After each lesson plan, students were asked questions to review the material learned. One young student patiently waits to share her story about which items she recycles at home and at school. To see which items should be recycled, composted, or trashed click here.

During one lesson Ciara led the students in an interactive environmental matching game. Active matching card games relating to new topics have been proven to increase students’ motivation levels, and subsequently, their engagement with the topic.

One lesson plan discussed the differences between healthy ponds and polluted ponds, the causes for these differences, and why we should care.

We can prevent pond pollution by picking up litter, avoiding the overuse of lawn fertilizer, and by cleaning up any oil or chemical spills immediately. Did you know how storm drains work? Click here for a video of a puppet who describes how to keep our ponds healthy by limiting what goes down the storm drains.

Two students work diligently to draw pictures of common household waste items placed in their proper disposal categories: recycle, compost, or landfill. The students in this group loved to color, so teaching with this method reinforced the lesson while allowing the kids to have fun.

Students were proud to show off what they learned each lesson. Crafts were taken home and shared with their families to expand the project beneficiaries.

Healthy ponds are usually surrounded by plants, are homes for fish and wildlife, and have relatively clear water. Polluted ponds often have murky and algae-filled water, dead plants, no fish or wildlife and have litter present. See the full lesson plan here.

Excited students eagerly display their beautiful artwork. The after school program students at Forest Dale Elementary School had a lot of fun while they learned a lot about the environment and what they can do everyday to be responsible earth stewards. Ciara will share the lesson plans she developed with other schools, so that kids can benefit for years to come.