English version
The children examine their environment -the street, the path, under the trees, where they play and walk on the way to school.
Teacher brings to lesson examples of rubbish found outside, plastic cup/plate, tin can, paper, plastic dog poop, cigarette butts etc. Show the children, write down the words rubbish and environment and discuss definitions.
Environment means that with which we are surrounded, soil, water, air — ask them why the environment is important — the air quality, soil to grow food, water to drink, ground to live on and play on. Tell the children that they will be an Environmentalist today and maybe for always — a person concerned with the environment. Rubbish — objects we don’t want, e.g. old food, containers, gum, dog poop, paper etc.
Write examples of rubbish on the board, metal, plastic etc.
Divide children up into groups of 4 children or more. Appoint within each group a recorder and give pencil and form (see end of page for downloadable form) for recording rubbish found. The rest of the group will be the researchers.
Explain that within their groups children will be going outside into the street environment to look on the footpath and the grass (if any) or onto a nearby green area (if any) to note down what’s on the ground - (suggested time for field trip 15 minutes) — each group to be accompanied by an adult. Teachers may have to send a letter home before the lesson letting parents know there’s to be a field trip and requesting volunteers to help.
The recorder will note down rubbish found (see form 1.) The research team will relate their findings to the recorder.
Extra — use a camera Could use a (digital) camera to take photographs of rubbish etc. — could also record the positive e.g.trees, flowers, grass, birds, etc. Could keep a record of the environment — by taking a photograph in the same spot and recording if it’s cleaner or dirtier over a period of a school term.
Children will have been briefed on what to look for and the older classes (year 3 and up) will collate what they have found on a specially provided form and then count the results on their return to class.
The children discuss the results and describe the items found. Count objects and write on board — what was the most/ the least/ the yuckiest/ the most dangerous. Discuss the environmental and health aspects of their findings and where these items come from (us, the city dwellers) (10 minutes). Discuss dog-fouling and the danger of dog faeces infected with parasites - see web page Toxacara
Decide on some health rules after discussing broken glass, jagged cans, and dog poop. Make a list of rules and advise upon good hygiene and the necessity for city dwellers to be responsible for disposing of rubbish in the correct way and for dog-owners to clean up after their dogs.
It is against the law not to clean up after your dog in The Netherlands. It is against the law to throw rubbish on the street. Sometimes these laws are not enforced. Why??
Suggest reasons why laws are not being enforced — not enough police, fines too little, etc (8 years and up).
Suggest possible ways to encourage change in behaviour.
Follow up lessons could be writing to an imaginary dog owner telling them why they should clean up after their dog.
Write down the attractive things in the city: trees, nice buildings, flowers etc
Write down a wish list for streets and playgrounds: How should they look? Should there be more grass?
Write a letter to Mayor Deetman asking him for a cleaner city or for more playgrounds, trees etc.
Make a poster which spreads the message to dog-owners about cleaning up after their dog — laminate the poster stick it to the school gates or somewhere everyone can see it.
or a poster telling people to throw rubbish away in the proper place etc.
Younger Classes With the younger classes the discussion after the field trip will take the form of the teacher writing down what the children saw and how they view their local environment: Clean? Tidy? Pretty? Dirty? Smelly?
The younger classes (year 1-3) could draw a picture of themselves walking on the street with what they saw on the field trip.
Or a picture of their parent/guardians face when they step on a dog poop.
Or a picture of a dog owner cleaning up after their dog.
Or a picture of the most beautiful playground in the city (real or imaginary).
We have many follow up lesson ideas but the reason we suggest those above is that some of the work done could be submitted to our stichting for our most tangible campaigning work — see Projects page — if your class produces lots of fantastic work, phone us at 070 3459893 and we’ll come and pick it up. We will also put their findings on the website and their best ideas for cleaning up our city.
If you need more information please email us and check our links pages.