Students embarked on a journey to learn about climate change and how they can play a role in protecting the earth. Through a series of activities, the students explored the impact of greenhouse gases, the importance of trees in a healthy earth, and waste management, and recycling.
Understanding How the Earth Feels
The journey began with the learners pondering the earth’s feelings. We discussed the concept of greenhouse gases and their role in heating up the planet. To help students grasp the gravity of the issue, students participated in a drama activity. The students draped towels over themselves to simulate the feeling of the earth heating up. The hands-on experience allowed them to empathise with our planet and imagine its emotions.
As a result of this drama experience, students brainstormed words that described how the Earth may feel. Words like, scalding hot, sad, scared, and worried emerged as possible expressions of the planet's emotional state due to climate change. Using these feelings as inspiration, students wrote a piece of writing about what they believed the earth might be experiencing.
Taking Action with Trees and The Lorax
Building on their newfound understanding around the importance of looking after the Earth, the students recalled previous learning about ecosystems, which included planting native trees. The Lorax by Dr Seuss was used as a way for students to learn about the importance of trees for a healthy Earth.
After reading The Lorax students talked about the story and the impact of the Lorax leaving. They were also introduced to the iconic quote from the story: “Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” This quote served as a powerful reminder that they have the power to make a difference in the world.
Exploring Waste Management and Recycling
The young eco-warriors further expanded their environmental knowledge by learning about waste management and recycling. Using stories and videos about pollution, they learned the sad reality of how pollution affects the Earth.
Students eagerly participated in an interactive activity to understand which types of waste are recyclable and the various recycling methods. This hands-on activity including sorting and organising different waste into the correct recycling bins. They also put their artistic skills to good use by designing Nude Food lunch boxes, emphasising the importance of reducing single-use plastics. Students also created clean green New Zealand posters to discourage littering.
From these learning experiences students then wrote Call to Action raps. These raps allowed students to express their learning in an interactive way.
The next step for these young environmentalists is to create native flower seed bombs to use around the school and at home to encourage fauna and flora.
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