Green Trash Sculpture
Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, is the new name for the former holiday called Arbor Day. Arbor is the French word for tree. Earth Day is a global celebration that focuses our minds on caring for our earth. Ironically, some Earth Day activities are not really green. Printable for Earth Day, such as coloring pages and worksheets generate more paper waste. I include myself in this indictment because I've written articles for free printables for Earth Day. Here is a truly green lesson plan which is safe for our earth, educational and enjoyable for students of all ages.Gather recycling from around the school. Each classroom typically has a box for recycled materials. Collect paper, cardboard, Styrofoam, plastic bottles, milk jugs, pill bottles, boxes, juice boxes, milk cartons, egg cartons, ribbon, yarn, wrapping paper, bows, plastic containers and other home or school recycling.
Give students a task. Ask them to design a poster or three-dimensional sculpture from trash. Rinse recycled materials. Place materials on large tables. Provide glue, tape, scissors and glue guns. Suggest that students may create a diorama, vehicle, model, invention, sculpture, statue or any object which might help people remember to care for the environment.
Hold a contest to see whose creation best expresses the message of Earth Day. Ask judges from different age categories to appraise the students' designs. Having judges of different ages will provide a good cross section of feedback. Children respond differently than do adults to various messages.
Assign this Earth Day project for a grade and as part of your curriculum. This activity will work well with any age classroom. This project would make an especially good science, wildlife or environmentally biology, or earth science lesson. This activity would make an excellent entry for a science fair or Science Olympiad competition.
For a 100 point project, score with a rubric similar to this:
Originality: 20 points
Variety in use of materials: 20 points
Importance/Impact of Message: 20 points
Clarity of Message: 20 points
Neatness/Artistic Merit: 20 points
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