Make Everyday Earth Day!

We started our new study about reduce, reuse, and recycle.  The boys and girls are excited! This study offers opportunities for children to explore a topic that not only interests them but allows them to gather information, become more aware of the world around them, and solve problems.  Our class is observing, gathering data, exploring our community, learning new information, and proposing solutions to problems. One of the ways the children decided to help, was to make a recycling center in our classroom. They enjoy sorting  and reusing the trash collected.

A wonderful book that we’ve been reading is The Paper Bag Princess.  Princess Elizabeth is excited to marry dreamy Prince Ronald, but then a dragon attacks the castle, kidnaps her prince, and burns all her clothes. In resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabeth uses a paper bag, finds and outsmarts the dragon, and rescues Ronald—who is less than pleased at her unprincess like appearance. What’s a modern-day princess to do?    Using shipping paper and paper bags the children made their own clothing to re-enact the story.  We compared the story to others where the hero outsmarts the villain, for example Three Little Pigs.  This story also teaches us conflict and resolution, what makes a good friend, and practice for our public speaking skills.

During our discussion about Earth Day and how to reduce, reuse, and recycle we decided to make a collage.  We used old newspapers to paint a picture of earth and recyclable items we collected. Preschoolers need three separate skills in order to make a collage: ripping, cutting, and gluing. These skills are "process oriented" art skills and the child’s final product is often just the part of that process.  Children should be encouraged and praised not only for the final product but also for their progress in handling scissors, coordination in ripping, and the ability to use glue.