A Feast Without Waste

To celebrate Thanksgiving, this 1st grade class had a literature feast and shared foods related to their stories. The challenge was to enjoy the feast without creating a lot of waste. In the end we had one trash can 1/2 full of trash, 1 can of recyclables, 1 tub of reusable dishes and cloth napkins, one bucket of food for composting, and a ton of fun. That's when the real fun began. We started a new experiment to watch some of the food waste decompose. We have a control container, a container that won't get any air, a container that had some soil added, and we buried some in the garden under a layer of soil. (Shhh...Don't tell the principal.) We plan to wait and watch patiently. The students are excited that they get to shake the containers, too, for mixing purposes. Which will decompose fastest? Will the remains be as good as the class worms create? Stay tuned...this is not mold growing in the refrigerator.

Frog Bog Stones

Have you seen the frog bog stones were given a makeover? Mrs. Bivens repainted them in nice vibrant colors. They look awesome at the entrance to the frog bog path with the little stones the students painted last spring. Their arrangement is like an invitation to enjoy a relaxing stroll along the path. Enjoy!

1st grade enjoyed going outside to the Frog Bog today to make observations like a scientist. We heard crickets, wind, airplanes, children's voices at walk-n-talk, and a whistle. We saw trees, bushes, flowers, rocks, and seats. We smelled fresh air. We felt rocks and wood, but didn't get to touch any frogs...maybe next time. It was good to be outside before the rain.

Clean-up Day at the Frog Bog

We will be cleaning up the Frog Bog Friday, August 14th, from 9 to 12 to get ready for the new school year. If you can help, even for an hour, please come. There will be weeding, trimming, and general gardening work to do to prepare it for classroom visits. Just bring your tools and gloves and be ready to enjoy nature.

Earth Day 2012

Earth Day is just around corner. We are preparing to share our learning at our Earth Day celebration. It is going to be lots of fun hearing about what other grade levels have be doing to learn about conservation and sustainability. I hope you are all as excited as I am to see the presentations. I hope you are also giving thought to celebrating in your own way at your house as you pass on to your friends and family what you have learned about taking care of the earth.

Students Enjoy the Frog Bog

The Frog Bog
By Mahayla H.
Last week, my class went to the frog bog behind my school. I saw big, round, brown stumps that looked like seats. I sat on one of them to make my observations. I saw a baby blue bird. He was sitting up in a tree branch. There was a green frog under the water. I also saw little fish swimming around in the water. I heard lots of things. I heard crickets. They sounded like tires squeaking.
I heard animals walking behind the trees. They sounded like leaves crunching. I heard the wind blowing through the trees. It sounded like a big wave crashing as the leaves hit the branches and each other. I felt the nice cool breeze blowing on me. I also felt the itchy grass brushing against my legs. I smelled flowers that smelled like strawberries. The frog bog was a beautiful place that day. I can’t wait to visit it again.

More Capris

We have mailed off another box of Capri Suns. It weighed almost 20 pounds. I wonder what they will become in their next life. At least they won't be sitting at the landfill rotting. I want to thank everyone for getting them ready to mail to Terracycle. Your dedication is heartwarming because I know it will benefit future generations...friends, family, and people we don't even know. But don't forget, our efforts to be more sustainable also help the animals...like the dwindling number of polar bears. What else have you done recently to help Mother Earth?