Robots, a pet shop house, and hockey game shakers were among the unique projects constructed by first graders in recognition of Earth Day, which was celebrated Friday.
To recognize the day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment, Lisa West assigned a take-home project to her students. She asked students to make something useful from items that would normally be tossed in the trash.
“At that point I defer to the kids’ creativity and ideas instead of adding my own,” said West who has assigned this project to students for 10 years.
West said the projects represent examples of how everyday throw-away items can be reused and recycled.
“The children were excited and I heard a lot of chatter over the last week or so about ideas and the fun they had making the projects,” she said. “This last Monday, each child took a turn in front of the class presenting their projects. Each child explained what they made and how they made it, and what use they would have for the project.”
West continued that the projects spark creativity in her students and challenges them to think of fun things to make out of trash.
“Often I have parents tell me that their child pulls all kinds of things out of the trash with ideas of making something out of it,” she said.
West said she hopes that projects like this plant the seeds of caring for and awareness of the Earth in each student.
She hopes her first graders will work to be good stewards of the Earth and do all they can to reduce, reuse and recycle.
“I think we all can improve on that,” she said “...and I am honest with my students about my need to improve on that as well. The goal is to always work at getting better.”
What does Earth Day mean to you?
After presenting their homemade Earth Day projects, The Journal asked Lisa West’s first grade students: What does Earth Day mean to you?
“To help the Earth.” — Knute Boerger
“Earth Day kind of sounds cool.” — Alissa Dahlquist
“Earth Day is a really important holiday. It means a lot to me. I don’t want the Earth to be hurt. If we didn’t have the Earth, we could not live.” — Kaden Vohler
“Earth Day means recycling.” — Ben Glowack
“To recycle and pick up garbage.” — Megan McBride
“Help the Earth and save the Earth.” — Carter McBride
“Cleaning up garbage.” — Alex Larson
“It means cleaning up beaches.” — Megan Mason
“It means a lot.” — Cameron Sholtz
“About making things and saving the Earth.” — Anthony Scholler
“A day where you clean up the Earth.” — Jayandra Marie
“Whenever I go to my grandma’s house, we always save birds.” — Havyn Pelland
“To reuse and recycle.” — Conner Mann
“Picking up garbage.” — Grace Jensen
