Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

What is waste? Waste is anything we throw away or get rid of. Do you know about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? Introduce your kids to the terms and encourage them to practice the three R's of waste management. Practicing all three of these activities every day is not only important for a healthy environment, but it can also be fun too.

· Reduce-To make something smaller or use less, resulting in a smaller amount of waste.

· Reuse- You can "reuse" materials in their original form instead of throwing them away, or pass those materials on to others who could use them too! Remember, one man's trash is another man's treasure! It is fun to reuse things when you are crafting.

· Recycle-Don’t just toss everything in the trash. Lots of things (like cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard) can be remade into the same item or something new. Making new items from recycled ones also takes less energy and fewer resources than making products from brand new materials.

Here are fun 3 R songs your kids might enjoy singing.

EnviroKid (to the tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)

Pesticides and dog poop

Soap and oil and dirt

Can go down the storm drains

What will they hurt?

Fish, birds and harbor seals,

Eagles, deer and squid.

Think before you use things

Be an EnviroKid!

Recycle and Reuse (to the tune of BINGO)

If you see *paper*, pick it up and put it in its place,

R-E-C-Y-C-L-E,

R-E-C-Y-C-L-E,

R-E-C-Y-C-L-E,

and put it in its place.

(*Replace paper with bottles, pop cans and cardboard.)

If your feet outgrow your shoes, do you know what to do?

R-E-U-S-E,

R-E-U-S-E,

R-E-U-S-E,

and give them to Goodwill.

Recycle Boogie (to the tune of Hokey Pokey)

You put your plastic in, but take the caps off. You put your plastic in and recycle all about.

Do the recycle boogie and recycle all around, that’s what it’s all about (clap, clap).

You put your paper in, but keep the garbage out. You put the paper in and recycle all about.

Do the recycle boogie and recycle all around, that’s what it’s all about (clap, clap).

You put your cans in, but you smash them first. You put your cans in and recycle all about.

Do the recycle boogie and recycle all around, that’s what it’s all about (clap, clap).

Reduce, Recycle and Reuse (to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Reduce, recycle and reuse,

Be smart with the things you choose.

Recycle paper, cans and tin,

Throw the cardboard boxes in.

Reduce, recycle and reuse,

And our earth we will not lose.

Recycle, recycle show you care.

Save some water, land, and air.

Paper, plastic, things we buy,

Can be recycled if we try.

Recycle, recycle show you care.

Save some water, land and air (and electricity!)

Nature Study

Most first graders like to study nature. They have endless questions about the world around them. Spend time with your child finding answers for their questions. Encourage your child to explore, observe, and ask questions.

Plants seeds together and monitor the growth. Make charts or a timeline. Plant a garden and let your child harvest the vegetables and cook some of them. Make a bird feeder and observe the visitors that stop by. Catalog and classify leaves, bugs, seashells, and rocks. Take nature walks together. Do not forget your camera and notebook.

Books are very helpful, but rather than rely on books for all your information, use your own observations in the backyard and neighborhood first. Have your child make books about their own discoveries, and share them with others.

Weather Experiments

It is always fun to add experiments to your homeschool science lessons. First graders learn best when they can see and do, so go ahead and have fun with the following two science experiments.

Egg in a Bottle

MATERIALS:

· glass bottle with a long, narrow neck (an apple cider jug works well)

· boiled egg

· matches (adult supervision required)

Directions:

Put the empty bottle on a table. Peel the boiled egg. Light a match and drop it into the bottle. Repeat about three or four times. Quickly put the egg over the mouth of the bottle.

EXPLANATION:

The lit match heats the air inside the bottle. When air is heated, it expands and takes up more room. As the heated air expands, some of it escapes out of the bottle. When the matches go out, the air inside the bottle cools and contracts, which takes up less room. This creates a lower pressure inside the bottle than outside the bottle. The greater pressure outside the bottle forces the egg to get sucked into the bottle.

*To get the egg back out of the bottle, tilt the bottle and blow air into it. Make sure you get out of the way, because the egg will shoot out.

Blowing in the Wind

MATERIALS:

· a few plastic lids

· petroleum jelly

· magnifying glass

· paper punch

· yarn

· windy day

Directions:

Punch a hole at one end of each lid. Thread each hole with a length of yarn and knot the ends of the yarn together to form a loop for hanging. Spread petroleum jelly over one side of each lid. Take the lids outdoors on a windy day and hang them in various areas.

Leave them outside for about an hour or two to collect what may be blowing in the wind (we have left ours outside for a few days). Retrieve the lids and see what they have collected.

