Tuesday, March 23, 1999
Early Childhood/Elementary
Earth Day & Recycling Activities
With
Sandy/k/mo
An
Annotated Bibliography of Children's Literature with Environmental Themes
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Sandy/MO - Welcome to
our meeting, tonight we'll be sharing Earth Day & Recycling Activities
Djinn - I'm really
looking forward to some ideas. My Earth Day lessons are nil!
Kathleen - Well,
Sandy posted her Rainforest activities in the Lessons Bank at http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/405.html
Sandy/MO - http://www.earthday.org
Sandy/MO - http://www.earthdaycoalition.org
Sandy/MO - http://home.dtinet/earthday/index.html
Djinn - Sandy - you
are wonderful!
Kathleen - I really
do like the activities I do for Earth Day, about my favorite theme all
year. Read about some of it at http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/281.html
It's called Earth Protectors
Kathleen - wow, Sandy!
good links! That will make a good transcript!
Sandy/MO - http://www.epa.gov/kids/
Activities for kids
Sandy/MO - http://www.plasticbag.com/KIDS/index2.html
puzzles, recycling
Sandy/MO - http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/info
about conservation
Sandy/MO - Do all
the states have conservation depts.?
Kathleen - Sandy,
I'll bet most do if not all
Sandy/MO - MO has
a conservation educ. consultant and she always gets me "FREE" baby trees
Kathleen - Sandy,
then you plant them?
Djinn - Ok - all
you Earthers! Help Me get started. Earthday in my little classroom is a
total zip
Sandy/MO - I really
link the rainforest big time to earthday
Djinn - Sandy - How
neat- most of my kinders live in Apt. houses - Maybe a house plant?
Kathleen - Djinn,
read my post in Lessons. There are easy ideas: a little play "Whose Forest
Is It?" kids come out with forest animal puppets, everyone claims the forest
as his own, wise owl points out "It's everybody's forest!" very simple.
Based on the book by Creative Teaching Associates
Sandy/MO - since
trees. pollution, clear cutting are big issues.. decorate the room with
greens crepe paper hanging from ceiling
Kathleen - Djinn,
houseplant is a good idea.
meeha/ece/tx - I
used to have my kiddos help me sort our trash so that papers were in a
recycle box ... but the custodians just dump it all in the trash -- seemed
like a pointless endeavor (grrr!)
Kathleen - Sandy,
I love the sounds of your rainforest idea.
Sandy/MO - Djinn...
get some seeds,that attract butterflies/hummingbirds do it as a plant and
Sandy/MO - then they
can put it on the balcony
meeha/ece/tx - I'm
going to check out the Rainforest a bit later -- it is one of the units
I hope to add in the next school year!
Kathleen - On our
crank towel dispenser we have a sign, "1,2,3, Save a Tree!" I teach the
kids to use only that much paper towel each time to save trees. They read
it.
Addie k/mo - kat,
that is a good idea
Sandy/MO - meeha...
I have a Mom that collects the cans and things from school and then gives
the money back for the kids
Kathleen - Our custodian
thinks it is so cute, 1,2,3, save a tree :-)
Djinn - Wonderful
Kathleen
Kathleen - I have
to put one up in the teachers' lav! I hear some people crankin' away like
crazy! :-/
meeha/ece/tx - Sandy
-- that is kind of special for the school and the kids!
Djinn - Sandy - we
recycled cans at my previous school. We used the money for field trips.
All of lmy kids this year are bused - drivers don't appreciated used cans
LOL
Kathleen - A couple
of years we recycled tin cans: covered with construction paper labeled:
"I can", then with parents recorded things they had learned to do, wrote
on slips of paper and put into can. I added to them at school as kids learned
a new skill or concept
Addie k/mo - our
tech class at the middle school recycles cans and uses the $$$ for the
tech club
Sandy/MO - after
decorating ceiling.. we make squaking parrots
Kathleen - how do
you make parrots?
meeha/ece/tx - Sandy
... how do you decorate your ceiling?
