Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Students learn about how to create a healthy environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Students learn why waste is a problem, about the options for limiting waste, and read stories about different people from around the world who have found ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.

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ELA

Unit 8

Kindergarten

Unit Summary


Over the course of the year, students study the seasons, learn about how animals and plants change and survive in different seasons, and explore some of the life cycles found in nature. In this final unit, students apply their content knowledge to gain an understanding of how to create a healthy environment.  Students learn why waste is a problem and how to limit waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling. 

Students focus on identifying the reasons an author gives to support points in a text, describing the connection between individual events and ideas, and identifying basic similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic. Students explore a variety of texts, including complex informational texts, poems, and narrative nonfiction as part of this unit. 

Students focus on continuing conversations through multiple exchanges with minimal support or prompting from the teacher. Students use conventional writing skills to write an answer to the Target Task question. Additionally, students have opportunities to refine their informational and opinion writing.

Please Note: In April 2026, this unit and its lesson plans received a round of enhancements. This unit is now 24 instructional days (previously 21 days). The writing projects and assessments have been revised. Teachers should pay close attention as they intellectually prepare to account for the updated pacing, sequencing, and content.

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Texts and Materials


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Core Texts

Assessment


The following assessments accompany Unit 8. For more guidance, see the Summative Assessments and Assessments Accommodations & Modifications Teacher Tools.

Content Assessment

The Content Assessment measures students' understanding of the unit's content knowledge and vocabulary. It should serve as the primary assessment for the unit.

Cold Read Assessment

The Cold Read Assessment tests students' ability to comprehend a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer standards-based questions. The Cold Read Assessment can be given in addition to the Content Assessment as a pulse point for what students can read and analyze independently, a skill often required for standardized testing.

Unit Prep


Intellectual Prep

Unit Launch

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

Essential Questions

  • How does waste impact the environment?
  • What steps can you take to create a healthy community and environment?

Reading Focus Areas

  • Texts on the same topic can be similar and different. 
  • Authors include specific reasons in the text and illustrations to support points in a text. 

Writing Focus Areas

Narrative Writing Focus Areas

  • Poetry is a type of writing that takes on a special form or shape.  
  • Illustrations provide details about a topic. 

Informational Writing Focus Areas

  • Put information in order using the words "first," "next," and "last." 
  • Include a title to tell the reader the topic of the text. 
  • Add details and labels to help readers better understand the writing.

Opinion Writing Focus Areas

  • Name an opinion. 
  • Write an introduction to an opinion piece. 
  • Provide reasons based on facts and details. 
  • Add an exclamation as a concluding statement.

Emergent Writing

Use the Emergent Writing Teacher Tool to regularly study students' Target Task responses. During Independent Writing, prompt students using the supports relevant to their individual Emergent Writing phase. By the end of Unit 8, students should demonstrate mastery of several skills within Phase 4: Conventional Writing. 

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

  • Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges. 
  • Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly. 

Vocabulary

Text-based

bancreativitydisposedisposableenvironmentrecyclereusablereusereducerot

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 8, view our Kindergarten Vocabulary Glossary.

Content Knowledge and Connections

By the end of the unit, students will understand:

  • Waste is all of the things we throw away. Waste causes a lot of problems for people and the environment.
  • Plastic is a problem because it lasts forever. People throw plastic in the trash and it does not decompose. Plastic is in a lot of things, so there is a ton of plastic trash.
  • Reducing, reusing, and recycling are ways to limit waste.
    • To reduce the use of something means to use less of it.
    • To reuse something means to use it again.
    • To recycle something means to use it again to make new things.
  • People around the world have come up with different solutions for how to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic and other forms of waste.

Lesson Map


Common Core Standards


Core Standards

RI.K.2
RI.K.3
RI.K.7
RI.K.8
RI.K.9
RL.K.2
RL.K.5
RL.K.7
W.K.1
W.K.2
W.K.5
W.K.6
W.K.7
W.K.8
L.K.1
L.K.1.b
L.K.1.c
L.K.1.f
L.K.2
L.K.2.b
L.K.2.c
L.K.2.d
L.K.4
L.K.5
L.K.6
SL.K.1
SL.K.2
SL.K.6

Supporting Standards

RI.K.1
RI.K.4
RI.K.5
RI.K.6
RI.K.10
RL.K.1
RL.K.10
L.K.1.d
SL.K.3
SL.K.4
SL.K.5
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