Although consumers are sensitive to purchasing products that are recyclable and biodegradable, which products are truly environmentally sound is not clear. This teacher guide contains activities to help educate students in grades 3-6 about choices they and their families make that may affect their future health and welfare. The lessons may be taught as a comprehensive unit or individually integrated into existing classroom programs. The book is divided into two sections. Lessons and activities in the first section are interdisciplinary and action-oriented. Topics treated in this section include the history of waste, the roots of the current waste problem in societies changing lifestyle, how waste affects the earth's natural resources, and the different methods of waste disposal. The lessons in the second section offer concrete solutions and strategies to reduce waste by composting, recycling, and reusing natural resources. Each lesson in the two sections contains the subjects into which the lesson can be integrated, time needed for the lesson, the lesson's focus, learning objectives, background information, materials needed, procedures to carry out the lesson, and ideas for extended learning. Reproducible student worksheets accompany the lessons. Appended information includes a glossary of 37 terms; a list of activity sources; a list of 13 recommended resources and 6 children's video recordings; and a description of a school recycling project. (MDH)