Classroom Activities

On this page you'll find some classroom activities that can be done before, after, or as a supplement to formal programs offered by Resource Recovery education staff.

What Goes Where? Games

These games help students learn about proper sorting at age-appropriate levels.

  • Memory game: Students, grades K-2, are taught to associate certain items with recycling bins and other items with trash.
  • Level 1 sorting game: Students, grades 3-4, are introduced to the basic rules for RI's mixed recycling program, and are tasked with sorting items independently.
  • Level 2 sorting game: In addition to mixed recycling, students, grades 5-6, are also introduced to RI's household hazardous waste and plastic/bag film recycling programs.
  • Level 3 sorting game: Students, grades 7+ are challenged with sorting items into all major sorting categories

Video Q&A

Educators can show our virtual tour videos in class, and download matching questions for each segment below. Questions that go along with our mixed recycling how-to video can also be downloaded. These Q&A sheets are great "exit tickets" for classes or advisory periods in which you are showing one or more of these videos. If you are interested in bringing your class to our facility for a field trip you can sign up here

NEW! Waste Sorting Game

Click HERE to play! This waste sorting game will help students learn if items can be recycled in their bin or cart, added to a home compost bin, dropped-off locally, or simply put in the trash. The more students play, the more they will learn how to keep valuable resources out of RI's Central Landfill. When materials are sorted correctly, students win fun items to build their own virtual park! Students can also look up additional disposal information by visiting our A to Z list: http://atoz.rirrc.org/