Hands-on Approach to Celebrating Earth Day

Hands-on Approach to Celebrating Earth Day  

What better way to teach 1st graders about the Earth than to have them experience what it means to reduce, reuse and recycle.
In one of the elementary schools in which I teach I created stations for hands-on learning to teach important concepts to the students in hopes that by providing concrete examples they would walk away with a stronger knowledge of why we celebrate the Earth and how each of them can care for it.
There were four stations set up in the Makerspace. Each student completed each station by the end of the class period.
Students used recycled water bottles to build planters. Each student added soil and planted seeds to start the growth of a new plant. This activity not only showed students how they can repurpose materials but gave them something to care for. When students create things themselves it gives a deeper meaning to their learning.
Students also created cheerio bird feeders. Using pipe cleaners, they strung cheerios onto the pipe cleaner and created a shape to hang on a branch in their yards at home. This experience provided another opportunity for students to care for something but also take notice of the world around them.
Another great activity the students participated in were creating solar ovens by decorating recycled cardboard boxes, creating a window for the sun to get in and lining the inside of the boxes with foil. The students will see the affects of solar energy by making s'mores on a sunny day outside.  This was an excellent team building activity where students worked to create an oven as a team. They learned the importance of using alternative sources of energy but also the importance of collaboration and teamwork.
At the final station, students watched a short video explaining types of materials that can be recycled. Then they sorted items into trash and recycling piles.
These activities were designed and geared for our young minds but taught such valuable lessons of recycling, repurposing and preserving energy to make the world in which we all live a better place.
Creating Cheerio Bird Feeders 
Recycled Water Bottle Planters 
Solar Ovens 

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 4, 2017 at 11:42 AM

    You are an excellent teacher if you were able to teach first graders how to build an oven and recycle. That means their improving the environment at a super young age. Keep up the teaching and in the next couple years, i'm sure our environment will be safer and healthier.

    ReplyDelete

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