Teacher Resources
Crafts & Creations
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FOG Monsters
Printable instructions for creating your own F.O.G. (fat, oil, and grease) monster! This activity teaches students the importance of not pouring F.O.G.s down the drain.
Ideal for elementary-middle school students, but fun for any age!
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Googly Eye Headband
Make your own pair of Mr. Trash Wheel googly eyes! Includes printable instructions.
Ideal for elementary school students, but fun for any age!
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Build Your Own Trash Wheel
Students will create their own mini trash wheel models to better understand how he functions and to flex their creativity.
Ideal for pre-k to early elementary school students.
Games
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Aquatic Decomposition Game
In this game, students work together to guess how long common items take to decompose in marine water. Thank you to Living Classrooms for this wonderful game!
Great for all ages!
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"Things We're Done With" Sorting Game
In this game students sort trash they come across daily into 4 categories: trash, recycling, compost, and the toilet. Students will learn how to best dispose of the "thing they're done with," because not everything is trash!
Great for all ages!
Lesson Kits
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Personal Single Use Plastic Audit
In this lesson, students track their own single-use plastic use with a printable worksheet. Also included are pre and post-lesson activities.
Ideal for middle-high school students.
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Mr. Trash Wheel Data Graphing (Middle/High School)
Students will use real Mr. Trash Wheel trash data to create a graph and answer discussion questions. Includes printable worksheet.
Ideal for middle to high school students.
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Mr. Trash Wheel Data Graphing (Elementary)
Students will learn to create a bar graph using simplified trash wheel data. Includes a printable worksheet.
Ideal for elementary school students
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Styrofoam Ban Discussion Quesitons
In this lesson, students read a news article and answer comprehension questions about the styrofoam ban. Includes a printable worksheet.
Ideal for middle to high school students.
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Schoolyard Cleanup & Litter Audit
Students conduct a schoolyard cleanup and learn the importance of data collection! Includes a printable worksheet.
Great for all ages!
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Baltimore's Healthy Harbor Discussion Questions
Students will watch the Healthy Harbor Documentary and answer comprehension questions & discussion questions.
Ideal for middle school students.
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Mr. Trash Wheel Documentary Discussion Questions
Students will watch “Mr. Trash Wheel,” a Rivers are Life film, and answer comprehension questions & discussion questions.
Ideal for elementary-middle school students.
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Explore your Watershed (Elementary)
Students will learn what a watershed is and use links to discover information about their own watershed.
Ideal for elementary school students.
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Explore Your Watershed (Middle/High School)
Students will learn what a watershed is and use links to discover information about their own watershed.
Ideal for middle-high school students
Other Activities
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"Hero Of The Harbor" Lyrics & Sheet Music
"The Hero of the The Harbor" is Mr. Trash Wheel's theme song, written by Jonathan Jensen. Included in the download is sheet music and the full lyrics. Check out Jonathan's youtube video!
Great for all ages!
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Seed Ball Making Activity
Detailed instructions explain how to make seed balls with your students. It's super easy and fun! Includes printable student instructions.
Ideal for elementary school students, but fun for all ages!
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Mr. Trash Wheel Simulation
Students will work together to become a trash wheel by taking roles as conveyor belts, dumpsters, trash, and googly eyes!
Ideal for pre-k to early elementary school students.
Printables
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Mr. Trash Wheel: How He Works (Poster Size)
Learn how the trash wheel works with this helpful poster (11”x17”)
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Mr. Trash Wheel: How HeWorks (Flyer Size)
Learn how the trash wheel works with this helpful flyer (8.5”x11”)
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Trash Wheel Coloring Pages
Give some life to these trash wheel friends!
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Waterfront Coloring Pages
Explore Baltimore’s colorful waterfront!
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Oyster Reef Coloring Page
Create a colorful Oyster Reef!
Video Links
Baltimore Harbor Eco Tour
How to Build and Test a Model Rain Garden
Gwynnda
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Water Wheel in Motion (under construction)
Baltimore Trash Wheel Python Extraction
A plastic bag’s eye view of Mr. Trash Wheel
Documentaries
Mr. Trash Wheel - Rivers are Life
Baltimore Inner Harbor Underwater Footage - National Aquarium
Webinar: How Healthy is the Baltimore Harbor?
Solar Powered Water Wheel Cleans Baltimore Harbor - NBC News
The first trash interceptor of its kind, Mr. Trash Wheel, was invented by environmental scientist and shipbuilder John Kellett and commissioned by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore. It was installed in May 2014 at the mouth of the Jones Falls and is operated by Clearwater Mills LLC.
Today Mr. Trash Wheel and his family of semiautonomous trash interceptors have become social media celebrities and Baltimore landmarks thanks to the help of WPB's Adam Lindquist, who added googly eyes and named the invention to help engage the community. This is just the beginning of the Mr. Trash Wheel saga, discover the full history of Mr. Trash Wheel here!