I Can Help the Earth, Can You?

Objectives: Students will understand the importance of reducing the amount garbage used, recycling and reusing objects to help keep our Earth clean. Students will apply this understanding by producing commercials that will inform others.

1. As a class, read the book "Just a Dream" by Chris Van Allsburg. Discuss how the little boy's world changed because of the choices that himself and others made.

2. As a class, take a walk around the school. Based on student observation of the school, generate a list of ideas for ways that students can help to keep our school clean. Discuss each of the areas of the school where making good choices about reducing, reusing and recyclying (3R's) could be implemented (ie. the playground, cafeteria, classroom, bathrooms, office)

3.Pair students into groups of 2. Each group would choose one area of the school that they could create a two sentence action plan to implement a 3R strategy. Students will state what could be done and how this would help the Earth.

4.Students will use the flip video camera to film their action plan commercial in their selected area of the school. One student will shoot the commercial while the other student would be speaking into the camera and doing a brief demonstration. (For example: "We need to pick garbage up on the playground. This will help to keep our playground clean." The student would demonstrate picking up garbage and putting it in a trash can. )

5.After all of the students have finished recording their video clips, the video clips will be used as short commercials to broadcast to the school on Earth Day about the importance of Earth awareness. If broadcasting is not available, the video clips will be e-mailed to teachers to show over their classroom computers.

This lesson was created to be used in a first grade classroom but it could be modified to be used in many different grade levels.