A class of second graders in the dual language program at Washington Primary School recently joined millions of their counterparts across the world in celebrating Earth Day.
Truth be told, the youngsters and their teacher, Vivian Joseph engaged in a weeklong project rather than just observing a solitary day.
“We started on Monday by talking about Earth Day and the problems facing our Earth,” Ms. Joseph said. “The children concluded that trees were being cut down and that was a big issue because many animals were losing their homes. The students were then given the challenge to build a birdhouse using recycled materials.”
On Tuesday, students brought in boxes from home that would be used as the birdhouses and they also began sketching what their birdhouses would look like. The following days included time spent using boxes, wooden sticks, string, twigs, grass, etc. to build the birdhouses.
The week concluded with a class exhibit/museum walk, “so that the children were able to see each other’s creations,” Mrs. Joseph said.
The second graders took their bird houses home and hung them on a tree outside their homes to celebrate Earth Day. “They are all very proud of their birdhouses,” Mrs. Joseph said.
The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970 when about 20 million people across the United States participated in environmental teach-ins and related activities. It is estimated that more than a billion people in nearly 200 countries celebrated Earth Day in their respective communities by doing their part to help save the increasingly fragile environment.