Preserving & protecting environment should be everyone’s concern irrespective of gender, age, income, country etc. In this post we will discuss how we can inculcate consciousness and awareness about environment amongst small school doing children from young age.
It is only when we teach kids environmentally friendly ways to do various things in their day to day life is how they will grow into healthy environmentally conscious citizens. If we are able to do this, we won’t have to push environment related lessons down their throat like a medicine they don’t want to eat or are not ready for. Schools have already woken up to this fact and is taking steps to involve children in group activities that make them environmental aware.
Essay Writing: Let’s discuss some of these activities here. They should be given topics to write essays on that stretches their imagination, opens their minds to environmental issues. Now and then they should be allowed to refer to books and internet to collect relevant information. By allowing them to refer to internet we are also introducing them to abundance of good information available on the net. They can be asked to present an essay to explain how school building or environment can be improved.
Classroom Strategies: Encourage them to use eco friendly methods in classrooms, like encouraging use of natural light and air, good ventilation strategies, switching on lights and fans only when required, using canvas school bag, avoiding use of plastic, walking or cycling to school if safe and possible.
Projects: They should be given projects to give presentations and ideas about model classrooms or school building etc.
Community: They should be taught to build groups and communities within school & neighbourhood to protect environment with proper badges and pledges.
Projects like Waste Free Week, No Spending Week, and Plantation week should be initiated where teachers should also be part of the group and be equally involved.
They should be taught to reuse various things. Recycled art will prove to be a big boon for them an stay with them for all their lives.
They should be made aware of sound or noise pollution and its ill effects on environment. Picnic venues should be chosen wisely where kids should be taught to silence their mind and listen to noises like chirping of birds, water flowing in the river, they should be encouraged to observe various colours in the nature etc.
They can be taught blind walk. It is supposed to be a very engaging activity that teaches children to develop communication skills as they experience nature by touching, feeling etc; from altogether new perspective.
There are many other ways to raise environmentally conscious kids who will become good glocal citizens and play an active role in making this world a better place.
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