Introduction to the Topic What is the ENVIRONMENT? The natural world (land, water, air etc.): the natural world, within which people, animals, and plants live. It is regarded by many as being at risk from the harmful influences modern societies. Start the topic off by talking about Recycling. Here are some questions you can ask the children: Does anyone know what it means to recycle? (If some answer yes to the question above you can ask) Does anybody recycle at home? What sorts of things can we recycle? Bottles, paper, newspaper, plastic containers, aluminum cans etc. Do you know why we recycle? Next go over reasons as to why we recycle: Recycling protects our valuable planet. Recycling saves energy. Recycling saves clean air and clean water. Recycling saves landfill space. Recycling can save money and create jobs. Recycling can help the animals Reduce - Every home can reduce the amount of waste/garbage it produces and the landfills would last years longer. Composting is one way of reducing -- explain how you can help and/or are helping to reduce. The most effective way of managing waste is not to produce it in the first place. By not buying packaging we save things from being thrown out. Always look out for packaging that is recycled. Buy things from places that use fewer containers or let you use your own recycled ones. Recycle: We should not throw cans, bottles and newspapers into landfills. These items can be recycled. Discuss how these items get recycled. Wash, squash and recycle. Fold up old newspapers and tie them together. Make old things into new or different products. Reuse: This is the continued use of a product in its original form. For example, instead of throwing out your old microwave when you get a new one, you could sell it at a garage sale or trade it in. Try and use containers, plastic bags and newspapers as many times as possible. We don't always need a new piece of paper or a new t-shirt. We can try to reuse what we already have. We can help keep trash out of the landfills. How can a piece of paper be reused? Example: We can use the comics to use as wrapping paper. How can a T-shirt be reused - many pieces of fabric from T-shirts can make a great quilt! When coloring use both sides of the paper. Reinvent: This is when you make new, useful things from recyclable objects. For example, using old plastic containers as lunch boxes, making crafts from old boxes and containers, making jewelry boxes from old containers, making original toys and dolls out of unwanted objects or even making costumes from recycled material. Junk isn't always something messy like a banana peel; it can include perfectly useable, clean objects that just no longer serve their original function. 1
Discussing Litter Explain to the children what littering is and what they SHOULD do with their own trash. I know many songs and finger plays have to do with "See a piece of litter, pick it up... however, I'm not a big supporter of young children picking up trash outside. They sometimes can t tell the difference between a safe item to pick up and a not safe one. A triangle "rock" may actually be a sharp shard of glass. Therefore, I have discussions with them about letting a grown up pick up trash. I talk about the germs that are in trash. Mostly, talk about what THEY can do to NOT CREATE MORE TRASH! Hand Washing This is a great time to talk about how to save water and paper by refreshing your washing hands skills! Many children forget to turn the water off when washing or use 6 or 7 paper towels to dry their hands. This is a great time to discuss and demonstrate how to save water and paper! The paper towel I used in the bathrooms was in large boxes like Kleenex. I showed the children how to wash their hands thoroughly and then showed them how HUGE the paper towel is and that it is plenty to dry their hands with! We would discuss making sure the tap is turned off when you are done. SOCIAL Discuss Recycling Discussed what recycle means and why everyone should recycle. Use the information provided above to start the discussion. Target: social interaction Set up a Recycle Area You probably already have a recycling program already in place at home. Discuss it and ask child for ideas on how to recycle! You will be surprised at what they have to say! If you need to set up a recycling area you can do the following. You will need: several egg cartons, clean metal cans (no sharp edges), plastic empty small water bottles, clean old newspapers (ripped into strips) and toilet paper rolls, five sturdy cardboard boxes (if you don't have any on hand you can ask at your local grocery store).to begin: Set up the five boxes, side by side, and place one of each of the items listed onto the boxes, one item on each box, attach the items by taping or gluing them onto the boxes. Attaching these items to the box will make it easy for the children to know where to put the items they are going to recycle. You may find some of the items are too heavy to attach to the box by tape, those items may need to be hot glued onto the box, and they can be pulled off the box later and recycled. This recycling area can be used for a few different activities listed for this topic. Target: cooperation