36 Days 'til the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day: Teachers Go Green

Lately, we've been showcasing "Teacher Features" on our social media where we interview local teachers on what they do to be sustainable with their students. All of these teachers inspired entrepreneurial thinking in their students as they introduced problems and inspired students to create solutions. They have shared lots of great ideas, and now they will be passed down to you!

Today, Sustainability Superheroes would like to introduce Jessica Rutkowski, a 5th grade math and science teacher. She teaches her students to reuse plastic bags to pick up trash around campus.

"I have them try to get as much litter around the recess field that is blown in from the streets. I'll even reward them with group or team points."

Her students enjoy the competition of trying to collect as much trash as they can and pick up every piece they see. They will even ask to bring the plastic bags out during regular times in order to keep the school grounds clean.

This is a great way for your students to get a hands-on learning experience on the importance of keeping the environment free of garbage. As part of the activity, give your students a lesson on garbage solutions and how to reduce our waste. 

Start your lesson with a video introducing the problem. Here is an impactful and eye-opening video clip from the movie, Wall-E. It shows what our planet would look like after being overwhelmed with human waste and has essentially reached its limit. Inspire your students to use entrepreneurial thinking to consider new ways to deal with our garbage.

For more lesson ideas on educating students about trash, waste, and solutions, visit our Garbage Solutions resource page with plenty of videos and activities.