Of all the quirky things that we do without necessity, I find it most amusing that we’ve managed to find a holiday for every day. While some of these holidays are a bit silly, many offer a chance to learn, reflect, and even have a bit of fun. I love the idea that we can find a little something to celebrate every day. For these reasons and more, I like to incorporate holidays into my classroom whenever I can.
Today, we celebrated Earth Day with “The Garbage Challenge”. Last week, after administering our Reading STAAR test (it’s finally done - yay!), I did some light frontloading about Earth Day. First, students read a brief informational text about Celebrating Earth Day, and completed an exit ticket to demonstrate their comprehension afterward. Then each student colored a square of our Earth Day Mural. Finally, when we returned for Earth Day, students were tasked with repurposing a piece of trash and writing about it.
For our challenge, I chose a toilet roll. I keep my empty toilet rolls all year long, because they are handy for all kinds of student crafts and activities. Students brainstormed ideas for how to use the roll, reflected on its original purpose and its new purpose, and then wrote an informational text explaining how to create the new product.
I love this activity because it offers multiple depth and complexity applications (and implications), including details, ethics, multiple perspectives, and knowledge across disciplines. Students enjoyed the opportunity to engage in creative work that involved art and science, in addition to our everyday reading and writing.