Fix the Earth Talk to the children about how we need to fix the planet we live on. Then have the children each create a picture of the earth. It can be from paper or a Styrofoam ball, recycled cardboard etc. Give each child tiny sized Band-Aids (Dollar Store) and have the children peel and stick them onto their Earth. On chart paper, write down the ideas they come up with for fixing the planet and display the chart with their finished projects. Instead of printing an Earth shape, encourage them to draw their own Earth on the paper. Target: sharing Wasteful Wally Materials: 1 puppet, a few pieces of construction paper and a marker. Make up your own script for this! The idea is that Wally is making one little mark on a paper and then throwing it away. He then tears a piece in half and goes to throw the other half away. That's when you (or perhaps another puppet!) ask him what he's doing? This is a great way to encourage the 2
children to think about waste, perhaps start a paper recycle bin for scraps of paper we can use again, etc. Target: sharing ideas PHYSICAL Fine Motor Our Planet Materials Needed: White paper plates, blue and green tissue paper, thinned white school glue, brushes. The children paint the paper plate with glue and then place pieces of tissue paper where they want them to create the Earth. VARIATION: To work on small muscle development, you could draw circles on white paper and have the children cut their own circle shapes out. Also, they can cut--or tear-- the tissue paper for this activity. We have also used construction paper for this activity. Target: grasping Handprint Earth Materials Needed: finger-paints in blue and green; finger-paint paper. Let's finger-paint at the easel today! Target: hand co-ordination Cork Painting What You Need: Clean, dry corks in several different sizes Two sturdy sheets of 8 1/2 x 11" paper Paints Markers What You Do: Prepare the activity by setting out the corks and two sheets of paper on your child's workspace. Pour a small amount of paint into individual shallow containers for dipping. Have the children make imprints on their paper. Variation: you can have the children paint with a variety of recycled materials that you have around your center. Just make sure they are clean. Target: grasping Gross Motor Blow Bubbles You can cut the bottom off of a plastic water bottle and have the children dip them in a bubble solution. The children then blow through the top of the water bottle to create bubbles. Target: co-ordination Pop Can Smash The pop can smash is done after we discuss recycling and we talk about how some people use recycled items to create other things. First we use empty pop cans to sort with, and discuss their differences. We pull off the tabs to collage with (along with other recycled items you have). We then go outside we do our smash. Each child gets one (preferably two or more) empty cans and you show them how to smash them. Either by jumping on them, or twisting them with their hands. They love it and think its so much fun. Variation: place cans on the ground lengthwise-- and have the children stop them with their feet into the middle! Sometimes if you do this the can will stick to your shoes--great sounds when walking around with them on your shoes!) Target: balance 3
Let s Play Golf! You will need: Some large sheets of newspaper, paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, clear packing tape and small to medium sized sturdy boxes. This is an outside activity unless you have a large indoor play space. Golf Activity: Show the children how they can hit the paper ball with their toilet paper golf club, and try to hit the paper ball (swing like their playing mini golf) and try to get the paper ball into one of the boxes, once they get the ball into one of the boxes have them remove the paper ball and try to golf it over to another box. Golf Club: To make the golf club you will need a paper towel roll and two toilet paper rolls. You will need to cut a hole in the center of the toilet paper roll, trace around the paper towel roll onto the center of the toilet paper roll and cut out and carefully push the paper towel roll inside, and then if you find the golf clubs are not long enough, you will need another toilet paper roll or paper towel roll and carefully squeeze it into the end of the paper towel roll, it will be very snug and a bit hard to push in, after you get the toilet paper roll pushed into the paper towel roll go around it with clear packing tape so it will stay together. Depending on the height of the children an old wrapping paper roll may be long enough or easier to cut to shorter lengths. Directions: Have the children help you squish up a few large sheets of newspaper to look like paper balls and then take the paper balls, golf clubs and boxes all outside. Lay the boxes randomly around the outdoor play space and not too close to each other. Target: balance INTELLECTUAL Cognitive Recyclable Place a variety of items in a box. Have the children pick different items from a box and ask them to tell you if they can be recycled or not. Extension: If it can be recycled have them place it in the correct recycling box in the recycling center you have set up. Target: sorting Biodegradable Discuss what is biodegradable and what is not. At the beginning of the month you and the children can bury a few items in the dirt outside. At the end of the month dig them up and see the changes (or not) the items went through. The following items are biodegradable: food scarps, paper, Kleenex, toilet paper, newspaper, paper towel etc. Remember to bury some items that are not such as cans, plastic bottles, plastic bags etc. Target: cause and effect 4
