The Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County’s, a program of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc., Connellsville 1 classroom recently wrapped up their unit on recycling. The children learned about the importance of recycling and how it can save our environment. The children learned the difference between the various recycling maters such as glass, cardboard, aluminum, and metal and how they are all recycled differently. They learned how to sort and clean the materials in order to get them ready for recycling. A recycling bin was also set up in the classroom for children to save items from around the classroom.
The children learned the damage that throwing away too much garbage can do to the Earth. The classroom had a discussion about the various things that can be made from trash and staff brought in toys and household items that are made from recycled materials. The children and parents were then given the task to create an item made from trash that they found in their homes. The families got creative using what normally would be thrown out and turned them into a piece of art, musical instruments and even a bowling game. The children then brought these items to school and shared them with their classmates.
The children each talked about what disposable materials they used and the process that went into making their recyclable projects. The items were left on display for a week in the classroom for all to admire and play with. Parents said that this project helped them to think twice before they threw something away and that their children now remind them to not throw so much away. Families also said they now look at their disposables and think about what they can make or reuse with them. Keeping the spirit of recycling, parents have now begun sending in items with their children to be used for various crafts and activities. For example, buttons were brought in for the children to use for their collage box. The classroom itself is also taking steps to reuse more items and has saved paper scraps to be used in the collage box and milk cartons which are washed out and used as planters for flowers.