EXPLANATION:

Some of the items that may have been collected include insects, dirt, seeds, and leaves. Use the magnifying glass for further observation.

Windsocks

Windsocks are a great way to learn about the wind. Add a bit of fun to science today by making your very own windsock.

MATERIALS:

· sleeve of a large, old long-sleeved shirt

· needle and thread (adult supervision required)

· string

· wire (adult supervision required)

· small rock

· scissors (adult supervision required)

PROCESS:

Cut one sleeve off an old long-sleeved shirt. Bend the wire into a circle. Make sure it is the same size as the top of the sleeve. Place the wire into the top end of the sleeve. Take the needle and thread, and stitch it so the wire will stay in place. You have just now made the mouth of the windsock.

Now, place the rock in some cloth on one edge of the wire. Sew it on tight to hold it in place. Tie the string onto the wire opposite the rock. Tie the other end of the string to a branch where it can move freely. The rock will keep the windsock facing into the wind.

Now that your windsock is working, grab a compass to find the direction of the wind.

Benefits of Pets

Recent research shows there is a big benefit to keeping pets. One benefit is that it helps relieve stress to those who like having animals around. The medical community is now using medically approved class of "therapy animals," mostly dogs that are brought to visit folks in nursing homes and such. Another benefit comes from walking your dog. You both get fresh air, social interactions, and exercise. You might want to include that as part of your P.E. program. Pets make good companions for lonely people too.

The most popular pets are dogs and cats, but there are also lots of people who have fancy pet rats (my family does), gerbils, turtles, fish, hamsters, ferrets, guinea pigs, and various birds. We also have five cats, two dogs, a cockatiel and finches, two cows, and four goats. I include the cows and goats because we bottle fed them and they are very much like pets. We also have chickens, ducks, guinea, and geese, but they really are not pets. They do not come to us. Well, the geese do, but that is only because they want to bite us; nasty little fellows.

Vocabulary

A strong vocabulary is crucial for better reading and comprehension. A fun way to increase your children’s vocabulary is by playing games.

Here are a few ideas you might want to try.

· Bingo-Kids write meanings on blank bingo card, parent calls out word

· Vocabulary Pyramid-This plays just like the t.v. game. Divide a pyramid into 8 blocks and write vocabulary words in each numbered block. Four kids can play at a time in two teams. Two kids guess and the other two describe. Have the kids start at the top of the pyramid. The givers try to get receivers to guess the meanings by giving definitions or words related to the vocabulary word in each block. They move down the pyramid as they get each block correct. They get 1.5 minutes to complete the whole pyramid. They can pass if they need to do that. They can go back to any passed words as time permits. You can decide on a point system.

· Matching -Draw a picture or write words on a 12" x 12" piece of construction paper (cowboy, alphabet letter, dog…). Turn the paper over and draw 2" x 2" or 3" x 3" squares. In each square, write an antonym. Laminate and cut apart. On a second piece of 12" x 12" piece of construction paper, draw another set of squares. Write the correct answer in the squares. Laminate, but do not cut apart. Your kids should place the smaller squares on the larger square. They can then check their answers by turning over the smaller squares to form the picture.

· Play Concentration

Valentine Social Skills

Valentine’s Day is so much fun for many kids. It is a time to show love and share love. It is a time to be a friend. Valentine’s Day is a great time to work on social skills.

Talk to your child about showing love and sharing love with family members, friends, and neighbors. Have your child make a special craft for a family member. It can be a bookmark, college of the family doing things together, a lacy heart with a picture of the family member and them, or anything that catches their fancy.

Food is another way to share love. Food seems to bring folks together. What about making a heart shaped pizza? Simply make a pizza, but shape the dough into a heart. Add your favorite toppings. Heart shaped cookies are fun, too! Use a heart shaped cookie cutter. Decorate the cookies with red, white, and pink icing. Add sprinkles for fun, or use a fine tipped tube of icing to write Love, Family, Be Mine… on the cookies.

A treasure hunt is a fantastic way to have fun and practice social skills. Divide the kids or family members into teams. Use red and pink construction paper to write down clues for the teams. Hide clues around the house and yard. Each team leader get the first clue for their team which will propel them on a fun hunt. The team members must work together as a team. At the end of the hunt, the winning team will find a special Valentine’s Day gift as their prize. The prize could be candy for each team member, a holiday bookmark, a box of candy hearts… Look at the Dollar Store for prizes.

Most of all encourage your child to have fun and be friendly as they spread a little love.