RECYCLE ME - PLEASE!

You know all those cardboard food boxes you throw away? Well, here's a great opportunity to give them a second life, teach your children to recycle, and make some cool materials for your classroom. Send a note asking families to save their cardboard food boxes for a week and then let the fun begin!

Cardboard Castle – Let children use masking tape to create a castle or other play sculpture.

What's for Breakfast? Book - Each child chooses the front of their favorite cereal box. They can write original sentences or fill in the blank "(Child's name) likes (cereal)."

Puzzles – Cut box fronts into puzzle shapes. Store in zip bags. For younger children use two like boxes. Cut one up and let them place the pieces on the second box.

Fronts and Backs – Cut front and back panels off of boxes. Mix them up and then ask the children to match up the ones that go together.

*Play a memory game where you place the fronts and backs face down on the floor. Children try to match up pairs.

Stencils and Templates – Cut geometric shapes out of box fronts. Children can trace these with colored pencils, crayons, or markers.
*Cut seasonal shapes or objects that relate to a unit of study for the children to trace.

Sewing Cards – Punch holes around the sides of boxes. Children can sew these with yarn, string, or old shoelaces.

Weaving – Cut notches around the sides of boxes and let children weave through these with yarn.

Fractions – Give each child the front panel off a box. Can you cut it in half? Fourths? Eights?

Math – Have children sort the boxes by product, size, etc. Graph favorite cereals, cookies, crackers, etc.

How about a free song download and flip book about recycling?

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2015/04_Apr_css/index.html


What Will I Be When They Recycle Me?
(Tune: “Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?”)
What will I be when they recycle me? (Roll hands in a circle.)
What will I be when they recycle me?
What will I be when they recycle me?
I’ll come back to life—you will see! (Clap your hands and then point your finger.)

I am an empty soda can (Pretend to hold a soda can in front of you.)
Made of precious aluminum.
I can save lots of energy
If you will recycle me. (Roll hands in a circle.)

I’m an old bottle of plastic (Pretend to hold a plastic bottle.)
But I could be fantastic!
Toys, pipes, car bumpers, and much more—
That’s what my plastic is for. (Roll hands in a circle.)

A pile of used boxes and papers we (Make an invisible square in the air.)
Come from the precious wood of trees.
Recycled we’ll be as good as new (Roll hands in a circle.)
And save some other trees, too.

I am a fine jar made of glass— (Cup hands to make a bowl.)
Please don’t treat me like plain old trash! (Shake head “no.”)
I’ll make new jars again and again
Recycle me—yes you can! (Roll hands in a circle.)

Though we may look like old used stuff, (Open palms.)
Stop, wait! Please don’t give up on us! (Make sign language for “stop.”)
Think of the great possibilities— (Put index finger on your head and tap.)
Recycle us, set us free! (Roll hands in a circle and then throw up hands in the air.)

WHAT WILL I BE WHEN THEY RECYCLE ME?

You know all those cardboard food boxes you throw away? Well, here's a great opportunity to give them a second life, teach your children to recycle, and make some cool materials for your classroom. Send a note asking families to save their cardboard food boxes for a week and then let the fun begin!


Cardboard Castle – Let children use masking tape to create a castle or other play sculpture.

What's for Breakfast? Book - Each child chooses the front of their favorite cereal box. They can write original sentences or fill in the blank "(Child's name) likes (cereal)."


Puzzles – Cut box fronts into puzzle shapes. Store in zip bags. For younger children use two like boxes. Cut one up and let them place the pieces on the second box.

Fronts and Backs – Cut front and back panels off of boxes. Mix them up and then ask the children to match up the ones that go together.

*Play a memory game where you place the fronts and backs face down on the floor. Children try to match up pairs.


Stencils and Templates – Cut geometric shapes out of box fronts. Children can trace these with colored pencils, crayons, or markers.
*Cut seasonal shapes or objects that relate to a unit of study for the children to trace.

Sewing Cards – Punch holes around the sides of boxes. Children can sew these with yarn, string, or old shoelaces.

Weaving – Cut notches around the sides of boxes and let children weave through these with yarn.


Fractions – Give each child the front panel off a box. Can you cut it in half? Fourths? Eights?

Math – Have children sort the boxes by product, size, etc. Graph favorite cereals, cookies, crackers, etc.

How about a free song download and flip book about recycling?

Click to view FlipBook

The flip book page has a bar across the top. The three vertical dots have an option to print.

What Will I Be When They Recycle Me?
(Tune: “Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?”)

