PITCH-IN CANADA
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Re-Think Activities
An educational Unit for children up to Grade 4
Written by Valerie Thom, B.Ed. and edited by Allard W. van Veen, APR, Fellow, CPRS

This unit has six chapters, each filled with information, ideas and projects. Words in bold and in italics are featured in the glossary which you can reach by clicking here

LITTER AND OUR ENVIRONMENT: ACTIVITY 6 -  ***Let’s Be E.Q. Inspectors!                 K – 1

Skills: mapping

Time: two/three class periods on at least two separate days, in fall or spring

Learning Objective: students will consider the concepts of a "clean" and "dirty" environment; students will inspect the school grounds for clean and dirty environments; students will consider how littering reflects an attitude towards the environment.

NOTE: LITTER: ACTIVITY 7 is a similar activity designed for older students.

Materials and Equipment: map of the school grounds; pre-made stickers (such as a happy face, a sad face).

Activity:

1. Discuss the concepts of a "clean environment" and a "dirty environment" with the class and the effects of each on the health and safety of people and animals, aesthetics, waste or reusable/recyclable resources, etc.

2. Explain to the class that they are going to be "Environmental Quality Inspectors", and will be inspecting the school grounds for clean and dirty areas.

3. Take the class for a walk around the school grounds (preferably right after recess or lunch). On a master map of the school grounds, make notes from the students’ comments about the quality of the school ground environment.

4. Back in the classroom, post the map. Discuss the students’ comments and have students affix the appropriate "environmental quality" stickers to the areas inspected.

5. Plan a clean up for the "dirty" areas, explaining that the student "Environmental Quality Inspectors" will again inspect these areas. (PLEASE READ SAFETY RULES FOR CLEAN-UPS – APPENDIX 8)

6. After the clean up, take the class on a second inspection tour. Take the marked map of the school grounds with you. As each area is inspect by the class, put appropriate stickers beside the first stickers.

RE…Think

Discuss with the students:

• Why is a clean environment important? (Health, safety, aesthetics)
• What sort of attitude to the environment does the people who throw their garbage around, without thinking about the health/safety of others and the appearance of their environment, and sometimes without trying to recycle their recyclable garbage show?
• How can we encourage students at our school to keep the areas clean that we have just cleaned up?
• Why is it important to care about the environment now; nobody thought about it very much about 100 years ago?

Carry out the students’ suggestions, which might include E.Q. (Environmental Quality) Awards for those seen using litter/recycling bins, posters, commercials, displays, etc.

NOTE: PITCH-IN CANADA has a variety of materials available to support environmental awareness and clean-up campaigns. See the RESOURCES section for more information.

Click here to return to the Index for Chapter 6 and more activities

Click here to return to the Index for Re-Think