How will YOU help the earth?
April 22, 2013 | Posted in: Homework Assignments
In class last week, we brainstormed a list of 11 things that fourth graders can do to help the earth. The ideas are:
- Pick up litter when you notice it.
- Recycle whenever possible.
- Plant plants (and eat them if they are edible).
- Turn off lights and water when you don’t need them.
- Turn off unused electronics. Unplug electronics when you’re not using them in order to stop vampire power! Don’t let rechargeable devices charge overnight.
- Reuse water bottles (safely) and plasticware when possible.
- Carpool or walk more.
- Layer up instead of turning the heat up.
- Keep using what you already have instead of rushing to replace it.
- Conserve water. (Take shorter showers, turn off the faucet while you brush your “fangs” in the bathroom, etc.)
- Give away unwanted toys, electronics, or clothes to someone else who might want them. This saves them money, gives you more space, saves on manufacturing, might save you or your family money, and you might get something in return!
Some of these ideas are year-round options, while some (like layering up) are specific to a time of year.
Monday’s Assignment: Post a comment for this post. Pick ONE of these 11 strategies that you will COMMIT to trying this week. In your comment, tell us which of these strategies you are going to try out this week and WHY you picked it. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Fair warning: As the week goes on, you’ll need to keep the class up to date on how your efforts are going, so don’t pick something that you won’t be able to stick with!
Wednesday’s Assignment: Find the comment that you posted on Monday. Reply to your original comment and tell us how your efforts have been going. You can tell us:
-Have you been successful so far?
-What has been the hardest part about changing your habits? What might help you?
-Has your family “followed suit?” That means, has your family also tried to develop the earth-friendly habits that you are working on?
Remember, use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation!
78 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
1213-1
April 22, 2013
I’m going to turn off lights when I don’t need them because electricity is expensive in money…REALLY expensive.
P.S
electricity is really expensive.
1213-1
April 24, 2013
I have been successful so far and it is really hard to turn off because I don’t know if someone else is going to use them and sometimes my family forgets and I remind them and sometimes they remind me.I think that I could put a note next to the light switch that says:”turn me off” and if I turn the light off without looking at the note then it turns into a habit.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
I love that you’re thinking about what strategies could help you to build this habit! Bravo!
1213-11
April 22, 2013
I am going to plant plants with my oikos contaners because I have seeds that are not planted and need to be.
1213-11
April 24, 2013
I haven’t really been successful because my family keeps throwing out the yogurt cups, the hardest part of the project is that I need some soil in my backyard but I keep forgetting because I am focused on the cup. And last my mom has tried to eat the yogurt but sometimes we need to try to eat some later.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Would you like me to share some soil with you and a yogurt cup? Do you need seeds?
1213-11
April 25, 2013
I might need soil but I have seeds
1213-4
April 22, 2013
I will take shorter showers(no singing!) by turning off the water when I put soap on my body, and relaxing in the water time, a little less.
P.S It’s that relaxing.
P.P.S I promise I won’t sing in the shower!
1213-4
April 24, 2013
I have been doing well so far. The hard was trying to relax in the water a little less because it is veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery relaxing. I can try to fix it by setting a timer so I don’t relax in it to much. Also, nobody except my dad has been doing because they don’t know about it.(actually my dad has been doing it for his whole entire life!)
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
I have the same problem. There are a lot of shower timers you can buy that you keep in your shower. Like this one:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=23147853&cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-PLA-_-23147853&device=c&network=g&matchtype=
1213-4
April 25, 2013
Thank you!
1213-3
April 22, 2013
I will, as i’m walking on the beach, bring a garbage bag to putt litter that we find there into. When I get home I can RECYCLE all the trash that I find.
1213-3
April 24, 2013
I will turn off the lights and the water when i’m not using them because it saves a lot of energy and money. I will also turn off my Xbox when i’m done using it.
1213-3
April 24, 2013
I think that ive been doing good because before I go to bed, I turn off the lights in the basement and before I leave the house, I turn off my Xbox.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Do you turn off your X-Box and leave it on standby (VAMPIRE!!!) power, or do you unplug it?