What will I be when they recycle me? (Roll hands in a circle.)
What will I be when they recycle me?
What will I be when they recycle me?
I’ll come back to life—you will see! (Clap your hands and then point your finger.)

I am an empty soda can (Pretend to hold a soda can in front of you.)
Made of precious aluminum.
I can save lots of energy
If you will recycle me. (Roll hands in a circle.)

I’m an old bottle of plastic (Pretend to hold a plastic bottle.)
But I could be fantastic!
Toys, pipes, car bumpers, and much more—
That’s what my plastic is for. (Roll hands in a circle.)

A pile of used boxes and papers we (Make an invisible square in the air.)
Come from the precious wood of trees.
Recycled we’ll be as good as new (Roll hands in a circle.)
And save some other trees, too.

I am a fine jar made of glass— (Cup hands to make a bowl.)
Please don’t treat me like plain old trash! (Shake head “no.”)
I’ll make new jars again and again
Recycle me—yes you can! (Roll hands in a circle.)

Though we may look like old used stuff, (Open palms.)
Stop, wait! Please don’t give up on us! (Make sign language for “stop.”)
Think of the great possibilities— (Put index finger on your head and tap.)
Recycle us, set us free! (Roll hands in a circle and then throw up hands in the air.)

A GOOD REASON TO EAT POTATO CHIPS

Did you know that I LOVE potato chips? My family usually gives me a bag for Christmas, my birthday, and other special events. I try not to eat potato chips too often because I know they are not good for me, but I do love that salty greasy taste!!! 

Lay's Classic Gold are my favorites, but I do like Pringles - especially the cans that can be recycled into learning activities.. 


Line up chips 

Write numerals 1-25 (or however many students you have) on the chips with a permanent marker. Cut a slit in the top of the can. Pass out the chips. As you count from 1-25, children holding that chip come up and place it in the can.

Brain Sprinkles 

Cover the can with fancy paper. Put a tablespoon of rice in the can and glue on the lid. Explain that it’s “brain sprinkles” and pretend to sprinkle it over the children’s heads when you want them to introduce something new.

Letter Cups 

Write letters of the alphabet on plastic bathroom cups. Stack them up and place in the can. Children can use these for making their names, sight words, alphabetical order, etc.

Number Cups 

Write numbers on the cups (1-20 or as high as your students can go). Children can use these for numerical order and other math games.


Eye Can

Cover the can with paper and then glue on googly eyes. If a child says, “I can’t” hand them the can as you say, “Eye can!”

Question Sticks 

Give each child a jumbo craft stick. They write their name on the center of the stick and then color one end green and one end red. Insert the sticks in the can with the green end on top. Ask a question, twirl the can around, and choose a stick. That child gets to answer the question (or they can phone a friend). After they’ve had a turn put the stick back in the can with the red end on top. When all the sticks are red, turn them over and start again.

Lucky Sticks 

Children write their names on a stick and decorate it. Place the sticks in the can. When you have a special job to be done, choose a stick and that “lucky” child gets to be yr helper. Put their stick in an envelope in your drawer after they’ve had a turn. When everyone has had a turn place the sticks in the can and begin again.

GOING GREEN

I KNOW A SCIENTIST and all your students will be those scientists with these songs.


1. Feeling Fine
2. The Green Team
3. Turn It Off
4. What Will I Be When They Recycle Me?
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,
6. Litter Patrol
7. Eat Green
8. Endangered Species A-Z
9. Earth Day
10. I Know a Scientist
11. Water Cycle
12. Basic Needs
13. Habitat Homes
14. Eight Great Planets
15. Continents Together
16. Oceans Clean and Blue
17. My Aunt Came Back
18. The Presidents
19. This Land Is Your Land
20. Arms Are For Hugging
21. Arms Are For Hugging (Music Only)

EARTH DAY IS COMING

Earth Day is April 22nd, but I'll be sharing my "earthy" activities early so you'll have time to integrate them into your lesson plans.

Earth Day
Earth Day, Earth Day! Let’s all come together. (Clap hands.)
Earth Day, Earth Day! To make this world much better.
‘Cause we love our planet Earth, beautiful and blue. (Make a circle with arms.)
We want to take care of it with everything we do.

We can recycle – tell your friends and neighbors! (Pretend to pick up paper.)
Glass, aluminum, plastic and paper.
‘Cause we love our planet Earth, beautiful and blue. (Make a circle with arms.)
We want to take care of it with everything we do.

We can plant a tree or two, to create green spaces;(Pretend to dig.)
Walk or ride our bikes to go different places. (Pretend to ride a bike.)
‘Cause we love our planet Earth, beautiful and blue. (Make a circle with arms.)
We want to take care of it with everything we do. 

