What was tried in the classroom?
We had celebrated Earth Day the month before our Climate Emotions and Creative Expressions lesson. I tied the lesson back to our Earth Day activities the month before. First, I showed the students the read aloud story 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh on YouTube. The students watched the video and then we had a whole group discussion about how we can help conserve, reduce, and recycle water, energy, pollution, and waste. Later that day I took the students outside to make nature bracelets. I put a piece of masking tape on each students wrist with the tacky side facing out. The students went around the playground and picked up things from nature. The bracelets had grass, bark, flowers, rocks, and leaves stuck to them.
How’d it go?
The student liked the read aloud. We watch many read aloud stories on YouTube. The book is a great resource for Earth Day. This activity was fun and low prep. All I needed was masking tape and some time outside. I only wish I would have done this activity sooner in the year. Our playground had many dandy-lions a couple weeks before I implemented this activity/lesson. This lesson fell more in the Creative Expression side of this STEM training but we did touch some Climate Emotions while having our whole group discussion. The students loved the activity. They enjoyed the extra time outside and they got to keep their nature bracelet.
Resources
Nature bracelet 3
Nature bracelet 2
Nature bracelet 1
ClimeTime Training
EarthGen’s Climate Emotions and Creative Expressions STEM
Classroom
School: Kiona-Benton City Elementary
District: Kiona-Benton City
Teacher: Christine Wingle
