EEA Outdoor Learning Symposium

Olivia and Carter rolled out their “Plastic Awareness Week” curriculum program to the attendees at the EEA’s Outdoor Learning Symposium at the Perimeter Collage in Decatur GA earlier today.

The 15th annual Outdoor Learning Symposium was held Friday, October 21, 2011, at Georgia Perimeter College: Decatur Campus.  This year’s theme, “Leaving Footprints : Natural Paths to Learning”, evolved from many different modes and methods of Outdoor Learning. It truly refers to leaving lasting impressions or “footprints” in the minds of students and using the natural world as a path to accomplishing the many standards and concepts that must be taught and learned along the way. OMG was invited to feature our “Plastic Awareness Week” curriculum program to the many teachers and educators in attendance.

Our program provides schools with a weeklong curriculum program which teaches students about Plastic and in particular about the effects of Plastic Pollution.  Our goal with this program is to educate and excite students to get involved with being part of the solution to our ever-growing plastic pollution problem.

The 21st century skill set is strongly embedded in each session through problem solving, innovation, critical thinking and contextual learning. Media is discussed and analyzed and students communicate their thoughts with each other after each instructional session. Content is engaging for all learners through active learning strategies and there are specific opportunities for students to take action based on their new knowledge.

Purpose: The purpose is to provide factual information about the types of plastic pollution we create here in America and to suggest simple changes each one of us can incorporate into our daily lives which will have an immediate impact on our environment.

Program Objectives:

• To provide environmental education which is interdisciplinary; reading, writing, science and social studies

• To present information in a balanced and unbiased manner

• To provide data that is relevant to the students which has a direct impact on their lives

• To relate learning about environmental topics to real-world issues

• To make use of the outdoors as a learning environment

• To inspire critical thinking and decision making

• To motivate students and their parents to take responsible action

• To aid the school in developing students to become lifelong learners

Outcomes:

• Raising awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental challenges

• Changing attitudes towards the environment and motivating students to seek improvement opportunities that will affect environmental quality

• Fostering the skill-set which will help students identify and resolve environmental challenges

• Encouraging participation in activities that lead to the resolution of local and global environmental challenges

• Fostering environmental literacy

Plastic Awareness Kit Content

Teacher Kit: Each Teacher Kit includes:

• Teacher Lesson Plan Guide – Complete Teacher binder with each days curriculum laid-out for each day of the event
• 5 daily lesson plans
• Each classroom receives 2 age appropriate Environmental Classroom Books
• 1 set of 10 “Effects of Plastic Pollution” discussion posters
• 1 Plastic Pollution fact-sheet
• 1 Large reusable shopping bag for the teacher
• Sample poetry for students to help memorize Recycle Numbers
• 1 Large laminated Recycle Symbol complete with brief description of what the recycle numbers mean
• 1 two-sided “What Do Those Recycle Numbers Mean Anyway” fact sheet for use with lesson. The fact sheet should be reproduced as a take-home sheet for each child and handed out on Day-3

School Receives: Each school will receive the following to support the “Plastic Awareness Week” program:

• 1 DVD: Bag It: is your life too plastic?
• 1 Aluminum/Stainless Steel Water Bottle for each child in each classroom participating in the program, handed out on Day-1
• 1 Reusable Shopping Bag for each child in each classroom participating in the program. The bags are to be decorated on Day 2 of the program
• 1 OMG Access Code Card for each child and teacher in each classroom participating in the program
• 1 Parent Letter to be copied and sent home or emailed to all families
• 1 copy of a sample Press Release (optional)

OMG Resource Center: www.onemoregeneration.org

Each school participating in the “Plastic Awareness Week” program is granted access to:

• OMG Introductory Video (to be played for all students on Day-1)
• Movie trailer to “bag-it” movie (to be shown prior to start of program)
• Certificate of Completion (Accessible from the OMG website via a special OMG Access Code.)
• 10 Ways to Reducing Plastic In Your Home
• Informative environmental videos and support materials to help families and teachers continue the education

During the weeklong event, the students are requested to bring-in all their plastic trash from home each day and on the final day, they get to make an art sculpture out of all the collected trash before everything is turned over to the local recycle center.  We have successfully executed our program in various communities and the continued after-affects are dramatically noticeable. Each school has successfully removed hundreds of pounds of plastic trash from their community via our collection program and all the students had a blast learning about the issue and teaching their families about ways we all can make an immediate difference.

The OMG “Plastic Awareness Week” program costs under $15.00 per student and includes everything needed to ensure your students receives the education that will allow them to make an immediate difference in their home, their school, and in their community.  If you would like more information or to receive a detailed presentation about this exciting program, please give us a call at 678-491-6222 or email us at info@onemoregeneration.org

Thanks in advance for your interest in our program.