s) Math, Science, Social Studies

Students will define the term landfill.
Students will sort sample contents of a typical landfill.
Students will understand that everything they throw away does not just go away.

landfill pie chart
paper plates
glue
scissors
assorted representative garbage

I began this lesson by reading a picture book that related to the earth and our environment. Some suggestions are: The Wump World by Bill Peet, The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, or The Magic School Bus Gets Recycled by Joanna Cole. We also talked about what happens to trash when we throw it away.

1.) If you are working with older students you can have them prepare the pie chart. Otherwise, you will need to do it. In any case, the pie chart categorizes what percentage of different kinds of trash are in our landfills:
paper = 35.7%
yard waste = 12.2%
food = 11.4%
plastics = 11.1%
metals = 7.9%
rubber, leather, textiles = 7%
wood = 5.7%
glass = 5.5%
other = 3.4%
Copy completed pie chart onto red paper (older students can do this by hand, I photocopied ahead of time for my K-2nd graders). This will be the sauce of your "pizza". Your pie chart should be slightly smaller than a regular-sized paper plate.
2.) Cut out the "sauce" and glue onto the paper plate. Be sure to use the side of the plate that you would normally eat off of.
3.) Glue samples of each kind of trash onto the pie chart in the appropriate section. These are the "toppings" of your "pizza".
Ideas of trash to use:
paper: old newspaper and magazines, construction paper scraps
yard waste: leaves, grass clippings, fake flowers (I used leftover pieces of plastic evergreen that we had used for a Christmas craft)
food: pasta, cereal, beans
plastics: beads, cut up grocery bags
metals: paper clips, odds and ends from the hardware store, pennies
rubber, leather, textiles: rubber bands, cloth scraps
wood: crafts sticks, toothpicks, twigs
glass: beads, mini Christmas tree lights
other: this space is such a small percent that I left it blank


Special thanks to the Cook County (Illinois) Farm Bureau for this very cool activity.

A completed garbage pizza with all trash glued on the correct pie piece will assess a student's comprehension.