Sandy/MO - make tissue
paper flowers and they love making the bromides and little frogs
Addie k/mo - there
was a new book about trees in the scholastic book order called "have you
seen trees?" by joanne opeinheim (sp)....i havent seen it for real, but
she has a neat book called "have you seen birds?", so based on that, i
would think it would be good
Sandy/MO - using
a plastic cup, a string and some materials It was in the Mailbox last year
or year before I use crepe paper different colors of green
Sandy/MO - Addie
going there Thur.. wil look for you
meeha/ece/tx - Sandy
... too cool!
Sandy/MO - we curl
around snakes too.. yuck
Djinn - Does anyone
share a room? How do you gt your partners involved with a theme?
Kathleen - Ideas
collected by Sandy: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/404.html
in the Teachers.Net Lessons Bank
Sandy/MO - After
we have read several books the kids cut out a t shirt and draw a picture
about saving the rainforest
Addie k/mo - sandy,
how did your reptile rap go? (speaking of snakes)
Sandy/MO - we post
those all over the school
Kathleen - I've been
lucky, the person I share the room with is extremely cooperative. We work
great together.
Djinn - Can't wait
to see the transcript of this session!
Sandy/MO - laughing
the construction workers got a big kick out of it when we practiced today
do it for real next Wed.
Addie k/mo - i cant
imagine sharing a room...it was hard enough to have two classes sharing
when we had am and pm and they were both my classes!
Sandy/MO - There
is a really neat art thing... take a piece of yarn and string it through
a straw. Attach 3 or 4 colored butterflies and it becomes kind of a streamer.
Kathleen - Oriental
Trading Company has some Earth theme items. That's where I order the earth
keychains I use. The families record on paper key shapes anything they
do at home to protect/save the earth and its resources. The kids bring
the keys to school and we add them to their keychains: http://www.oriental.com/home.htm
Sandy/MO - we also
do a lot with butterflies
Kathleen - (LOL!
save butterflies for bugs and insects on April 13)
Sandy/MO - I usually
have them go through the house looking for things from the rainforest
Addie k/mo - LOL,
sandy, i think we are going to use it for our class' spring play. i think
we are just going to do a musical about different things in the spring....and
use the rap. they love it!
Kathleen - Sandy,
what are some things they find that come from the rainforest?
Djinn - Do you talk
about the recycle arrows and the circle?
Sandy/MO - cork,
all kinds of spices, CHOCOLATE :-)
Kathleen - Djinn,
a little bit, there is a song, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and we do the motion
with hands
Addie k/mo - for
butterflies we use pasta to represent the lifecycle...a wheel for the egg,
a spiral for the larve, a shell for the cocoon and a bowtie for the butterfly
Kathleen - CHOCOLATE!!!
that's a good one :-p
Kathleen - Sandy,
make sure to add your ideas to the Lessons Bank, too:-)
Sandy/MO - The Conservaton
Dept. put out a CD and the kids love it all about habitats, recycling
Sandy/MO - reptiles...
raps..
Djinn - Our Garbage
and Sewer system for the town has gone to recycling using different bins
. I think I will try to discuss what they do at homw
Kathleen - Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle is to the tune of "The More we get together"
Reduce, reuse, recycle,
Recycle, recycle,
Reduce, reuse, recycle,
And keep our world clean
Please keep our world clean,
And growing, and green,
Reduce, reuse, recycle,
And keep our world clean.
Sandy/MO - that would
be good Djinn.. conserve electricity.... read a book no tv
Kathleen - Djinn,
there is always the classic playground clean up, but use gloves
Kathleen - We also
collect junk and use it in an "Invention Center". The kids each make an
invention, tell about its purpose, what price they would put on it, I take
a picture of child with invention for class book. (recycling)
Djinn - Kathleen
- That's a great idea. Make a neat art-science- imagination center!