Sorting Area Use the recycling area that you have set up for this activity. Have the dramatic play area covered with 'trash' one morning when the children arrive and allow children to sort and put recyclable items in the appropriate bins and throw away trash that can't be recycled. Target: sorting Magnet Game Place all different materials on a table and provide one or two magnets. The children can see which materials get pulled by the magnet and which ones don t. Just ensure that the metal or tin objects (and even plastic) do not have sharp edges on them. Let the children sort them out. Target: matching 3-Dimensional Art Materials: You know those annoying packing peanuts you get with shipments? Well, most are water soluble now! Place them and a shallow tray of water. Encourage the children to dip the peanuts into the water to make them stick together. I know you can now purchase these very sticky noodles/peanuts at craft stores, but this activity is more about recycling! Target: cause and effect Recycle Newspaper Materials Needed: newspaper (lots), water, several aluminum, containers, rolling pin, strainer, large spoon or scoop. Shred newspaper and put into 1 or 2 containers about 4" deep depending on how many children will be participating in this activity. Add water to cover the paper have children mix with hands until consistency of oatmeal. This takes quite a long time so the children can take turns. Take one aluminum container and turn it upside down. 4. Strain about 2 scoops of newspaper "goop" and place on bottom of aluminum pan. Roll it out to cover the whole pan. Blot with newspaper to get as much water out as possible. Keeping a piece of newspaper on top, turn container over and carefully peal container off the now thin layer of newspaper goop. Lay it out to dry over 1-2 days. It will be paper when it is dried and you can carefully peel it off the newspaper. Target: cause and effect Sorting Cans Collect cans to recycle in your classroom. Let your children sort these by color, brand, etc. Note: make sure the cans are clean and be sure to tell your children not to stick their fingers in the top as they may get cut. Target: matching Language Recycle This, Recycle That Tune to "Open Shut them, Open Shut Them" Recycle this, recycle that. (Hold up one bottle then both bottles) Give yourself a tap, tap, tap. (Tap bottles together X3) For you recycled this and that! (Hold up one bottle then both bottles) Give yourself a tap, tap, tap. (Tap the bottle together X3) Target: repetition (Sung to: "Mary Had a Little Lamb") Recycling For Our Earth Hear the cans go crunch, crunch, crunch, Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, 5
Hear the cans go crunch, crunch, crunch, Recycle for our earth. Hear the bottle go ding, ding, ding Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, Hear the bottle go ding, ding, ding Recycle for our earth. Hear the paper go crinkle, crinkle, crinkle crinkle, crinkle, crinkle, crinkle, crinkle, crinkle Hear the paper go crinkle, crinkle, crinkle Recycle for our earth. Target: repetition Water Water's what we bathe in, Water's what we drink, Water keeps plants alive, Without it fish would sink. Water comes from rivers, Water comes from rain. And every drop that's wasted Is just water down the drain! Target: rhyming Read a Book on Recycling See selections of books below Target: vocabulary CREATIVE Boxes and More Boxes Materials: Provide recycle boxes such as small and large cereal boxes and packing boxes. The children will make things you never thought of! We've had garages, multi-family homes and puppy houses! Target: imagination Puppet Decorate a paper lunch bag by adding cut strips of newspaper hair, aluminum foil balls for eyes, red foam smiles cut from paper scraps, and anything else you think would add to the project. Stuff the paper lunch bag with newspaper, insert a paper towel tube into the open end of the sack and put a rubber band around it to hold it together. This makes the puppets head and handle. The children can then put on their own puppet show. Target: independence Nature Art Materials Needed: Items from outside: leaves, pine needles, grass, etc.; glue. The children can make their own nature collage. VARIATION: Rather than glue, purchase some clear contact paper for the children to stick their items onto. You can then cover it with another same sized piece of contact paper and hang in a window for display. VARIATION: Rather than individual collages, make a group collage and discuss the Earth and ways to help take care of it as you place items on the collage. Target: decision making Coffee Filter Earth Materials Needed: round, white coffee filters, blue and green markers, spray bottles with water or eye droppers and water. The children color the filter with the green and blue markers and 6
