Preschool Ecology

Standards:
11.A.1a Describe an observed event

Activity #1
What Is Biodegradable?

Discuss with your children what is biodegradable and what is not. Then bury things in your playground. A few weeks later dig these up and show your children the difference between biodegradable substances and non-biodegradable items.

Activity #2
It is never too early for children to learn to care for the Earth and about environmentally friendly activities such as recycling. Recycling is the process where recyclable materials like paper, plastic, glass, metal, are reconstituted into new products or materials.
Recycling Lesson Materials
Four large cardboard boxes for sorting
Four pictures representing metal, paper, plastic, and glass objects
Recyclable paper, plastic, metal and glass items
Letter to parents
Recycling Lesson Preparation
A week or two before the activity, send a note home with parents describing the activity and asking them to collect metal, paper, plastic, and glass items to send to school with their preschooler. Be sure to include recyclable item suggestions and remind the parents to wash or rinse recyclable items if needed. Create four pictures representing each category of recyclable and glue or tape it to the front of the box.
Recycling Lesson Procedure
Invite the children over to the recycling station. Describe how and why people recycle and the types of materials that are recycled. Explain to the children that they will be sorting recyclables into each box. Either give each child a few recyclable items and encourage them to deposit each item into the appropriate box, or cooperatively sort all items and then place them in the correct box. After they are all sorted, explain that you will be taking them for recycling.
Recycling Lesson Objectives
Objective: To develop an understanding of classification by encouraging children to sort recyclables by material.
Verbal Cue A: Can you sort the items into paper and plastic?
Verbal Cue B: Let’s put the metal items in one container and the glass items in another one.