Sandy/MO - a Junk
a saurus
Addie k/mo - kat...you
could call it the "invention convention" :-)
Sandy/MO - don't
forget making a rainstick
Kathleen - addie,
yes! that's cute:-)
Addie k/mo - sandy,
how do you make your rainsticks? we did them one year, but i had grant
money and we bought these awesome kits....
Kathleen - Sandy,
you mean make a junk dinosaur? That's a great idea!
Sandy/MO - this year..
we are going to decorate grocery sacks..
Sandy/MO - I use
paper towel tubes.. toothpicks and nail clippers.
nat/k/ma - We usually
have a clown come in from the city's conservation center and has a wonderful
program with the children.
Kathleen - Oh, I
hope to make small papier mache earths, using small round balloons.
Kathleen - nail clippers?
Sandy, tell us more.
Djinn - Kathleen
- do you use paper strips and glue?
Sandy/MO - smiling...
have SO many memories of papier mache :-)
Sandy/MO - you need
the nail clippers so you don't kill your fingers breaking off the extended
part of the toothpick
Addie k/mo - one
teacher that used to be at our school made earths using coffee filters
and blue and green water colors. they painted them through the filters
to white paper and then they cut them out and mounted them on black const.
paper.
nat/k/ma - I use
to do papier mache until someone vomited into it.
Sandy/MO - just follow
the seam around the tube with the toothpicks and then tape over.
nat/k/ma - I am having
a hard time posting to this page.
Sandy/MO - they decorated
them with things they found outside or made some kind of a picture
Addie k/mo - sandy,
can the kids push the toothpicks through?
Kathleen - maybe
papier mache isn't a good idea?
Djinn - Addie - I
think I'll try that too! sounds like a beautiful idea -
Addie k/mo - oh yuck!!!!
nat!!!
Sandy/MO - they can
push them through, may need to help start with a nail... BUT they can't
clip them
Addie k/mo - djinn,
try it yourself before you do it with the kids...i am not sure i explained
it exactly right
nat/k/ma - Great
Idea, Addie
Djinn - I've used
tissue and liquid starch for papier mache
Sandy/MO - Kat...
they have great time getting MESSY
Kathleen - Addie,
so the paint went through the filter, onto white paper?
Addie k/mo - sandy,
do you usually get a parent to help, or is all the clipping managable?
Djinn - I will try
it addie = coffee filters made great snowflakes this year too.
Sandy/MO - I had
a parent help me
Kathleen - I was
going to use the old fashioned flour and water (and a bit of vinegar).
Is starch better?
Kathleen - Djinn,
tissue in blue first then green over might work, eh?
Djinn - Kathleen
- my flour paste is a lot like my gravy - too LUMPY! LOL
Sandy/MO - Laughing
the boys always told me my gravy would fill in for mortar :-)
Kathleen - Djinn,
I made a test batch at home and it is lumpy! but it seems to be working.
I did 2 layers so far with newspaper, but I like the tissue paper idea
better. I think I'm going to change my plan.
Djinn - Kthleen -
the starch seems to dry faster and it's not so heavy
Kathleen - Oh, sing
a modified version of He's Got the Whole World \...change to "We've Got
the Whole World In Our Hands"
Djinn - Greg and
Steve have a wonderful version of that song- just right for earth dya-
I forgot all about it!
Kathleen - Oh! And,
to the tune of Happy Birthday, "Happy Earth Day" ("we will take care of
you, we will take care of you")
Sandy/MO - neat song
Kat :-)
nat/k/ma - Kathleen,
how old are the children in your class. Mine where 4 & 5 when they
refused to put their hands in the mixture.
Kathleen - nat, kindergarten,
5 years. I haven't done it yet, maybe they won't!
Sandy/MO - Kat, it
has never stopped mine before
nat/k/ma - Best of
luck!!!!!!
Kathleen - nat, I'll
let you know (that is, if I even get to it, I think I might be trying to
take on too much!)