then drop water or spray water onto the filter to watch the colors merge together. Target: creativity Rainbow Crayons Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Place broken crayons in the muffin tin and place in the oven to melt (200-250 degrees). When the crayons have melted remove from the oven and let cool. Great crayons to color with. Target: decision making EMOTIONAL Recycle Art Materials: Many recycled items (plastic containers, plastic bottles, boxes, etc.), glue, miscellaneous items (scrap paper, ribbon, etc.) See what the children can create by using items that would be going into the trash! Most will just explore what will stick and what won't but some may create a box for their collections, etc. Target: self expression What You Need: Egg Carton Flowers An empty cardboard egg carton Assorted bright paint colors and brushes Green pipe cleaners Newspaper Plastic bottle What You Do: 1. Line your child's workspace with newspaper. 2. Carefully tear the individual cups out of the carton. You should have 12 cups. 3. Help your child to paint the cups, inside and out, and let dry thoroughly. These will be your flowers, so take care to use bright spring colors. You can even paint patterns or extra flower details onto the cups. 4. Once dry, turn each cup upside down and use the tip of a pipe cleaner to poke a hole in the bottom of each. 5. Insert the pipe cleaner through the hole and fold over the top of the hole to hold in place. Twist the pipe cleaner slightly beneath it so the cup stays at the top of the pipe cleaner. Have the children make cuts into the egg cups to create petals for the flowers. Each colorful cup has now been transformed into a beautiful spring flower! 6. Arrange in a pretty vase made from a recycles can, plastic pop or water bottles that the children can decorate as well. You may have to put some rocks in the bottom of the 7
container to keep it from falling over with the weight of the flowers. Target: Making choices Stain Glass Picture What You Need: Craft paper 20" x 24", creased in the center Iron, with supervision Pencil sharpener (handheld) Crayons, with paper removed Wax paper, cut into 12" x 16" rectangles Pencil Scissors Yarn or string Clear tape What You Do: 1. Set the craft paper on a flat surface. The paper will protect your surface from the heat of the iron. 2. Have your child fold a sheet of wax paper about a foot long in half lengthwise. Then, open it up again. 3. Encourage your child choose crayon colors for her first heart and ask her to identify their color names. Have the children sharpen them over one half of the wax paper. The crayon shavings should be spread evenly over the paper. 4. Fold the wax paper in half and fold the three open edges about half an inch inward. This will secure the crayon shavings. 5. Fold the craft paper over the top of the wax paper. 6. Help your child lightly iron over the craft paper with the iron on medium heat. Check every few passes to make sure the crayons are melting. As soon as all the shavings have melted, allow the wax paper to cool. 7. Have your child draw her heart on the wax paper and cut it out. 8. Now, they can tape a length of string to the top of her heart and hang it in a window. Helpful Tip: After the shape is cut from the melted wax paper, you can iron it again to avoid any curled edges. Also, you can vary this project by cutting and using the wax paper in a variety of different sizes and shapes. Target: independence What You Need: Recycled Kazoo Toilet Paper Tubes Wax Paper Rubber Band Paint What You Do: Simply decorate a toilet paper tube with paint. Then you punch a hole about a half-inch down the tube. Finally put a circle of wax paper over one end secure it with a rubber band. Now your children can play music from a recycled toilet paper tube. Target: creativity 8
Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific theme questions while making these fun snacks! Earth Cookies We have made sugar cookies, then put food coloring in white icing, (blue and green) and have the children decorate the cookie to look like the earth. Target: independence Book Suggestions for the Library A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka Biscuit's Earth Day Celebration by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and David T. Wenzel The Earth and I by Frank Asch Fancy Nancy: Every Day Is Earth Day by Jane O'Connor I Can Save the Earth by Alison Inches and Viviana Garofoli I Love Our Earth by Bill Martin, Jr. On Earth by G. Brian Karas Our Earth by Anne Rockwell Recycle Every Day by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace Mother s Day Sunday May 10 th 2015 You need to make a Mother s Day gift with the children in your center. If you want to use the recycling theme the Egg Carton Flowers or the Stain Glass Pictures are a nice idea. Otherwise there are a lot of ideas on the internet. Here are some websites: http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/easy-emergency-mothers-day-crafts-forkids#.toj21wjry http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/mothers-day+22.htm Pinterest has a lot of ideas as well!! 9