Elementary School Programs and Activities

Activities by Grade

Kindergarten

Litter Evaluation Bag:  Students will be able to discuss why litter is undesirable and state that littering is a behavior that can be changed.

My Way to School:  Students will go on a walk and put into action picking up litter. The goal for this activity is littering behavior, not the littered items

First

A Trashy Mystery:  Students will identify littering and what is wrong with throwing trash on the ground.

Blindfold Surprise:  Students will touch and describe various objects that help them better understand the concept of reusing and recycling. A kit with most materials needed to conduct this activity is available on loan for free at Keep Columbus Beautiful.

Litter Dictionary:  Students will be able to describe special properties of litter and waste objects and tell whether these items are recyclable or not. 

Second

Junk Art:  Students will discover that “junk” or discarded materials can be made into beautiful and interesting art. Students will collect items and create a piece of art while learning to correctly use the terms reuse and repurpose.

Useful Waste:  Students will be able to identify and describe waste material in their environment and compare items which can be useful when reused or recycled. 

Third

Litter Literature:  Students will follow along as the book The Wartville Wizard is read aloud. Students will use clues from the story to answer questions about litter and the books plot. A discussion will be held about experiences with litter.  Contact Derek Wholihan at [email protected] to schedule this activity.  

Walk the Talk:  Students will be able to understand the attitudes that predominate people’s thinking about litter and identify the sources of litter.

Waste Audit:  Students will be able to identify the major waste components of the school. They will be introduced to the idea of where waste goes once it leaves the school and they will have an understanding of the quantity of waste and recyclables. 

Fourth

Ruling out Litter:  Students will be able to identify and explain the purpose of rules and sanctions against littering. They will make rules and sanctions to prevent litter by choosing from alternatives while improving their ability to cooperate with others and to problem solve.

Shabby Shelter:  Students will be able to explain how litter can provide a way for animals to meet their needs and describe the harmful consequences to animals and to human health when animals make their home in litter. 

Fifth

Advertise our Attitudes:  Students will be able to plan and implement a litter prevention campaign and create a program to reward desirable behavior.

At the Source:  Students will be able to identify seven sources of litter and reason how littering takes place at these sources.

Map Out Litter:  Students will be able to identify specific places in their community where litter exists and hypothesize the most effective places for trash containers. Students will improve their ability to analyze maps. 

Multiple Grades

Enviroscape Model:  Keep Columbus Beautiful offers in class presentations with the Enviroscape Watershed Nonpoint Source Pollution Model. In this activity, students will learn how water pollution occurs. Students will litter the streets on the model and spray water to mimic rainfall while using a fan to mimic wind. Students will watch the litter and contaminates make their way to the storm drains, flow over hills, and make their way to our streams, rivers, and oceans. This will demonstrate the consequences of our actions to our environment.