Before Plastics Memory Game & Activity
Provided by: Mongabay Kids|Published on: December 6, 2025
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Type: Games
Subjects: Science
Authors: Mongabay Kids
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this game from Mongabay Kids, students will match the natural alternatives people used before the invention of plastics to their plastic counterparts.
- The game includes text that explains how material choices relate to resource availability and environmental impact, encouraging reflection on sustainability today.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The matching game is a simple, engaging way for students to see alternative methods of making the things we use every day.
- Giving the positives and negatives for both synthetic and natural materials helps students see the nuance that is present when dealing with sustainability issues.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the idea that objects are made from different natural resources.
- Teachers may want to preview vocabulary such as natural materials, synthetic, and sustainability.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can invite students to brainstorm everyday items that could be redesigned using natural or reused materials.
- Teachers may want to explain the problems with microplastics and plastic pollution, as these aren’t thoroughly addressed here. This activity can help teachers explain plastic pollution.
- To explain how both synthetic and natural materials have climate change implications, teachers can explain how clearing land for agriculture can result in greenhouse gas emissions, as can producing plastics, like synthetic fibers.
- Teachers can use this game to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production.
This resource helps students think about and explore what everyday items were made of before plastic was around through a quick description and a matching game. After considering what other materials everyday items could be made of, students will read and discuss the pros and cons of natural materials and plastic materials. This discussion will show students that these environmental issues can be complex and that there is no one universal solution to these problems. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Mongabay Kids
Mongabay Kids is the dedicated youth education initiative at Mongabay, an award-winning nonprofit environmental and conservation news organization. We provide free, age-appropriate news, features, activities, and multimedia resources that inspire curiosity, ecological understanding, and action. Designed for children ages 8-14, families, and educators, Mongabay Kids empowers the next generation to explore, celebrate, and protect the natural world.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
