Waste Reduction Office -pRRRdy Says...

We now have eco-educators available year round and, with year round staff, comes year round programs! This means not only are we available to come into your classroom when it fits YOUR curriculum, but we are working all year long to update and expand the programs we offer. As always, all of the programs we offer can be customized for your classroom, grade level and individual teaching needs.

This fun program is a brief introduction to compoting as a way to reduce our garbage. There is a discussion of the ways to reduce our garbage and how composting works. There is a short "Daniel Cook" video, a colouring sheet and of course, the star of the show, THE WORMS!!

This program is an empowering lesson about taking care of our environment. We engace in a classroom discussion about litter the children have seen in their daily lives and how it is harmful to their environment. We then read a story about a little girl who tries to clean up her schoolyard with no help from other kids and the chaos that ensues when she gives up! We finish with a colouring sheet illustrating a healthy environment.

This program is currently offered as a multi-stage presentation. The first visit will involve a discussion of the facts of available drinking water and the importance of conservation with the students being asked to do a home water audit. The follow-up visit will be an analysis of their findings and some practical ways they can save water in their immediate environment.

Classroom Waste Audit:

An interactive exploration of how much waste is generated in a classroom/school, the auditing process involves students in developing strategies to reduce their environmental impact. This activity carries the option of a follow-up visit to evaluate the students' progress.

Litterless Lunch Program:

An easy tie-in with the Waste Audit program, Litterless Lunch demonstrates to students the volume of waste generated on a daily basis by the packaging in their lunches, and encourages them to adopt a "litterless" lunch-kit.

Recycling:

This program will be customized for different grade levels. There will be a discussion of recycling and examples of things that can be recycled as well as an emphasis on the other 2 'R's (Reduce and Reuse). The resources used will vary based on grade level and may include the book "Why Should I Recycle?", the videos "The Magic School Bus--Recycles" or "The Lifecycle of a Beverage Container," as well as various activity sheets. This presentation could also be arranged before or after a trip to the local recycling centre.

Live Clean and Green:

Classes discuss what is meant by Household Hazardous Waste and what risks hazardous products pose to our health and environment. The students work in small groups on an activity, present their findings to the class and a discussion follows. A student made video "A Fish's Tale" is shown to highlight the damage of these chemicals and reinforces the importance of more benign alternatives. There in an element of personal responsibility introduced as well. This presentation could be expanded on with a homework assignment of class fieldtrip to local stores to scope out the alternatives of to test some of our 'green cleaning' recipes and report their findings.

Sustainability/The Legend of the Lorax:

This program is designed to follow a viewing of the whimsical video production of Dr. Seuss's classic "The Lorax." Various concepts are discussed such as renewable vs. non-renewable resources, sustainability, conservation and stewardship. Students are asked to choose a way in which they can be stewards for the land and will calculate their 'Ecological Footprint.'

Please note: The above descriptions are meant to be brief explanations of each presentation. If additional information is required to make a decision, please feel free to e-mail or call and we will be happy to discuss details.

We are very flexible. If you would like a combination of topics, multiple presentations, or do not see what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.