Mrs. Englis' First Hour Animal Biology class, was tasked with coming up with any environmental problem to solve. In this Project Based Learning class, the students were put in charge of figuring out how they wanted to learn and then implementing it into a classroom setting.
The students decided to teach the 3rd and 5th grade students at Fair Grove School about recycling. They especially focused on teaching them about how to reduce their plastic consumption in their daily lives. The FGHS students learned that they can actually help the environment and the planet by teaching the 3rd and 5th grade students about reducing and recycling. Since the Elementary students are still young it's their responsibility in the future to continue helping the planet so it's good to start teaching them about recycling and reducing at a young age. It makes them think about recycling which was also one of the FGHS students' goals too.
The students' goals required funds so they went in search of a grant. They applied for and were granted funds for this project by Ozarks Headwaters Recycling and Materials Management District (OHRD).
The FGHS students went to speak to the classes in 3rd and 5th grade. All 5th grade students participated during Mrs. Ray’s English class. They also spoke in Mrs. Glenn, Ms. Strader, Miss Kepler, and Mrs. Sekulic’s 3rd grade classes. Mrs. Ray challenged her students to make something fun out of recycled material at home. Click here for a short video of the items they created.
The high school students taught each class about recycling and ways we can reduce waste! Throughout their presentations, they explained what can and can't be recycled and what happens to those items after being recycled. They had the kids play a game to test what they have learned, with basic instructions (put recyclables in recycling and put trash in the trash). Towards the end of their presentation, they explained the whole process that recyclables have to go through such as the water bath, getting broken down, and how they are made into nurdles!
The FGHS students taught the elementary students how to recycle and reduce plastic through a presentation based on explanations of why plastic is a problem, what happens to our environment if we don’t recycle, how we could help by reducing plastic consumption, and teaching them the process of recycling with concrete examples.
After teaching the elementary students the high school students made a game for them about what can and can’t be recycled. At the end of the presentation and the game, the high school students gave each elementary student recycled bags made of 100% recycled plastic bottles. The high school students suggested they use them in the grocery store or whenever they need, and if a store offers them plastic bags at the store politely say no, thank you!
This project was funded from the grant last year's Animal Biology PBL class requested from Ozarks Headwaters Recycling and Materials Management District (OHRD). They granted us money to buy the refill stations at the water fountains throughout the High School. The grant also covered the reusable bags that were made from 100% recycled material.