Education is the first step toward making changes in habits and practices that are currently threatening the environment. Across the country, evidence is abundant that people are willing to change their habits once they understand the consequences of their choices. Greater numbers of communities are instituting recycling programs. This book is designed with an interdisciplinary approach for middle school students learning science and social studies. Language and math skills are also incorporated into many of the activities. The activities are designed to work in both traditional and non-traditional school settings. For example, in their study of trash disposal, students examine the scientific background of trash in order to better understand the social issues. The initial activities in the book give a general sense of the scope of today's trash disposal problem. Students learn about the amount of trash that is created and the methods by which it is disposed. Science activities include experiments in which disposal methods are tried in the classroom. Activities related to social studies include role-playing, readings, and discussions about the controversies concerning various methods of disposal and the use of resources. Later activities focus on hazardous waste, its disposal, and environmental safety. Each activity begins with a statement of its objective, the time required, vocabulary used, materials needed, and the activity procedure. (AIM)