2015 Sustainability Calendar

Transcription

1 2015 Sustainability Calendar

2 January 2015 Energy Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Energy Scavenger Hunt There are renewable (geothermal, solar, wind), non-renewable (oil, natural gas, coal) and secondary (electricity) energy sources. Have the class divide into 4-5 small groups. Each group should brainstorm examples of each type of energy, and then find pictures or items representing each. These can be turned into an exhibit about energy. Then, the teams can use their energy smarts to come up with as many ways to conserve energy at school and at home as possible.

3 January 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY National Cut Your Energy Costs Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day

4 February 2015 Electricity Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Light It Up Celebrate Thomas Edison s birthday by making a potato light. What You ll Need: A large potato Two pennies Two zinc-plated nails Three pieces of copper wire A very small light bulb or LED light Directions: 1. Cut the potato in half, then cut a small slit into each half, large enough to slide a penny inside. 2. Wrap some copper wire around each penny a few times. Use a different piece of wire for each penny. 3. Stick the pennies in the slits you cut into the potato halves. 4. Wrap some of the third copper wire around one of the zinc-plated nails and stick the nail into one of the potato halves. 5. Take the wire connected to the penny in the half of potato with the nail and wrap some of it around the second nail. Stick that second nail into the other potato half. 6. When you connect the two loose ends of the copper wires to the light bulb or LED it will light up

5 February 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Wetlands Day Thomas Edison s Birthday Valentine s Day World Thinking Day

6 March 2015 Good Neighbor Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Make Your Neighborhood a Better Place Create a neighborhood beautification team, and come up with ways to make your neighborhood a better place. Here are some ideas to get you started: Clean up an area park, and make it a monthly project. Start a neighborhood garden where you can grow flowers, fruits and vegetables to share with your neighbors. Build a neighborhood compost pile to reduce waste and provide fertilizer for your garden. Plant a tree(s). Create a neighborhood-wide campaign to plant flowers and greenery in yards to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife.

7 March 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Plant A Flower Day World Forestry Day World Water Day Earth Hour 8:30 p.m.

8 April 2015 Water Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Make a Rain Barrel Instead of letting rain water wash away, collect it and use it! You can wash the car or pets, use it for watering your garden or plants and many other things. What You ll Need: Large plastic trash bin or container with a lid Spigot Drill Mesh Directions: 1. Use a large plastic trash bin with a lid the larger the bin, the more water you can collect! 2. Attach a spigot close to the bottom of the trash bin with a drill. This will help you access the water for filling up a bucket. 3. For rainwater to get in, you can either filter the rainwater from the gutter on the side of your house, or cut a hole in the lid and place mesh over it to keep leaves and other debris out of the bin.

9 April 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY National Environmental Education Week National Volunteer Week Earth Day Arbor Day

10 May 2015 Gardening Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Make an Indoor Garden If you are short on space at your school, have each classroom create their own indoor garden. What You ll Need: Pots Potting soil Seeds (beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, radishes, herbs, etc.) Grow light and/or space in a window with sun exposure Directions: Have the children plant the seeds and be responsible for watering them and monitoring their growth. Each classroom can grow different items, and then put them all together for a healthy meal the kids can enjoy.

11 May 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY National Public Gardens Day Strawberry Picking Day

12 June 2015 Sustainable Vacation Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Plan a Sustainable Vacation Traveling is fun for the whole family, but it can also be rough on the environment. Before you take off on an adventure, take some time to plan a sustainable escape. Here are a few tips to get you started: Plan your itinerary with the shortest routes to save fuel and help reduce your footprint. Also, try to carpool if several people are going. Pack your meals to save money on the road, and make sure to put them into reusable containers. Choose hotels and restaurants that have environmentally friendly practices (not washing the towels/sheets daily, serving local food, etc.) Learn about the heritage and culture of the area you are visiting. Buy local.