What is the right way to write “ive”?
1213-3
April 25, 2013
I leave it on vampire power because the switch to to unplug it, is in our cabinet where we can’t reach it
1213-17
April 22, 2013
I will recycle because it is easy for me, bottles .
1213-17
April 24, 2013
1. great
2. I am not sure
3.no just me
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Can you tell me more? Do you want to encourage other people in your family to participate? Why or why not? How many bottles have you successfully recycled?
1213-17
April 25, 2013
Since Monday, I have recycled more then 20 plastic bottles in school and home. I do not have to encourage my family to recycle because they already do.
1213-16
April 22, 2013
I can be a part of helping the Earth by taking colder showers because when I take showers in warm water there is more water being used and I get addicted to the warm water.I also don’t realize the time because time ”flies” when I’m in hot water.
1213-16
April 24, 2013
I have been successful so far in taking shorter showers but my difficulty is that I am not comfortable.That’s my plan.I am not comfortable so I want to hurry.Another way to save water is turn the water on when you need it and off when you don’t need it.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
I think some people do what you mentioned: they turn off the water while they lather up, then they turn it back on to rinse. The tough thing is that you need to balance comfort with being environmentally-friendly. You don’t want to be miserable! 🙂
1213-16
April 25, 2013
If you are comfortable in warm AND cold showers then you should take them in the morning instead of the afternoon because at night you have more than enough time,in the morning you have a shorter amount of time because you have school and you don’t want to come late.
1213-16
April 22, 2013
Another thing to help the Earth is bringing a cloth bag to stores like Big Y where they give plastic bags so instead you use the cloth bag.But,if you don’t have a cloth bag you can recycle the plastic bags by using them as garbage bags.That’s what my family does.
1213-15
April 22, 2013
I will save lights and water by taking shorter showers and making sure the lights are turned off when I’m not in the room.
1213-15
April 24, 2013
I have trying to take shorter showers and I turn off the lights and I told my family to do these too.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Tell me more. Have you been successful with taking shorter showers? How has your family been doing?
1213-9
April 22, 2013
I will try to turn off stuff that I don’t need because a lot of the time I don’t
when I should and it waste engery and water.
1213-9
April 24, 2013
Every time I walk by a light switch it reminds me to turn off the lights.
My Mom and Dad always do it I am trying to get in the habit.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Good effort! Yes, I agree that SEEING the light switch can be a good reminder!
1213-14
April 22, 2013
I will turn off unused electronics because I keep Ipad charge overnight and it use vampire power.
1213-14
April 24, 2013
I’m doing good it is little bit hard to remind myself.My mom is doing it with me.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Any ideas for how you can help yourself to remember?
1213-14
April 25, 2013
I will try to put a sticky note near the plugger that say “un plug the one that is done charging”
1213-6
April 22, 2013
I am going to plant a plant and eat it because I think it will be fun to do. It would also be easy because I have left over seeds from last year.
1213-6
April 24, 2013
It really has been going well. It started to grow the smallest bit and I think its going to turn out great and yummy.
1213-6
April 24, 2013
Oh and as soon as the weather gets warmer me and my family are going to start a garden like we do every year. But currently its just me.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
What plant? (What kind?)
1213-6
April 25, 2013
Chives(Or I think some poeple call it onion grass)
1213-5
April 22, 2013
I will try to carpool and walk more because I drive too much.
1213-5
April 24, 2013
So far I have done pretty well on this because i have been walking more.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Where have you been walking to? Be specific.
Also, look at your capitalization. What did you forget?
1213-5
April 25, 2013
I have been doing pretty well and I have been walking to a neighborhood right near me.
1213-19
April 22, 2013
I will walk or skate board to the super market or to CVS because it helps the earth by not polluting the air and saves one of earths biggest resource(gas).I will also bring a trash bag to clean up trash on the way.Carpooling saves money.
PS. advice: If you are carpooling make sure you are carpooling for a
reason. Because you wouldn’t be saving the earth if you
carpooled for no reason.
