Buy, Use, Toss? A Closer Look at the Things We Buy - An Interdisciplinary Curriculum Recommended for Grades 9-12

Some concepts just naturally engage students' curiosity. Consumption--how we 'buy, use, and toss'--is one of those engaging concepts. Because consumption is current, relevant, and real, it is an ideal context for teaching core subject matter and 21st-century skills such as critical thinking and collaboration. Consumption is by nature an inter-disciplinary concept. Students can build math and science skills while calculating the carbon footprint of shipping blue jeans across the ocean, or they can engage in civic discourse during a discussion of how we dispose of our waste. Buy, Use, Toss? is a two-week unit that provides multiple entry points to help students think critically about consumption.