Recycling Educational Program For Elementary Students (Ages 8-11)

Why is Recycling Important? This generation of Children are our future and it is our responsibility to teach them the importance of recycling. It is our goal to shape the attitude and minds of these children towards being green and learning to conserve, recycle and become environmentally responsible. We hope to present to information to these students in a fun and exciting way so that we can get them excited about recycling! We will learn various themes such as: Keeping our earth clean Conserving non renewable resources Find new ways of producing energy Examples of recyclable products Learning how to make recycled paper Learning how to make a compost at home Going on various field trips to learn more about recycling and being environmentally responsible

Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory Children learn by interacting with the world around them. It is our mission to teach our students of the importance of recycling and protecting the environment. First we will introduce children to conservation projects, as well teach them how to save energy at home. At school, children will be taught how to make recycled paper. At home we will teach kids how to make a compost with their parents. In the community, students will be introduced to how a local recycling center works and why they are important to the community.

Learning Through Experience Learning through experience is one of the best ways to learn about recycling and being environmentally responsible. Students are able to work hands on in making their own recyclable paper and home compost. Students will learn through experiences not only in the classroom but in their home and community as well. Our goal is to teach students how to conserve energy at home with their parents. Students will also learn about the environment in their community as they partake in school field trips to recycling centers and participate in conservation projects around their community.

Learn about Renewable Sources of Energy Students will learn in class about different ways to produce energy Solar power- energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy Hydroelectric power- a form of energy generated by the conversion of free-falling water to electricity Wind energy- power derived from wind: used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Learning Through Lessons in the Classroom

Make a Compost Learn Through Experiences at Home Composting is nature's way of recycling organic materials like leaves, grass, fruit peels, yard trimmings, etc. into a nutrient-rich soil called compost. Compost is crumbly, dark-brown colored, and can be used for planting and fertilizing plant beds. Backyard composting works faster than natural composting since you can control all the elements and conditions (like temperature and humidity) in the compost heap, thus hastening the process of decomposing the organic material.

Make Recycled Paper Learning Through Experiences at School Learning how to make recycled paper is a great craft activity for kids. They get to learn about recycling while producing their own paper product. We throw away so much paper that could easily be recycled!

Field Trip to Recycling Center Learning Through Experiences in the Community Field trips provide the opportunity for students to learn first-hand about a subject area and visiting the Solid Waste Authority facilities is no exception! The goal of the SWA tour is to expand students' knowledge of integrated solid waste management systems and to help students gain an understanding of the importance of reducing waste. At the end of each tour, students are given a recycling information card and a promotional item that contains a recycling message. The SWA has created lesson plans for both before and after the tour.

Cigarette Butts: 1-5 years Aluminum Cans and Tables: 500 years Glass Bottles: 1,000 years Plastic Bags: years Plastic Coated Paper: 5 years Plastic Film Containers: years Nylon Fabric: years Leather: Up to 2 years Wool Sock: 1-5 years Orange and Banana Peels: Up to 2 years Tin Cans.: 50 years Plastic Six-pack Holders: 100 years Plastic Bottles and Styrofoam: Indefinitely How Long Does it Take to Degrade: Percentages found in the municipal solid waste thrown away in the United States: Paper - 39% Metal - 8% Yard waste - 13% Glass - 6% Food waste - 10% Wood - 5% Plastics - 10% Other - 10 % Interesting Statistics About Recycling

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