Creating an Eco-

Friendly Classroom

Deep Ecology MovementGeorge Sessions and Arne Naess (1984)

Basic principles:

• Human interference with or destruction of the natural world poses a threat not only to humans but to all organisms constituting the natural order

• Advocates for wilderness preservation, simple living, and green movements

• The world does not exist as a free resource to be freely exploited by humans

• Materials do not guarantee happiness beyond a very moderate level, and over-consumption is endangering the biosphere

• Humans interference with the world is excessive and damaging and we must implement the necessary changes

What is a Sustainable Classroom• Materials that are eco-friendly

• Introducing sustainability to students

• Make it personal

• Reducing, reusing, and recycling

• Having students bring these ideas and practiceshome

• Impossible to create a fully paperless classroom,but there are things you can do

Recycling in the Classroom• Community-based approach to

environmental issues

• While school-wide is ideal, not completely practical

• Create a classroom policy

• Set up recycling bins, sort it, track it

• Compete with another classroom to see who can reduce their waste output the most - kids love competition

Recycle Ranger and Green Teams!• Student jobs make cleaning up the classroom easier. Put

students in “green teams” and use the last 5 minutes of class to power down computers, close the blinds, check faucets, and sort recycling.

• Recycle Rangers would serve the same purpose, only making it one student’s special job

Upcycled Art and Classroom OrganizationUsing recycled materials to organize supplies

Veggie/Coffee cans for pencil/marker/pen/brush holders

Milk Crates and old plastic drawers for shelves

Old cupcake/muffin trays for smaller supplies organization

Milk jugs cut open could also be used for pencil/marker/brush/pen holders

Upcycled Art and Classroom Organization

Bringing in things from home to create bulletin boards

Newspaper for background

Using scrap colored paper for letters/pictures

Hanging planters

Plants help freshen the air

Can use plastic bottles to create hanging planters

Green Tracking• Get students involved with projects

that help them to see how sustainable they are in their everyday lives.

• Have a classroom graph of how many recycled bottles, cans, or boxes the class accumulates – have students be in charge of graphing at the end of everyday

• Try to reduce waste and consumption over the year!

Eco-Friendly Supplies

Lessons for Sustainability in the Elementary Classroom

Science Water pollution Compost bottles

English / Language Arts The Lorax

Writing contest with National Wildlife FoundationMath

Calculate carbon foot print for fictional character Green graph of recycled materials

Standards (You can teach sustainability and hit your standards!)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and types of plants and animals that live there may change

3.MD.B.3Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text

Lessons for Sustainability in the K-12 Art Class

• Making recycled paper

• Use paper scraps and glue to make your own recycled paper for the classroom.

• Recycled egg carton flowers

• Use egg cartons to create beautiful recycled flowers for the classroom. Eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing!

• Bottle Cap Mural

• As a school, students can recycle bottle caps throughout the year

• Art teacher, alongside with students, can then design a mural, and work on creating a mural with the bottle caps with each class

Lessons for Sustainability in the K-12 Art Class

• Using Cardboard

• Corrugated Cardboard collages

• Paper towel/ toilet paper tube art

• Cans and Milk Jug

• Wind chimes

• Crushed Can art- faces, animals, etc

• Milk Jug masks

Art StandardsVA:Cr1.2.3a: Apply knowledge of available resources, tools, and

technologies to investigate personal ideas through the art-making process.

VA:Cr2.3.2a: Repurpose objects to make something new.

VA:Re.7.1.2a: Perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics of one’s natural world and constructed environments.

VA:Cn10.1.2a: Create works of art about events in home, school, or community life.

Sustainability: So what?• Long-lasting, eco-conscious decision-making skills: A child is more likely to

develop healthier habits and make eco-friendlier choices as an adult when exposed to the benefits and meaning behind leading a greener lifestyle at an early age.

• Money saved: an eco-friendly classroom helps reduce overall expenditure.

• Students see themselves as part of the environment

• Increases community support

How to get involved?http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/index.php

Teachers can get certified in sustainability

Educate yourself so you can educate your students

Green Classroom Pledge

Questions1.How could you see these classroom

practices leading to the consciousness of a sustainable world?

2.How could these small steps contribute to the bigger picture of sustainability?