For this lesson you will need:
Colored Paper ( 1 piece cut into several 3 inch squares)
Pictures (real or drawn) of the following: Earth, Food and clothing, Fire, Brick, Drinking glass, vegetable or fruit, tree and a garbage Truck
Toilet Paper
Pen/marker
Plastic soda/water bottle
Books: Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home by Schimmel
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Empty cereal boxes and/or newspapers
Scissors
Glue/Tape
Fruit and veggie for snack
Designated recycling container
Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):
Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)
Question of the Day: Do you enjoy going on walks with your family? Tell me about some of the things you see on your walks.
Number of the Day ‘18’: Display a large #18 on a white board, window, or piece of paper and tell children they’re going to help you make a picture out of it. Draw something small on the number 18 (like a hat on top of the number 8 to make it look like a snowman) and then hand the pen to the next person. Allow each child to make one or a few additions.
Explain that ‘18’ is a very special number, because in our country, when someone turns 18 that means they are old enough to vote! This means they get to help the leaders of our country make some pretty big decisions. Ask children what decisions they would like to make if they were old enough to vote.
Have children work together to count 18 of any designated item, and place it into the counting jar. Remind children of the reward they will get when the counting jar is full!
Letter of the Day ‘R’: Before Preschool, cut out a few squares (all same size) of colored paper and write the letter R on one side of each square. Stack the squares and hold them, letter side down, in your hands. Ask children if they would like to see a magic trick.
Have one child choose any ‘card’ from the deck and show the letter to the other children (but not you!)
Ask children if they think you can guess what card they are holding without looking.
Close your eyes as if you’re concentrating very hard, and say:
“Radishes, rings, rosy, race-car
I think you’re holding the letter R!”
Have children attempt the magic trick on you. Tell them this time you will choose a card, and they will guess which letter you’re holding in your hand.
After they make their guesses, say:
Rectangle, red, rhino and rot,
Restaurant, rackets, ready, robot
Ribbon, ride, read , recess
Do you think you know it? What is your guess? (R!!!)
Can you guess what the letter of the day is?? (R!!!)
Display the letter Rr and demonstrate how it is written. Allow children to practice in their writing notebooks. Teach the ASL sign for ‘R’ as well as for Rattlesnake and Recycle!
Introduction to Topic: Hold up a picture of the world for everyone to see. “We live in a beautiful world don’t we? Can you tell me about some of the things in this world you think are beautiful?” Possible answers include trees, flowers, rivers, oceans, animals, rainbows, etc.
“People have lived on this earth for thousands of years and have figured out many ways to use things found on the earth to help make life a little easier. For example, people who lived long ago figured out how to:
Use animals for food and clothing.
Use wood to make fires, so they were able to cook food, and stay warm.
Make mud into bricks so they could build homes.
Use water for cleaning, swimming, cooking and drinking and
Use soil and seeds for growing fruits and vegetables
(hold up pictures to illustrate each of these phrases)
“As the years have passed by, people have discovered more and more ways to use the earth to help them.”
Show a picture of a tree. Ask children if they can help you think of all the ways a tree can be used. (for climbing, for shade, for decoration, for fruit, for bees, birds and insects to live in…) Explain that not only are trees used for all of these things, but they are also used to make paper (hold up a piece of paper)
Explain that all over the world, many trees are cut down every year and taken to factories where they are made into paper for us to use at home, work, and school! “Paper gives us something to practice our letters on, and a place to color our pictures. Paper is also used to make boxes that our cereal comes in (hold up a cereal box) and to make bathroom tissue! We use paper every day don’t we?”
“What happens when we’re done using a piece of paper or a cereal box? Many times when we’re done using things like that, we just throw them in the garbage can. Then what happens to the garbage? (Hold up picture of garbage truck). The people who drive big garbage trucks come and pick it up for us, and take it to a big place called a landfill, where the garbage is dumped. The garbage sits outside in piles of other garbage for a very very long time. The landfill is a very stinky place to be!
“The special thing about paper is that it doesn’t need to be thrown in the garbage when we’re done using it. Paper can be used over and over again for many different things. When you use something over and over again, it is called recycling.”
Demonstrate this by using a piece of paper with a picture on it (used previously in the lesson) to make a grocery list on the back. When you’re finished with your grocery list, make it into a paper airplane. Explain that when you recycle, it makes it so not as many trees need to be cut down to make paper, and that in turn, makes it so we can have more beautiful trees in the forest!
Explain that after you’ve used the paper as much as you can, you will put it into a container that is different from the garbage. This container will be picked up by people who drive the Recycling Truck, and will take the paper to a place where it will be cleaned and made into paper that looks just like new again!
Explain that things other than paper can be recycled too. (Hold up a water/soda bottle) Explain that by recycling paper and plastics around our house, we are helping the earth to be a better, healthier and more beautiful place to live. Discuss other possible ways of taking good care of the earth.
Story: Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home by Schimmel
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Snack: Any fruit and veggie of choice. Point out that this is another way we use the earth; to grow yummy foods to eat.
Craft: Make something new out of something old. Create a dog house out of empty cereal boxes/ make an umbrella, sandals, or hats out of old newspapers. Take whatever you have around the house and allow children to use their imaginations.
Go here for instructions to make News Sandals! Family Fun
Optional Activity: Roll newspaper up into tube and stick a spoon, handle first, into one side. Tape to make sure tube stays together and spoon won't fall out. Make one of these for each player. Sit at opposite sides of a table and place a bowl of food in the middle. While holding on to the very end of your spoon tube, see how much of the food you can scoop and drop into your own bowl in one minute. Whoever ends up with the most wins!
Service: Help make the world a better place by actively participating in a recycling program. Have children help decorate a designated recycling container, and place it in an area of the house where they will remember to use it!
Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”
If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter R), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)