Djinn - What about
using crayon resist? Make a circle- have them decorate it with brown and
green then spread blue water color over. Make two and stuff them
Djinn - Must be getting
ready for break or report cards
Kathleen - Djinn,
my kids get to do fish that way, I thought I should intro a different medium
for the experience. I don't think kids do as much of things like papier
mache the way they used to.
Sandy/MO - we just
sent out report cards and break in Thur. -Mon of next week
nat/k/ma - Everyone
I emailed this week about my project were getting ready for vacation. Ours
don't begin until April 16th.
Djinn - Kathleen
- you're right! They need experience in all medium
Sandy/MO - Djinn...
are you getting enough ideas?
Kathleen - Djinn,
I could do that as a center, but without the stuffing part, I like the
idea of the crayon resist
nat/k/ma - Kat, try
it; you might have kids that are not timid about new things.
Djinn - thank you
Sandy! You've helped get my creative juices flowing. Knew this would help!
Kathleen - Oh! use
that great song and book, "What a Wonderful World" song by Louis Armstrong.
It's very beautiful!
Sandy/MO - get sounds
of rain or animals for background music
Djinn - Oh Kthleen-
that always makes me cry when I hear him sing it
Kathleen - Some people
do the worm farm projects, though I don;'t know how that would be at our
level
Kathleen - Djinn,
the only thing wrong with that song is that it is too short!
Kathleen - Sandy,
I can hear it now (the rainforest, the rain sounds, very soothing)
Djinn - Sandy - I
wish I could see your room when you get to the end of your unit.
Kathleen - Does anyone
have any good literacy activities to go with the Earth Theme?
Sandy/MO - laughing..
took pictures one year.. not sure where they are
Djinn - I always
read The Lorax or show the tape
Sandy/MO - we write
slogans..
Kathleen - I had
forgotten about the Lorax. Djinn, do you think the kids understand the
Lorax? I haven't used it with k
Kathleen - Sandy,
tell us about slogans, sounds interesting
Sandy/MO - They do
when we talk about it and I use it at the end of the unit
Djinn - We really
discuss what is going on. I stop the tape and we talk about what is happening
Sandy/MO - One year
the electric co. put out a calendar about ways to help the earth.. we look
at that, pictures kids had drawn, then they do something like it
Djinn - Sandy- do
you make a class book?
Sandy/MO - When we
make our construction paper t shirt, we talk about how people put ALL kinds
of things on shirt... so they draw and write something on it
Sandy/MO - yes..
we always do something with a class book.
Kathleen - Oh, that
construction paper t-shirt idea would be a great family project!
Sandy/MO - that would
be Kat... usually just do it at school but that gets the parents in it
Djinn - We have the
students take a Spring walk and make a poster out of the things they find.
they recycle items onto a poster.
nat/k/ma - I like
the construction paper T-shirt idea. I will try it tomorrow.
Kathleen - Sandy,
I can't fit in another classroom project, but could send that home. Would
make a great display too! thanks!
Sandy/MO - Djinn...
we did a scavenger hunt in the park last fall. They had to write a story
or poem, draw picture... used things they found as rebus
Kathleen - Djinn,
that's a nice nature activity. I haven't done it yet, but read about using
a reversed contact paper wrist band, kids collect and stick the nature
items onto it to make a bracelet
Sandy/MO - have you
had them take a walk in an old sock and then try to grow what seeds collect?
Kathleen - Sandy,
never did that, sounds great!
Sandy/MO - it was
a kdg., first and second grade project
Djinn - Great ideas
all - won't have an excuse this year!LOL
Kathleen - put the
sock over a shoe though for safety?
Sandy/MO - yes :-)
never barefooted
nat/k/ma - Well,
teachers, you have out done yourselves with these wonderful ideas. Kat,
good luck.
Sandy/MO - This has
been fun :-)
Addie k/mo - a friend
of mine uses a reversed masking tape bracelet
Kathleen - nat, thanks,
I'll need it!! LOL!
Sandy/MO - sharing
is the best and you all have WONDERFUL ideas
Sandy/MO - Night
everyone... :-) have a great rest of the week.
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