GREENandSAVE has partnered with the St. Norbert School in Paoli in order to better educate their students with an Eco-Curriculum about the environmental challenges we face as a nation, and as a global community. The Eco-Curriculum is a multi-faceted lesson plan that helps students to understand what sustainability really means. It attempts to make the children think about the things they do every day by keeping a journal of their plastic bottle consumption, how many miles their parent's cars have driven in a week, as well as how much energy they are wasting when they leave televisions, stereos and lights on at home.
In addition to the classroom component and the Green Journal, the younger students were tasked with making a short three-page pamphlet that would include a page on each of the following topics: Things Harmful to the Environment, Things Helpful to the Environment, and Green Inventions that would help us all become more sustainable.
This is the second of a three-part series, in which the student's ideas on what is environmentally sustainable will be presented. It is always interesting to see what the world looks like through the eyes of 2nd grader…
The most pervasive pictures from the Eco-Collages were of serene natural settings. Whether it was the colors changing on a small forest or streams flowing through majestic meadows, children see nature as perfect the way it is. The overwhelming support of pristine natural conditions seems to show that the next generation will put more of an emphasis on the conservation on natural lands.
After plants and trees and nature, the combination of people on bikes and hybrid-electric vehicles was the next most reliable entry. It makes sense, as for children, biking is the most reliable and safe way to travel. Whether it's over to the ball field or to a friend's house, mom won't object to a kid breaking out the bike for a short ride…as long as they can get home before dark.
The kids also seem to place an importance on renewable and efficient energy sources. In addition to page after page of solar panels, most kids included pictures of energy efficient light bulbs or other products prevalent in homes.
There were also many references to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, including the tried and true logo that has been around for more than a decade. Within this category, there was an emphasis on Reuse, as many pamphlets included layering clothing to avoid raising the thermostat.
A miscellaneous goody was a picture of a blimp, which has been captioned "A Natural Way to Fly." While soaring majestically in a hot air balloon sounds cool and kind of eco-friendly, it really isn't. But I appreciate where this student was trying to go. The student expanded on this theme with a picture of a teepee in the lower right-hand corner with the caption "A Natural Place to Live."
The Most Head-Scratching Entry Award goes to one student in particular who went above and beyond the scope of the assignment by seemingly picking pictures he just kind of liked. It starts off boilerplate enough with a picture of people biking and some lovely outdoor shots, however it gets a little derailed by the Ice Cream Sundae in a beaker. It also includes GPS, which I suppose would save you money on gas by never allowing you to get lost again, and two children scuba diving, which seems to advocate water sports as a means to save the environment. I like it.
Be sure to stay tuned for the next round of Kids Hope for the Darndest Things, as well be going over those items children feel are sustainable. Until then…don't you go changing.
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To find out what we think might be harmful or helpful to the environment, be sure to check out GREENandSAVE.com, where you can find tips and suggestions for any Green Home Remodeling Project. And if these kids have made you rethink how you want to live your life, take a look at the Green Lifestyle section.
