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Make a Mini Greenhouse from a CD Case

Provided by: Center for Ecoliteracy |Published on: December 13, 2025

Activity - Classroom

K123

Synopsis

In this activity from the Center for Ecoliteracy, students will reuse a plastic CD case to create a mini greenhouse and observe how seeds germinate and grow.
Students will explore how water, warmth, and light help plants grow.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Science

Authors: Center for Ecoliteracy

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

Students will love working with seeds to see them transform in real time.
Reusing a CD case introduces sustainability concepts in an age-appropriate way.

Prerequisites

Students should know that plants need water and light to grow.
Teachers should plan for daily observation and watering over multiple days.
Teachers will need to soak radish seeds overnight before students can add them to their greenhouses.

Differentiation & Implementation

After creating their greenhouses, students can create seed journals to track their seeds’ growth. Students can make math connections by taking daily measurements of their seeds and seedlings and adding this data to their journals.
Teachers can connect reuse to caring for the Earth and introduce SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Teachers can take time to explain the importance of reusing materials instead of buying new ones, highlighting the use of a recycled CD case. Teachers can extend this activity to literacy by reading this ebook with students to help them understand the waste problem.
This activity can support early conversations about climate change by noting how temperature and water affect living things. Alternatively, to help build students’ background knowledge to eventually support their understanding of the greenhouse effect and climate change, teachers can explain how a greenhouse helps seeds grow by keeping them warm.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

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Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Center for Ecoliteracy

The Center for Ecoliteracy advances the teaching and modeling of sustainable practices in K–12 schools. The organization builds partnerships and the capacity of K–12 schools to support healthy, sustainable school communities and food systems change in schools. The Center for Ecoliteracy leads systems change initiatives, publishes original books and resources, facilitates conferences and professional development, and provides strategic consulting. The organization works at multiple levels of scale, with local, regional, state, and national programs.

Related Teaching Resources

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