Help! Help! Save The Earth!

Designed by: Helen McGough

Grade Level: First             Subject: Social Studies

Core Curriculum Objective: 
 Demonstrate an understanding of ways to save our natural resources and preserve our environment (eg. Recycle, control litter)  (1SSP15)

State Standard:  Name ways people use or change their environment. (III.1.8.2)

Overview: 
Students will be reminded that the natural resources that we depend on to survive are air, water and soil. They will then look at what the over abundance of trash will do to our environment. They will collect some litter and analyze what group it belongs in. They will listen to some stories, poems and make some signs to remind everyone what can be recycled. Students will discuss what resources they can reduce using and make signs to remind others to turn off lights, etc. Students will collect items from the garbage that they can reuse for other things. They will create something useful from the trash. They will then reflect in their journal about what they have learned.

Focus/Essential Questions: 
What is trash? 
Where does it go? 
What is the environment? 
How can we save it from all the trash? 
What do recycle, reduce and reuse mean? 
What can you do to save the environment?

Time Frame: Approximately five thirty minute lessons.

Resources/Materials: 
Computer Aver key 
Television 
Chart paper 
Rubber gloves 
Plastic grocery bags 
Large pieces of paper or one sheet of newspaper 
Crayons 
Scissors 
Markers 
Colored pencils 
Free recycling kit from the www.planetpals.com site 
Different colored and sized paper for signs 
Items from trash that can be reused (cans, plastic bottles, glass jars, milk jugs, etc.) Wallpaper sample books, fabric scraps, stickers, ribbon, buttons, etc. to decorate reusable items 
Journals

Books: 
Where Does All the Garbage Go? by Newbridge - Early Science Program 
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Learn to Read Books by CTP 
Let's Take Care of the Earth - Learn to Read Books by CTP 
If a Tree Could Talk - Learn to Read Books by CTP 
Two Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet by Lamb 
Making Peace with the Planet by Commoner 
50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth by Andrews and McMeel 
Amazing Earth Adventures: a Kid's Guide to Preserving the Planet by Scholastic
Things I Can Make with Newspaper, - Boxes, - Paper by Lohf 
Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Poems/ Fingerplays 
Sara Jane Amanda Stout Wouldn't Take the Garbage Out by Shel Silverstein 
Down At the Dump - Nuttin'But Kids

Web Sites: 
Recycle City - www.epa.gov/recyclecity/mapact.htm 

Adventures of the Garbage Gremlin -  www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/gremlin 

Planet Pals Free Recycle Kit! -  www.planetpals.com/pprecycle.gif 

History of earth day/how people all over world help -  www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/index.html 

Internet Consumer Recycling Guide  - www.obviously.com/recycle/ 

Why Recycle? -  bapco.bellsourth.com/html/why.html 

Rotten Truth About Garbage (good photos/definitions) -  www.astc.org/exhibitions/rotten/rthome.htm 

Songs, Fingerplays, and Grouptime Fun -  www.nuttinbutkids.com/myhomemyneighborhood.html

Assessment: Students will be able to identify the air, soil and water as natural resources. (1) Students will be able to identify ways to save and preserve the natural resources in our environment.(2)

Rubric: 

(1) 
+ Students will be able to identify air, soil, and water as natural resources.

 * Students are unable to identify air, soil, and water as natural resources. 

(2) 
+ Students will be able to identify 5 or more items that they can recycle, reduce or reuse.

 / Students will be able to identify 3 or 4 items that they can recycle, reduce or reuse. * Students are able to identify 2 or less items that they can recycle, reduce or reuse.

Instructional Activities:

Activity One: Remind students of the need we have for our natural resources of air, water and soil. Remind them that we learned that we cannot live without these resources, that they make up our environment. Ask students to think of the last things they threw in the garbage. List those on a chart or board. Ask them to think about what it was made out of. Was it paper, glass, cans, plastic etc.? Ask them if they know what happens to the trash. Where does it go? You can go online and read the story of the Garbage Gremlin at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/gremlin or you can print it out and copy it for everyone. You may also want to read the book Where Does All the Garbage Go? or use one of the books from the Scholastic Science kits about Trash. Discuss what you learned. Then visit the web site the Rotten Truth about Garbage www.astc.org/exhibitions/rotten/rthome.htm Read and look at all the pictures of trash and discuss what they see happening to the environment. Have they ever seen any trash piles like those in the pictures? What do they think is going to happen to the earth and our environment with all this trash piling up? Do they think it will harm the air, water and soil that we need to live? How? They can end the activity by learning the poem Down At the Dump. . . found on the www.nuttingbutkids.com/myhonemyneighborhood.html site. Students can play Outwit the Gremlin word game on the epa.gov site if time permits or during center time later.

