Earth Day 2010 is less than a week away. On April 22nd my daughter’s elementary school is planning a swap to celebrate U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson’s idea to inspire awareness and appreciation for the environment.
The school-wide swap is designed to encourage students and faculty to reuse and recycle everyday items. The kids are being asked to bring in gently used clothing, unwanted accessories, books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, household items, toys, school supplies, and toiletries. The gym will then be turned into a swap meet where students, staff and parents can choose items they want or need and take them home for free.
In the days leading up to the swap, students are being taught how reusing and recycling clothing and other items are efficient ways to save energy and reduce landfills. The kids are also learning about charity, as all of the leftover swap items will be donated to local shelters and thrift shops.
The school is also encouraging students to participate in another Earth Day activity at home. My daughter will be playing “trash detective” next week.
The project’s goal is to show kids how much waste one family creates in a single day. It’s also supposed to teach them how to reduce trash.
We’re supposed to begin on the morning of Earth Day by taking four paper bags and labeling them “plastic,” “paper,” “glass” and “metal.” We are allowed to place unwanted food items in a plastic garbage bag labeled “trash.”
Throughout the day my daughter will be keeping track of the items placed in each bag. At the end of the day, she is supposed to count the items in each bag and then talk about how we (as a family) could reduce the amount of garbage we create in a single day.
What kinds of Earth Day projects have your kids been assigned by their teachers?
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