13 June 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY World Environment Day National Trails Day World Oceans Day International Picnic Day

14 July 2015 Recycled Art Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Create Recycled Artwork There are tons of arts and crafts you can do with everyday items. Here are some suggestions, but be creative and make art out of your trash! Instead of buying a new lunchbox for school, make one. Take an old metal or plastic lunchbox, and create and glue on a collage out of old magazine pictures. Make a shoebox guitar by covering an old shoebox with recycled paper and decorating it. Attach a paper towel tube to one end, and decorate it. Then, cut a hole in the top. Stretch rubber bands across the hole, and play away. Use plastic bottles, bottle caps, tissue boxes, toilet and paper towel rolls, newspapers, etc. to build fun and exciting things.

15 July 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY World Population Day Consider using REUSEABLE food and drink containers instead of paper plates and plastic cups when packing for a summer picnic!

16 August 2015 Green School Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Make Your School Greener Everything from buying the right back to school supplies and using Ebooks to recycling at school and using less electricity can help your school be more green. Start an environmental club, and figure out ways your school can make a difference. Then, enter the Good Sports Always Recycle School Challenge and win money to support your program! Electronic books are steadily growing for many schools around the country. Instead of buying print textbooks, ask your teacher about online text sources, or e-books. This saves trees as well as money by lowering the demand for printed textbooks. Discuss online school work with your teacher. Using to give and turn in assignments will save paper and may help your teacher too! When shopping for school supplies, look for recycled notebooks and paper goods. This will help reduce the demand for manufactured notebooks and will help conserve trees.

17 August 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY International Homeless Animals Day Earth s First Photograph Taken from the Moon(1966) Eat Outside Day When shopping for school supplies this month, look for GREEN or eco-friendly products!

18 September 2015 Environmental Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Environmental Games Have students divide into teams, and then create environmental games that the class can play. The games will help students learn about how they can have an impact in a fun and creative way. The games could also include challenges for students to clean up the school and make it greener.

19 September 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY National Wildlife Day World Ozone Day World Water Monitoring Day National Crush A Can Day First Day of Autumn

20 October 2015 Recycling Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Sustainable Halloween Décor Instead of purchasing more decorations, make your own recycled Halloween décor this year. Here are some ideas to get you started. Milk Jug Ghosts: Take your old milk jugs and draw ghost faces on one side with black sharpies. Cut a hole in the back, and insert lights for a ghostly luminary. Mummies: Take your old boxes (cereal, crackers, granola bars, etc.) and wrap them in a white, ripped sheet or even toilet paper. Glue googly eyes on one side, and you have mummy decorations. Egg Carton Pumpkins: Cut the egg cups out of the carton. Paint the outside orange, and cut a hole in the top of one. Insert a green pipe cleaner for a stem (or other green item), and glue the two together to form a pumpkin shape. Draw a face on one side, and you have a recycled Jack-O-Lantern.

21 October 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Make Your Mark Week Make A Difference Day Halloween

22 November 2015 Sustainability Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Help the Community Begin a Help the Community corner in your classroom. In this corner, the class can begin collecting items such as trash bags and plastic gloves to use for picking up litter at the local park, or extra dog and cat food to be taken to the local animal shelter. Giving back to the community helps create a sustainable community, and by working together, your class can make a difference.

23 November 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Take a Hike Day Veterans Day World Kindness Day America Recycles Day/Use Less Stuff Day Sustainability Day

24 December 2015 Green Shopping Month ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH Go Green Shopping As you are shopping for the perfect holiday presents, keep in mind that what you buy affects the environment. Go green shopping and buy products that will help save natural resources, conserve energy and prevent waste. The following are some tips to consider: Buy recycled! Every time you purchase a recycled product that means more and more natural resources are being saved. Buying recycled products is easy simply look for the labels. Buy durable, long-lasting products like rechargeable batteries Instead of disposable ones that can be wasteful. Avoid excess packaging. Don t buy anything that s overly packaged it s too much of a waste. Instead, buy products with reusable or recyclable packaging. Buy energy-efficient items. When buying TV s, DVD or CD players, look for the ENERGY STAR logo. It s a program designed to promote energy-efficient products. Take your own reusable bags. Buy local.

25 December 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Eat a Red Apple Day International Volunteer Day Don t forget to recycle your holiday decorations and waste!