Activity Two: Review what you learned in the last lesson about trash and where it goes. Read the poem by Shel Silverstein, Sara Jane Amanda Stout Wouldn't Take the Garbage Out. Does anyone have any ideas about what would happen if no one took the garbage out? Give everyone a plastic glove and a plastic grocery bag. Explain that you are all going to take a walk around the school. If they find any trash (litter) laying around they are to pick it up with the hand that has the plastic glove on and place it in their bag. When they return to the room give each table a big piece of paper. Ask them to sort out their trash. Remind them to only touch the items with the hand that has the rubber glove. When everyone has finished sorting ask each group to explain how they sorted their findings. Discuss what they found the most of and the least. Save sorted items for next lesson.

Activity Three: Before starting this activity visit planetpals.com. and copy the free recycling kit. Enlarge and make copies for the whole class. Remind students of the things that they found lying around. Ask them what we usually call people who throw things on the ground instead of putting them where they belong. If they don't come up with the words Litter Bug give them hints. Discuss with them ways they can remind others not to be Litter Bugs. Discuss what they think a Litter Bug might look like. Give each group a big trash bag. Ask them to make a Litter Bug that could be put somewhere in the school to remind others not to litter. Remind them that this is a bug that needs eyes and a big mouth. He or she might even need a sign that lets people know what he is and what he does. Give them time to work on their bug. Offer help when you see they are stuck or off task. When they have completed their bug let each group choose a place to display their Litter Bug. Ask students to review some of the things we have learned in the last two activities. Discuss with them the concept of recycling. Ask them if they think any of the things they found yesterday could be recycled. Give out the sheet Recycle - make everyday earth day! Give them time as a group to look at the things that they collected yesterday. If the item could be recycled have them write recycle under it on the paper. Give each group time to share what they found with the class. Ask them to take the labels home with them and put them on containers to help everyone at home to remember to recycle these items. Also give everyone the sheet Together - let's make a world of difference. Ask them to take this home. Instruct them to work with their family to circle the things that can be recycled in their town.

Activity Four: Review what they have learned about recycling. Discuss what their families said when they took the labels home to help them remember to recycle those items. Were they successful in convincing their families to help? Did their families already recycle? Use an aver key and TV to show the Planet pals site www.planetpals.com/earthday.html There are games and activities that will show them the importance of protecting the environment. Discuss if they can think of other ways that they can help save the earth and its natural resources. They have already learned about littering and recycling. Discuss other things they might do. Ask them if they leave the TV on when they are not in the room? Do they turn out the light when they leave a room? Do they leave the water running while they brush their teeth? Talk about what it means to reduce. Ask them to think of some things that they could reduce using. List those things on a chart titled SAVE THE EARTH! You might need to give them hints to get them started. Help them think of the water, paper, electricity, etc. Give them a planetpals.com page about reducing. Discuss what they are being asked to do. Ask them to get with their table group and discuss what other signs that they might make to help remind people to reduce. Give them paper and materials to make some signs. Remind them to think of things that happen at school and at home where reduction might happen. Share their signs with the class and explain why they created them. Ask where they might post their sign and why. Take a tour of the building posting signs where they are needed. When you return to the room ask if there are things that are thrown away that can be reused? Tell them that their homework for tonight is to bring in some of those things saved from the trash that can be reused. Remind them to clean them out before bringing them to school

Activity Five: You may need to start gathering things from your trash a few days ahead of this activity. That way even those that forget to bring items will have something to work with. Review recycling and reducing and what it means to the earth. How do using these two programs help the earth? Would using these help us to save our air, water and soil? How? Read Ezra Jack Keats, Peter's Chair, to show that some things are very easy to reuse. Have them also look at how Keats used newspaper, wallpaper and fabric to create his illustrations. Discuss how some other items thrown in the trash can be reused. Ask them to brainstorm how to reuse some of the trash they brought from home. If you have some of the books Things I Can Make With Newspaper, Boxes, or Paper, let students look through them for ideas. Another good resource is 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Let them have time to look and discuss what they could make using the trash they've brought from home. After they have brainstormed let them go to work. Provide markers, stickers, ribbon, etc. to help them decorate. As they finish let them display their creations. Take pictures to place on the class web site or in the library. Give them time to take out their journals and reflect on what they have learned about saving the earth. Ask them to name the three natural resources discussed. Ask them to identify by name or drawing, as many things as they can that can be recycled, reduced, or reused. Wrap up by reminding them that everyday is earth day and it is our job to save the earth for tomorrow. It is also their job to teach others what they have learned so everyone can work together and make this a healthy place to live.