With limited time for additional green lesson plans, we wanted
to share EASY tips for incorporating environmental stewardship into your existing program.
Daily Practices
You have the perfect opportunity to expose your students to the importance conservation by including these simple steps.
- Designate a Light Monitor. This person is responsible for always turning out lights when you leave the classroom.
- Leave lights off on sunny days and explain to kids you are conserving energy by using natural lighting.
- Have a recycle bin in your classroom (and place it next to your trash can so kids make a choice to conserve.)
- Create a student job as Recycle Ninja. Just like your light monitor, this person is responsible for consolidating recyclables and ensuring no trash in recycle bin.
- Explain to students at the beginning of the year why it is important to conserve Earth’s resources. Collectively all the little effort can lead to big results.
- Turn off your computer monitor at night and sleep it during the day while not in use.
- Promote reusable water bottles with leak proof lids.
Start with these 6 steps. When you’re ready for more, check out the links below for ideas on how to incorporate green concepts into existing lesson plans.
Teacher / Student Websites
For additional tips, lesson plans and interactive websites for kids, check out these favorites.
- PLP Resource Recycling Review These activities will help students become experts in recycling while developing valuable leadership skills. After completion, they will be able to identify resources and understand what materials “can” and “cannot” be recycled. Everyone can help their school become awesome recyclers by presenting findings to classmates.
- The Michigan Green Schools website offers an extensive library of interdisciplinary resources to support sustainable education.
- Eco Kids is a Canadian site with teachers’ tools and fun kids’ activities.
- Eek! This is an electronic magazine for teachers and kids in grades 4-8. Surf around and learn more about the great outdoors.
- EPA’s Welcome to Recycle City! There’s lots to do here – people and places to visit and plenty of ways to explore how the city’s residents recycle, reduce, and reuse waste.
- National Geographic Kids
Art Activities
Creating art out of trash motivates kids to conserve (or at least helps develop an understanding about the importance of “reuse”)
- Fabulous Ideas Check out our gallery for “repurposed’ art project ideas.
- Snowflake Instructions
- Flower Instructions