When you have about 25 kids in class, it’s easy to use a lot of resources. I’ve complied 10 ways to be an eco-friendly teacher, just in case any of these might be slipped into your busy day. (=

1. Turn lights off when leaving the classroom.

2. Try not to make unnecessary copies, etc.

3. Recycle food boxes, school supply boxes, etc.
(Possibly take things home to recycle if your school doesn’t recycle everything).

4. Choose read alouds that promote being good to the earth. Here are a couple of lesser know books I’d recommend: 2030, Polar Bear, Why Is Your World Melting?

5. If you’re giving kids gifts or rewards, try not to give them too many plastic toys, etc. Try to give consumables like pencils, pens, treats, etc. and life rewards like free time, etc.

6. Repurpose containers to use in the classroom.

7. Use natural items like beans and popsicle sticks for math manipulatives.

8. Give used crayons and school supplies, etc. to kids to take home instead of throwing in the trash at the end of the year.

9. Laminate some materials so you don’t have to make copies over and over.

10. Take a recycling bin on field trips for recyclable items.

Do you have any other suggestions for being a green teacher?

Thank you for whatever you do, no matter how small! Every little bit helps!

~ Carrie

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Big Green Purse by Diane MacEachern is an oldie, but a goodie. Not super old, but it was published in 2008. The advice is still excellent today. Especially with all that’s happening environmentally in our country, I think it’s extremely important to use our spending power to be consumer activists. Every time we buy or don’t buy certain products, we’re making our voices heard.

Some of my favorite ways to use my spending power in a way that’ll help the planet are:

• Buy locally when possible
• Choose organic as often as possible
• Take note of which companies and brands show they care about the environment and buy from them
• Write companies to tell them why I may or may not buy their product, depending on their eco practices, including packaging, etc.
• Plan meals that use less meat or no meat
• Purchase some items second hand
• Repair broken items instead of throwing them away
• Sew torn clothes, dog toys, etc.

Of course, Big Green Purse has many more ideas as well!

What about you? How do you use your spending power to help the earth?
~ Carrie

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Have you heard of Recyclebank?

Recyclebank is a website that I’ve been using for the last five years (off and on) that gives you points for learning about being eco-friendly.

Their rewards are always changing, but currently you can use points to earn prizes like magazine subscriptions or coupons. You can also donate your points to plant trees.

I try to remember to visit every day so I can earn a few points with the “Daily Pledge”. It’s a quick tip to give you easy ideas to be more earth-friendly.

They also have many other ways to earn points by learning about different recycling solutions via quizzes and slideshows. I don’t do the extra opportunities each and every day, but I do them often.

Hopefully you get the chance to give Recyclebank a whirl. It’s fun to earn points and learn how to be more eco-friendly in the process!

~ Carrie

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I love to save money and the planet by using little containers for the snacks the kids take to school.

If you use a snack-sized plastic bag every school day (let’s say 180 days), at 5 cents per baggie, you would be spending approximately $9 on bags for the school year. If you buy some little containers for $9 total (I got mine at Ikea a few years ago), you will end up saving money if you use them year after year.

If you have more than one child, double the number of bags needed, that’s $18 per year for bags that get thrown away after each use (at one bag per day per child). The savings is even more if your child takes their lunch to school regularly and uses baggies.

Containers like these can simplify your life because it saves you cash as well as saves you the time of putting baggies on your grocery list and tracking them down at the grocery store.

I keep some baggies on hand for extra busy mornings. Sometimes I don’t have the time to find the matching container and lid, etc. Or certain snacks just fit better in a baggie. Also, sometimes the kids pick out pre-packaged snacks that are already in individual portions.

But, overall, I try to use less plastic that gets thrown away after one use because it saves money as well as the planet.

What’s your favorite way to pack a snack?

~ Carrie

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What happens when you leave cotton candy in a jar without a lid?

This science experiment for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade explores what happens to cotton candy when it’s exposed to air. This is an engaging and easy science experiment for the primary grades. It is spread out over ten to fourteen days. Any age could do this experiment, I just recommended it for younger kids because it’s pretty simple.

Materials:

• Cotton candy
• 2 identical containers (I used peanut butter jars, but be aware of food allergies)
• 1 lid for the container
• Recording sheets

Cotton candy can sometimes be found in movie rental stores, along with some other stores.

Put the cotton candy in two jars, seal one and leave one without a lid. Then, students observe and record what happens to the cotton candy over a period of ten to fourteen days.

It’s a great lesson to explore how air affects food. Hopefully it helps kids realize the importance of sealing those bags of potato chips and other food to keep them at their freshest.

This experiment is great for a summer science experiment or science fair project. If there’s extra cotton candy, don’t forget to let the kids have a sample!

I’d love to know how it goes if you try this experiment.

This Cotton Candy Experiment is in my TPT store if you’d like to see some of the printables I’ve made to go with it.

~Carrie

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