Guidance Lesson: Taking Care of our Home (5th & 6th Grade)

The purpose of this lesson is to (re)introduce elementary aged students to the various ideas of taking care of their home, and our planet. Students are meant to reflect upon what nature and our world provide for us; they will take the responsibility of caring for their home and come up with new ideas for how to conserve resources and energy. Fifth and sixth graders are at a point in development where they can really embrace these responsibilities, as well as taking on a teaching role for younger students. The activity portion of the lesson was developed for students to connect environmental friendliness with fun, while teaching the younger grades tips for staying environmentally friendly. 

Applicable Standard(s), Objective(s), and competency(s):

• SWBAT:
  
  • A:A1.1 Articulate feelings of competence and confidence as learners
  • A:A1.3 Take pride in work or achievement
  • A:A3.1 Take responsibility for their actions
  • A:A3.2 Demonstrate the ability to work independently, as well as the ability to work cooperatively with other students. 
  • A:A3.5 Share knowledge
  • PS:A1.2 Identify values, attitudes and beliefs
  • PS:A1.9 Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups
  • PS:B1.2 Understand consequences of decisions and choices
  • PS:B1.12 Develop an action plan to set and achieve realistic goals 

I included a link to my Prezi; the purpose of which is to start a discussion about what “home” means. 

Take Care of our Home Prezi

All answers will fall within the scope of the earth and our environment, this will lead way to brainstorming new and different ways to care for our homes and our school. Students will be using prior knowledge, creativity and critical thinking while brainstorming a list of ideas for resources, impact, and tips. Help move along the discussion by asking what their ideas might look like in different settings such as the classroom, lunchroom, bathroom, home, etc.

Activity: 

Students will be separated into groups of three (or individually) and prompted to create a poster using recycled materials that promotes environmentally friendly tips for the younger grades in their school. Following the activity each group will present their poster to the rest of the class. Posters will then be hung up in the hallways of the school, for all to see. 

Materials:

• Paper bags, Cardboard and/or Recycled Paper
• Paint 
• Paint brushes
• Markers
• Glue
• Plastic bags
• Bottle caps
• Glitter 
• Scissors
• Crayons
• Colored Scrap Paper
• Recycled containers, Miscellaneous recycled materials
• Colored pencils
• Tape
• Cool hot glue gun (assisted) 

Cultural Considerations:  

This lesson is universal in that all students live on earth and impact their environment, it is suitable for a variety of developmental and intellectual levels as it consists primarily of pictures and opens discussion up to the class as a whole. However, “home” may have many different interpretations and environmental friendliness is not always as accepted in some cultures; particularly those from generational poverty. It is important to be cautious and tactful when talking about responsibilities and home life. 

Helpful Tips: 

Make a list of the students’ ideas on the whiteboard during their brainstorm session so they may refer back to it during their activity. I also included some pictures in my Prezi of recycled art for inspiration. Most importantly, have fun!