This year as part of the book week activities we decided to work on water and waste. With regard to water we focused our activities on the story of ‘Drippy the Raindrop’. With regard to waste we decided to make our own story book on a green city which the kids themselves created out of used materials.
| Kaylie- Marie | Isabelle | Reita | Kyle |
| Cayden | Shania | Zaiden | Gabriel |
| Zania | Sheymour | Jerome | Ariadna |
| Kaylee | Gaeille | Jordan | Matthias |
| Ryan | Rihanna | Kurt | Ahmed |
| Kaiden-Paul | Gabriella | Francesco |
Water
Activity 1 – The water cycle
The lesson started by presenting the story about the water cycle to introduce the words: condensation, evaporation, precipitation and collection. With the help of the story ‘Drippy the Raindrop’, children realised how wonderful and important water is as a resource. Children joined Drippy the rain drop in his wonderful adventure. The story of Drippy clearly depicted the stages of the water cycle.
After reading the story, we went over the four stages of the cycle with the help of pictures.
Children were given drawings of the water cycle stages on the back of cereal boxes. In groups they had to colour the pictures and form the water cycle.
As part of the introduction, pupils were asked a few questions about water:
- How do we use water?
- Do we use water responsibly?
- Is it fair to waste water?
Why do we need to care for our water resources?
Pupils were shown a power point presentation explaining the importance of water. The power point helped pupils understand that water is not only important for us but also for animals and plants.
In two groups, pupils come up with 2 posters to help people envisage how our world would look with and without water.
Children drawing water slogans
Activity 3 – A Green World
In order to target the waste problem, pupils were encouraged to get as many used materials from home as they could so that we could put them to good use. With all the used materials, pupils decided to build an ideal city. A city where children would feel safe without hazardous, toxic fumes.
The children drew a sketch on the interactive whiteboard as to how they would like their city to be. We had many activities regarding pollution and waste so children could understand why it is important to have a green world.
When the project was completed, pupils created a story about this wonderful city.
Making the base
To make the base for the project, we shredded used paper. We put the paper in a basin together with glue and water until we had a paste and we left it to dry on a net.
Making the road
When the base was dry, we covered it in old newspapers. We also stuck some grass and flowers that were drawn on cereal boxes.
Making the boats
We used chocolate boxes to make the base of the boat. For the sails we used cereal boxes and for the stick to hold the sail we used straws that the children used to drink the orange juice given by the fruit and vegetable scheme.
Making the sea
Children cut different shades of blue from magazines. They then stuck the pieces of small paper on a piece of cardboard.
Making the solar panels
Solar panels were made by cutting rectangular pieces from cereal boxes and colouring them black. Then pupils cut strips of silver foil from yoghurt lids and stuck them on the black rectangles. Then bottle caps were stuck underneath the solar panels to elevate them.
Making the buildings
We opened cereal boxes and put the outside inside. Then pupils were given sponges and paint and they dipped the sponges in paint and coloured the inside of the cereal boxes. When the paint was dry the boxes were sealed from the side again and pupils stuck windows and doors. The windows and doors were made by cutting square shapes for the windows and rectangular shapes for the doors out of the cereal boxes.
Making the cars
To make the cars, pupils coloured toilet paper tubes and to make the bus pupils coloured a pencil design on a cereal box. Bottle caps were stuck as pretend wheels.
Making the trees
Pupils coloured the inside of Nescafe’ boxes, some were coloured green and some were coloured brown. An outline impression of the tree was made using a pencil. Pupils cut along the pencil outline. The trunks were curved in a cylindrical shape and the two ends were stuck together with a stapler.
Making the well
We used the cotton buds’ plastic container of cotton buds decorated with walnut shells and filled up with blue bottle caps as pretend water.
Making the pond
The sides of the pond were made out of Styrofoam. An old cardboard box was used for the base and small scraps of paper were used to draw the fish on.
Ms Abigail Piscopo- P 1.3
Ms Romina Coreschi
