The lessons provide students with a basic understanding of the scientific and environmental principles that govern modern package design and development. The lessons are not intended to stand alone but rather to supplement existing curricula and classroom experiences in science, ecology, and home economics. Lessons range from ones designed merely to help students to understand the definition of a package, to ones in which they design their own packages, considering details such as how to dispose of their package, what they will be packaging, and how the design will facilitate ease of handling by users. For each lesson, a list of objectives is provided, followed by background information and concluding with an activity and an extension. For instance, the lesson on barrier properties contains an activity in which students are asked to wrap slices of bread in paper, foil, film, and a glass jar.
Students note what happens to the bread over a week and then draw conclusions.
A pretest at the beginning of the booklet reveals the reader's preconceptions. A glossary and a bibliography are provided. ENC does NOT distribute this resource.