The World is Your Room

While studying the environmental issues surrounding their state's major aquaculture industry, 3rd graders had to look no further than out their classroom window to see a way they could help their community's important resource.  The river dike just past the school's property was filled with garbage, and the students knew that, just as they were able to clean their bedrooms at home, they were also able to assume responsibility of their larger room, the Earth.

County agencies and a local recycling center instructed students and their parents how to sort into different piles recyclable and non-recyclable items, how to stay safe around hazardous wastes, and how to work cooperatively to move heavy or unwieldy objects.  They also helped the students further understand their role by explaining what kind of full-time jobs were available in environmental agencies.

Fully trained, the 3rd graders and their parents surveyed the dike and chose a section of it to clear.  When not cleaning, the students wrote letters about the importance of environmental care to the editor of their local newspaper, charted the kinds of garbage they found to more clearly understand the biggest threats to their river, and created a collage about pollution.

By the end of their project, these 3rd graders had picked up nearly two tons of garbage and educated their community on the importance of environmental maintenance.  They became true caretakers of the Earth.

Adapted from "Route to Reform: K-8 service-learning Curriculum Ideas," © 1994-95 National Youth Leadership Council.