Here's a video my webmaster created to go with this song.

http://bit.ly/drjean_EarthDay

NATURALIST KIT

Make a naturalist kit by recycling a detergent box or similar container with a handle. Make binoculars by cutting a cardboard paper towel roll in half. Tape the halves together and hole punch at the top. Tie on a piece of string so children can easily take the binoculars on and off their heads. Add a magnifying glass, field guide, tweezers, film canister (for collecting specimens), paper, pencil, etc. Talk about what naturalists do. Can you be a naturalist? Divide children up into groups of two and let them take turns playing “naturalist” on the playground.

                                                        

Recycled Products
For homework, ask children to look around their house and make a list of recycled materials. Have them practice identifying the “recycle logo” so they can help conserve materials.

Brainstorm
Have children brainstorm all the ways they can reduce, reuse, and recycle
materials.

Visit these websites to get other ideas for Earth Week:

earthday.org

childrenoftheearth.org
keepearthbeautiful.org
kidsforsavingearth.org
kidsgowild.com

THE RAIN HAT STORY

A good story never goes out of style!  I've been telling this story for decades and children still love it and beg, "Do it again.  Do it again."  Here's a video so you can learn how to tell it.

https://youtu.be/WhRYKyxRosg

Once there was a very creative and resourceful teacher. There was a huge thunderstorm one night and when she got to school the next morning the whole classroom was flooded. The only thing left were newspapers on the top shelf. So, the teacher gave each child a newspaper and they looked for words they could read and talked about the pictures. After a while she realized the children needed some exercise, so they turned the newspapers into rain hats so they could go outside.
(Fold the paper in half. Open. Fold one top corner to the middle crease. Fold the other top corner to the middle crease. Fold up the top bottom edge. Turn over and fold up the other bottom edge.)



The children had fun wearing their rain hats, but then they heard a “RRRRRR” sound coming down the road. It was a fire truck, and the teacher showed the children how to turn their rain hats into fire helmets.
(Put your thumbs in the corner of the hat and bring them together. Flatten. Fold up one bottom point.)


The children even used their fire helmets like scoops to help put out the fire.

All the water reminded the teacher of boats and pirates, so they turned their fire helmets into pirate hats.
(Bring the other bottom point up to the top.)

Now, all pirates need boats, so they turned their pirate hats into boats.
(Grab the top two points and gently pull out to make your boat.)

They went floating down the stream and ran into a rock and the front of their boat came off.
(Tear a little off the front of the boat.)

They went floating down the stream and they ran into a tree and the back of their boat came off.
(Tear off a little from the back of the boat.)

They went floating down the stream and they went under a bridge and the top of their boat came off.
(Tear a little off the top.)

Anybody else would have been a nervous wreck, but that teacher knew the children all had life preservers, so they put them on and swam safely back to school.
(Open and hold up as shown.)


And when they got back to school they drew pictures and wrote stories about all of their adventures!

CRAFTS AND SCRAPS

Need a few center ideas to keep the kids busy?

Recycle Catalogs
It breaks my heart to think of all those beautiful trees that went into making all the catalogs and advertisements you receive this time of year. Recycle them by integrating a cut and paste activity with skills you want to reinforce.

Letters - Find things with a particular sound.
Shapes - Cut out geometric shapes they find.
Words - Cut out words that they can read.
*Can they find words and make a sentence?

Wrapping Paper Tear
Take in scraps of wrapping paper and put them in a tub. Invite children to tear them and then glue them to a paper plate to make a collage.

Mystery Jar
Every year I get out my decorations and find a hand full of little holiday "junk." Put it in a jar and turn it into a learning activity.
*Children can draw what they see.
*Children can make a list of the items.
*Children can write stories using the items as prompts.

Scrap Box 

Want to keep children focused in a positive direction. Put out a scrap box with construction paper and other art media and challenge them to create cards for family members.

RECYCLE ME, PLEASE!

How about a free song download and flip book about recycling?

  

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2015/04_Apr_css/index.html

Brainstorm
Have children brainstorm all the ways they can reduce, reuse, and recycle materials.

Recycled Products
Have children to look around their homes and make a list of recycled materials. Have them practice identifying the “recycle logo” so they can help conserve materials.

RECYCLE ME, PLEASE!
You know all those cardboard food boxes you throw away? Well, here's a great opportunity to give them a second life, teach your children to recycle, and make some cool materials for your classroom. Send a note asking families to save their cardboard food boxes for a week and then let the fun begin!

