Earth Day reminds us about the importance of the environment. One critical problem threatening the health of the earth is plastic pollution. Plastic trash accumulates in landfills and microplastics seep into water and food. The goal of this project is to educate younger students about managing waste and the effects of plastic pollution
We followed Roots and Shoots's 4-Step Formula to plan out this meeting! Get Engaged: We used a slideshow to present how plastic waste negatively affects the environment and how to differentiate between recyclable materials and trash. Observe: Plastic and paper bags were distributed to the kids. We all walked around the school picking up pieces of trash and deciding whether or not they should be recycled or thrown away. Take Action: A mosaic of recycled bottle caps glued to a piece of plywood was previously assembled by the high school group. The kids gathered around the mosaic and painted the bottle caps so the board would spell the name of their elementary school and earth with a heart. Celebrate: We ate "earth" pudding cups with Oreo crumbles and gummy worms and watched the Apple TV series Jane.