1213-7
April 22, 2013
I will save lights and water , first I will save lights by not leaving them on in the morning when I go to school. Second I will save water by turning off the water when I am brushing my teeth and taking shorter showers (not singing in the showers ) .
1213-7
April 24, 2013
I have been offing lights every day and so has my family .I also have taken shorter showers when I take a hair bath I used to take 20-30 minutes now I take 10 minutes .
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Good efforts! Is “offing” a real word?
1213-2
April 22, 2013
One way to make the earth clean is to give unwanted toys away to somebody who needs them because it saves money, you can get something in return, and saves on your manufacturing.
1213-10
April 22, 2013
I will turn off the water while I am brushing my teeth because other people need that extra water more than I do.
1213-10
April 24, 2013
I have been doing very well on this but im the only one in my family that has been trying this
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
End punctuation! 🙂
1213-10
April 25, 2013
I have been doing very well on this but im the only one in my family that has been trying this.:)
1213-8
April 22, 2013
I want to chose to Plant Plants(and eat them if they are edible). I chose to do this because my family and I will be planting Big Boy Tomatos.
1213-8
April 23, 2013
I will try to carpool or walk more because I think my family and I don`t do this very much!
1213-8
April 24, 2013
I will hopefully bike to school as often as I can. I will hopefully bike to school tomorrow. I now walk to the bus stop instead of driving.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Awesome! (Good grammar, too!)
1213-13
April 22, 2013
I will try to use less energy and water in my house all week. I will also remind my family to turn off lights that they are not using and to save water.
1213-18
April 22, 2013
I will take 10 minute showers instead of 20 minute showers so much water.so I can save more money.
1213-12
April 22, 2013
I use a lot of electronics that use vampire power. I will turn off unused electronics by unplugging them. For example, I could unplug my karaoke machine, turn off the power strip to the computer once I am done using it, and the power strip to the TV once I am done watching something on it.
1213-20
April 23, 2013
I will help the earth by planting more plants.
That will give us oxygen and help the EARTH!!!
1213-20
April 24, 2013
This weekend my brother and I will plant apple trees.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
Very cool! Where are you going to plant them? Tell me more!
1213-20
April 25, 2013
I am going to plant the apple trees in my dad’s work back yard and take care of them.
ps Bye!!!
1213-22
April 23, 2013
i will take recycle whenever possible
1213-22
April 25, 2013
One time I saw trash on the grass when I was driving my bike.To help the earth I came in my house I took the bag then I took it where trash was on bike.I took the trash with my bag and I went home. Then I came in my house and put the trash in the garbage.That is nice thing to help the earth.
1213-18
April 23, 2013
I will plant plants using old containers and i will get seeds from the fruit and veggies . Then after the food has been grown I can eat them.
1213-2
April 24, 2013
I haven’t been able to give a toy away yet but I will gather up my toys ( and maybe cloths too), and those items that I think I want to give away, my mom and I will be donating them to Gifts Of Love.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
GREAT plan!
1213-12
April 24, 2013
I haven`t really been successful with this assignment. I haven`t really used much electronics since my extra curricular activities have kept me away from home and not returning until really late.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
I like the plan you shared with your dad. Go ahead and revise! 🙂
1213-12
April 25, 2013
I will remember to turn off lights when I leave a room (and I am the only person in it). I will also turn off lights in rooms with no people in them as well.
1213-12
April 25, 2013
I am working on this assignment. My Dad is good about reminding me when I forgot to turn off lights. This is a good assignment for me because you need to do this whether you are home or somewhere else.
1213-19
April 24, 2013
Tomorrow I will walk to the super market and to CVS with my mom since I live near union ville plaza. Every time my mom needs to buy less than two bags worth of groceries I
will remind her to walk or carpool. 🙂
PS. I mean by not a lot of groceries.
jonmoss
April 25, 2013
I love the specificity! Bravo, sir!
1213-13
April 25, 2013
I am using less water and power. Infact, i am doing this in the dark right now
1213-21
April 25, 2013
I will work on taking a shorter shower because I have been taking really long one that are like 40 mins. to an hour.
1213-21
April 25, 2013
I have been doing better by taking shoter showers that are 10-20 mins long.