Cardboard Castle – Let children use masking tape to create a castle or other play sculpture.

               

What's for Breakfast? Book - Each child chooses the front of their favorite cereal box. They can write original sentences or fill in the blank "(Child's name) likes (cereal)."

                                   

Puzzles – Cut box fronts into puzzle shapes. Store in zip bags. For younger children use two like boxes. Cut one up and let them place the pieces on the second box.

                                                  

Fronts and Backs – Cut front and back panels off of boxes. Mix them up and then ask the children to match up the ones that go together.

                                                                       


*Play a memory game where you place the fronts and backs face down on the floor. Children try to match up pairs.

Stencils and Templates – Cut geometric shapes out of box fronts. Children can trace these with colored pencils, crayons, or markers.

*Cut seasonal shapes or objects that relate to a unit of study for the children to trace.

Sewing Cards – Punch holes around the sides of boxes. Children can sew these with yarn, string, or old shoelaces.

                      

Weaving – Cut notches around the sides of boxes and let children weave through these with yarn.

Fractions – Give each child the front panel off a box. Can you cut it in half? Fourths? Eights?

                                           

Math – Have children sort the boxes by product, size, etc. Graph favorite cereals, cookies, crackers, etc.

EARTH DAY IS COMING!

Earth Week is April 18-22, so I'll be sharing my "earthy" activities the next few days.

Earth Day
Earth Day, Earth Day! Let’s all come together. (Clap hands.)
Earth Day, Earth Day! To make this world much better.
‘Cause we love our planet Earth, beautiful and blue. (Make a circle with arms.)
We want to take care of it with everything we do.

We can recycle – tell your friends and neighbors! (Pretend to pick up paper.)
Glass, aluminum, plastic and paper.
‘Cause we love our planet Earth, beautiful and blue. (Make a circle with arms.)
We want to take care of it with everything we do.

We can plant a tree or two, to create green spaces;(Pretend to dig.)
Walk or ride our bikes to go different places. (Pretend to ride a bike.)
‘Cause we love our planet Earth, beautiful and blue. (Make a circle with arms.)
We want to take care of it with everything we do.

http://bit.ly/drjean_EarthDay

Earth Day Necklace
1. Give children a small ball of blue polymer clay.
2. Give them a small piece of green clay and tell them to break it into 4 or 5 little pieces.
3. Attach the green pieces to the blue ball and roll in your hands.
4. Make a hole in the center with the nail.
5. Bake in a 275 oven for 12-15 minutes.
6. String the earth ball on yarn or string to make a necklace.

Naturalist Kit
Make a naturalist kit by recycling a detergent box or similar container with a handle. Make binoculars by cutting a cardboard paper towel roll in half. Tape the halves together and hole punch at the top. Tie on a piece of string so children can easily take the binoculars on and off their heads. Add a magnifying glass, field guide, tweezers, film canister (for collecting specimens), paper, pencil, etc. Talk about what naturalists do. Can you be a naturalist? Divide children up into groups of two and let them take turns playing “naturalist” on the playground.

Visit these websites to get other ideas for Earth Week:

children of the earth.org

kidsforsavingearth.org



Here's a great website for your families to get involved:

https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/21-earth-day-activities-kids-190000598.html

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE IN THE ENVELOPE!

Besides puppets, take a look at all these other crafts and tools using envelopes.

BOOKMARK
Trim off a corner from an envelope. Let children decorate it with their initials or a smiley. 

*Use the bookmark to show the “top” of the page.
*Mark a favorite page they’d like to read to classmates “top” of the page
*Mark the solution or other key element in a story with the bookmark.
*Write a vocabulary word on the bookmark and place it at the top of the page when they find that word in the book.


BRACELET
Cut a 1 1/2” strip from the envelope and use it like a bracelet.
*Write letters, words, numbers, and other skills on the bracelet.

*Make a holiday or seasonal bracelet.
*Collect stickers on the bracelet.
*Get friends’ autographs on the bracelet.

                                 
*Send reminder notes home to parents on the bracelet.
*Use at the beginning of the school year to help children remember lunchroom numbers or bus numbers. 


Pull and Read
Cut the left end off the envelope. Write children’s names on 9 ½” sentence strips. Glue their picture on the right side. Pull out one letter at a time for children to predict whose name it could be.

                                               
*Write sight words, vocabulary words, or sentences for children to pull and read.
*Write math equations with the answer at the end.


Word Puzzles 
Write words (or children’s names) on the front of an envelope. Write the same word on a sentence strip and cut between the letters to make a puzzle. Place the letters in the envelope for the children to put together.