Environmental concerns have become a societal norm. As a family, you are no doubt already completing environmental learning throughout your daily life and routines.
Since April 22nd is Earth Day, I thought that it would be appropriate to provide some environmental activity ideas at the beginning of this month. Each grade level (kindergarten to grade 3) contains some environmental learning outcomes:
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Kindergarten
Demonstrate the ability to observe their surroundings
Describe features of their immediate environment
Demonstrate responsible behaviour in caring for their immediate environment
Grade 1
Identify the characteristics of different environments
Demonstrate responsible behaviour in caring for their immediate and school environment
Grade 2
Describe their responsibility to the local environment
Describe how the physical environment influences human activity
Grade 3
Demonstrate a sense of responsibility for the local environment
The activity ideas below are only suggestions. If you feel that your child has not received much “environmental learning” so far during this school year, you may consider studying some of the suggested scripture, printing off some of the colouring pages, or checking out some of the activity websites. If you do complete some environmental learning, then please communicate this in a “Brag-a-Little” email or in your child’s portfolio.
SCRIPTURE
Discuss the responsibility that God has given to man in taking care of the earth. What can you do to help take care of God’s creation on a daily basis?
Psalm 8: 3-8 – Psalm 8:6-8: “You have made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”
Discuss how God responded to His creation - “It was very good”. Discuss God’s creation today. Is man keeping it “very good”? What parts of God’s creation fascinate you most?
Genesis 1:11-13, 20-25 - creation of plants and animals. Genesis 1:31- “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”
WEBSITES
EEK! – Environmental Education for Kids
Recycle City
Just for Kids
Earth Day Ideas and Activities
Eco Kids games and activities
READINGS
The Lorax ~ by Dr. Seuss
This book is a fun read as an introduction to the need of sustainability in the environment. Unfortunately, the dialogue in the story does include some ruder language: i.e. “You stupid guy!” and “Shut up, if you please”. When reading this aloud to my own children, I changed “stupid” to “silly” and “Shut up” to “Be quiet”.
PRINTABLES
Recycling Colouring Pages (kindergarten/ grade 1)
Nature’s Recycler’s Colouring book (grades 2/3)
COMMUNITY
Earth Day Event Schedule for communities in BC
One of the memory verses that our family has learned this past year is found in Psalm 90:12:
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
We learned this verse while reading the story "The Snowy Day" by Jack Ezra Keats. The story is about a little boy who spends the day discovering the many delights that a snowy day can hold, including the warm bath at the end of the day while recapping his adventures to his mother. Amidst a day that others would call quite "ordinary", this little boy found some extraordinary moments.
Have you found some extraordinary moments amidst your homeschooling days? Something that makes yours and your child's day just a little more special? Something that helps you to number your day and to be reminded that it is a gift from God?
I have a few ideas that I have used with my own family that I will share with you. But I would LOVE to hear about the special ideas that you use with your family too. You can email me your ideas or type them in the comment area at the bottom of this post. May we bless each other and may you and your family number your days this week.
Some ways that help us to number our days:
~ A mailbox for each member in the family. I use a wooden container with a number of sections - each section is labelled with the initial of the person's name. In the evening I will sometimes put a little something into my kids mailbox slot for them to discover in the morning. Sometimes I even discover something special in my own mailbox!
~ Story time on the couch by candlelight.
~ Taking a photo of a special moment each day and then reviewing them at the end of the week.
~ A little journal - similar to the mailbox idea - a little message or drawing is placed inside the journal and then positioned by the recipient's breakfast bowl.
~ Having quiet time all together (including myself) in the afternoon. Everyone finds a comfy spot in the living room and reads quietly for a set amount of time.
~ Having a tea party together with real tea, real china cups and real cookies.
~ Making a gift for someone - baking for a neighbour, a card for a cousin, or a special picture for daddy.
For the month of April the Journal Writing Wednesdays will focus on the theme of being "Green". Being good stewards of the world that God has given to us is one way that we can honour Him. I will include a variety of journal ideas throughout this month. Feel free to pick and choose or create your own ideas to best meet the writing needs of your child.
Copy Work Idea: Please have your child copy the following quotation into his/her journal:
There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.
-Mother Teresa (1910-1997), A Gift for God, 1975
Journal Starter Idea:
In my home my family doesn't throw away _____________ . Instead, we reuse it by ...
Another Journaling Idea:
Make a list, chart or web of household items that can be reused for a task other than their original purpose.
