Monday, April 30, 2012

Earth Day... Hooray!

Happy Monday!  Here are some of our Earth Day activities from last week.  I would've posted them sooner, but my sweet hubby just opened his latest show (her is an actor and director) and needs the camera and my little lap top for the shows.  So here is Earth Day fun from my little buzzing room!

We started out with a schema chart.


 We started out the week by learning that the Earth is sick and we can help it.  We read this book to help us  understand more about Earth and what's happening to it.


After reading we learned more about reduce, reuse, and recycle.  I taught them a Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle song.

The next day we started putting our knowledge of the three r's to use by making art work from reusable trash.  I had sent home a note the weekend before for families to send reusable trash to school.  We pulled out some of the trash materials and decided what pieces we could use to make trees.  It was completely up to them to pick what they wanted to use.  I got this idea from Michelle at Apples and ABC's.





We also reused a lot of the materials to create monsters, robots, puppets, etc.  


We also learned to recycle.  I found this random "recycle machine" at Walmart on clearnace several years ago and use it every year for Earth Day.  My cuties had to tear or cut old paper and then we placed it in the machine.  We took turns spinning it.


After we finished spinning, we pushed the gooey paper into a mold to shape it like a star.  While it was drying, we did some interactive writing about the steps to make the recycled paper.



We also learned to reduce.  We read this book


which talks about 10 things we can do to help the Earth.  Then we drew and wrote we could do to reduce the amount of energy we use.


We also read this book


and created this chart


which helped us make these



We also turned our plant pots into The Lorax.

 
On a side note, I just had to share that I met Natalie Grant last Friday!  If you don't know who she is, check out the video below.  She is a contemporary Christian music singer and is my FAVORITE!  I was blessed to meet her because she was in town for a conference called Dare to Be.  I was asked to be at the conference as a volunteer for World Vision.  (My hubby and I sponsor a child so I was asked to volunteer and try to get more kiddos sponsored - anything for the cuties!)  After the AMAZING conference was complete, she came out to say "thank you" to the World Vision volunteers!  Here she is singing one of my favorites:



...and we got 34 kiddos sponsored!  Sprinkles to Jesus!

7 comments:

  1. Cute activities...and I love Natalie Grant!
    Vickie

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  2. What great ways to create fun filled activities... Love it! Thanks fr sharing... I am your newest follower! Come by and visit me @ kinderkiddies1.blogspot.com

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  3. I love all of the books you used for Earth Day! I will have to add these to my wish list!

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  4. How fun Erica!! Love all of your ideas!
    Nicole
    Rowdy in Room 300

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  5. Looks like y'all had a great day!

    learnplayandhavefun.blogspot.com

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  6. I am so adding those Earth/Heart Mobiles to my list for next year. Thanks for sharing! Stop in for a little visit if you can find a moment (easier said than done this time of year).

    Kelley "Following You" Dolling
    Teacher Idea Factory

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