All+Saints+Term+1

Term 1

The introduction of the project was all very exciting and also we all were not too sure about what exactly this project was all about. The students were still looking forward to helping their local community. As a class we had to look at some magazines during guided reading time to discuss with their peers what "sustainability" and "biodiversity" is all about.

The beginning of the Term 1 the students were all very excited about this project. Firstly, as a class we looked at how our school has developed into an environmentally friendly school and how it has changed throughout their years here at school. We discussed the pros and cons and how they have assisted our school in a short or long term.

I had to immerse them first with what we do as a school community then we spoke about what we can do at home with our families. They were very enthusiastic when we were discussing the changes in our school i.e solar panels, recycling, composting, rain water tank etc. In many ways they feel proud that their school is very practical about helping the environment.

They also looked out for rubbish polluted areas and tried to think of a reason why these areas were so heavily polluted. Some students said that its because the park only has one rubbish bin and often doesnt get collected. They also said some of the play areas are not very safe to play in because the equipment was either broken or just not been cleaned or updated.

Students were asked what they do at home to assist the environment and a few compost their food scraps, some students walk to school instead of being dropped off, most if not all students recycle their bottles, paper and plastic containers.

One student thought about all the recycling symbols that are seen on the fast food cups, wrappers and boxes. For example: McDonalds prints on the bottom of each cup the recycling symbol and the paper bag also has the recycling symbol printed. However, McDonalds does not provide its consumers the opportunity to recycle. I asked my students " Who has been to a McDonalds or a fast food restaurant and have seen a recycling bin?" only one answered and said they saw one in Canberra.

The students were able to visit some other school websites such as "ollies world" to gain a better understanding on what other schools are doing in their local communities. The students became more aware of the living things in their local community such as the plants, animals and insects. They also observed some of their local parks that are near thier homes to see if they were popular places for the neighbourhood to go and play during the weekends and after school.

Before Term 1 ends, students were assigned to walk their local neighbourhood with a friend or family and take some photographs of what they see around them. This can include the negative images of rubbish polluted areas, graffiti surfaces and some lakes or creeks that may be nearby. They were also to distinguish the positive things they also see like wildlife and parks with bins, smoking and non smoking areas.

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