Prairie View Elementary students pitch in for Earth Day
April 18, 2009
Wentzville School District
Prairie View Elementary teacher Theresa McCulloch was looking for a project that would get her first grade students involved and excited about Earth Day.
She contacted a local grocery store and suggested a paper bag decorating project that could encourage the use of paper bags. “Paper or plastic” is a question we don’t hear as much as we used to, and plastic bags now account for four out of every five bags handed out at the grocery store. Americans throw away almost 100 billion plastic bags annually, and it takes hundreds of years for plastic bags to break down.
“We’re trying to get our students to think green, and this is a great lesson that helps the environment as well,” said McCulloch. The store provided 900 paper shopping bags so every student at the school could decorate one. The finished artwork (bags) will be returned to the store in time for Earth Day, so customers can use the paper bags instead of plastic.
Dessa, one of the artistic first graders who had just completed her bag, said “I had so much fun coloring my bag; I was hoping I could keep it, but I know recycling is important and this is a good thing for the Earth!”
Student volunteers spent several recess periods picking up trash from the school grounds as well. The “eco-friendly” students as Prairie View Elementary are doing their part to encourage people to reuse and recycle.
Editor’s note: Are plastic bags taking over your home? Make yarn! Check out this link to learn how to easily turn pesky plastic bags into a usable raw material.
Copyright 2009 Neighbors About Town
