Education Corner: Reuse and Repurpose

 

Happy New Year! As 2022 gets underway, many people around the nation have created resolutions to better themselves and others. Keep Pinellas Beautiful would like to challenge you to think of one way to help our planet and create an action plan to achieve your goal.

Just think: If each person on this planet made one commitment this year, what an impact we would have on our environment. Can you eliminate or reduce your plastic usage? Can you recycle more items? Can you reduce red meat consumption? Can you bike, carpool or use public transportation? Can you donate clothing, books, or toys? Can you participate in beach cleanups or beautification projects? Get involved by joining one of Keep Pinellas Beautiful’s upcoming events!

In this teacher’s edition, we have three different activities that showcase giving ordinary items a second life along with educational opportunities.

 

Toddler and Preschool Age Activity: Musical Shakers

Supplies:

  • Empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls

  • Masking or duct tape

  • Seeds, acorns or rocks

  • Magazines, stickers, paint or crayons

Objective: Use empty paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls to create a musical instrument using various objects found along the way. 

  1. Go on a nature hike and find different items including seeds, acorns, rock, shells. Ask kids: How do the items feel (hard, soft, bumpy, etc.)? What colors are the items? Can you line them up by size or shape?

  2. Hold the empty paper towel or toilet paper roll vertical. Tape the bottom with either masking or duct tape.

  3. Place the nature hike items inside the paper towel or toilet paper holder. Tape the top with either masking or duct tape.

  4. Have fun: kids can shake the musical instrument.

Optional: Have kids reuse magazines, stickers or nature items to decorate the outside of the musical instrument. Kids can add some color with paint or crayons

 
 

Elementary School Age Activity: Bird Feeder With Plastic Milk Jug

Supplies:

  • Plastic milk jug

  • Sticks

  • Bird seed

  • Rope

Objective: Use a plastic milk jug to create a bird feeder and then do a bird population assessment

  1. Save an empty gallon of milk. Wash it out and make sure it is completely dry.

  2. Cut holes on four sides in the middle (make sure to leave about 3 inches on the bottom and keep the bottom enclosed).

  3. Search your yard for long and thick sticks. Place a whole in the bottom and then insert the stick in the bottom of the milk jug so the birds have a place to land.

  4. Fill the milk jug with bird seed.

  5. Put the rope on the top and hang it in your yard. Enjoy the wonderful relaxation of birdwatching.

  6. Conduct a bird assessment over a week. Discuss what kind of birds you see: color, bird beak shape, size of bird, feet shape, head shape, and other characteristics.

    1. Go to the library and borrow bird books to identify the type of birds on your bird feeder. If you can’t get to a library, here are two online resources: WhatBird: The Ultimate Bird Guide and Bird Watcher’s Digest.

    2. Extra Bonus: Attend a local Audubon meeting or go on a family bird hike with a local nature center.

    3. Topics to discuss: bird identification, populations, and recycling.

 
 

Middle School or High School: DIY Solar Oven

Supplies:

  • Aluminum foil

  • Clear tape and glue

  • Plastic wrap or glass

  • Boxes (need two different sizes)

  • Black construction paper (preferred) or Char-Broil High Temperature Grill paint (black)

  • Newspapers

  • Rule or wooden spoon

  • Thermometer

  • Box cutter or scissors

  • An adult to help with cutting

 

Objective: Reduce your fossil fuel consumption and create a solar oven using recycled boxes and newspaper

Note: Online solar oven directions may all vary.

  1. In the small box, cut four flaps off and leave to the side.

  2. In the larger box, crumble pieces of newspaper until the bottom is covered in order to insulate and retain heat.

  3. With parent help spray paint the smaller box black or tape with black construction paper. Glue aluminum foil on the insides of small boxes.

  4. Place the small box inside the large box. Add more crumbled newspapers around the small box.

  5. Create a reflector flap by cutting a piece of cardboard as wide as the widest part of the large box. Tape the reflector flap to the large box and put aluminum foil on the reflector flap. Place either piece of glass or plastic on the top of the large box. Place a thermometer inside to monitor temperatures. Feel free to experiment with cooking various items like grilled cheese, pizza, or smores. Make sure to look online on how to cook using your solar oven.

Find more directions and pictures on how to make a simple cardboard solar oven.

Topics to discuss: energy sources, recycling, food production, and solar energy.

Cheers to a greener 2022!

Brittany BandyRepurpose, Waste ReductionComment