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Going Green in the Classroom

Today, many schools are choosing to incorporate environmental education into their curricula. Some districts have chosen to use a structured, standardized program, whereas other districts may challenge teachers to incorporate learning where they can. No matter how the subject is taught, teachers can enrich their students' education by teaching them about the environment. Students can learn valuable skills such as problem solving and advocacy while also using cross-curricular skills such as math, science, social studies, and writing. Web sites such as the Environment Protection Agency's (EPA) Teaching Center offer ideas on how to create lesson plans for grades K-12 based on environmental topics. Many are activity-based projects that will allow students to work together to find workable solutions, or present their findings. Also look for teachable moments in your classroom to introduce an environmental topic or discussion. The following list, adapted from the Teaching Tips Web site, contains just a few ideas and activities that can help spark classroom discussions and student involvement in improving the environment.

• Hold a recycling competition between grades or classes. Encourage students in each class or grade level to recycle their aluminum cans, paper, and plastic for a designated period of time. Keep track of how much each class recycles. At the end of the competition, reward the winning class with a party, awards, or other incentives.
• Start a school garden. Designate an area to create a school garden. Assign students a portion of the garden to care for. Set aside time in the school day to tend to the garden and encourage discussions about plant growth and other environmental topics.
• Recycle technology (computers, monitors and other pieces of electronics). Invite students to join technology recycling programs sponsored by Goodwill or Dell Reconnect.
• Plan a room check. At the end of the day, divide students into small teams. Provide each team with a checklist of items to maintain such as closing window blinds, turning off lights, and making sure windows and doors are closed.
• Take an eco-friendly field trip. Research possible field trips to businesses that impact the environment such as water treatment plants, local farms, alternative power plants (wind, solar, water)
• Adopt something. As a class, vote on an environmental program that students are interested in. Adopt a rainforest, an endangered species, or a street in your community.
• Calculate your carbon footprint. As a class activity, have students calculate their carbon footprint using a calculator from web sites such as The Environmental Protection Agency. Then, discuss ways students can minimize their effect on the environment.
• Institute a class policy that students use both sides of the paper when working on assignments. Make a scrap paper box available in the classroom in which you or students can place paper that has a clean side to write on.
• Create a presentation. Assign a class project to create a play or presentation that focuses on an environmental topic like recycling, global warming, and pollution. Challenge students to make the event "green" by having them only use non-toxic and biodegradable materials for their presentation.
• Campaign for an idle-free school zone. Invite students to encourage parents and caregivers to turn off their car engines when dropping off or picking up students.

For more information on how to advocate for a "greener" school community, please read this month's professional development article, Advocating for Greener Schools.