5 Recycled Projects for Earth Day

5 Recycled Projects for Earth Day

There’s no better time than April to bring up conversations about recycling and environmental consciousness in our classroom. As Earth Day approaches this April, we share a few projects we’re excited to work on this month. These easy projects blend the principles of earth conservation with our regular science lessons.

The massive oil spill from Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 caused much concern for Senator Gaylord Nelson. Done ignoring the industrial revolution's problems brought to the country, Nelson and Pete McCloskey hosted a teach-in about environmental issues on April 22, 1970. This was deemed the first official Earth Day. Receiving immediate attention nationwide, it made a significant impact on the country. It encouraged the quick development of the Environmental Protection Agency, followed by more federal acts like the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act.

Earth Day is now honored worldwide as a movement that helps people find more environment-friendly solutions.

You may wonder, is learning to care about the environment necessary for our students? Yes! Teaching students about conservation helps students understand how actions have consequences and can build eco-friendly habits into adulthood. It might even inspire some of your students to pursue careers in related fields! Recycling is the first easy step toward a cleaner planet and helps the environment, the economy, and the community. Regular recycling can:

Decrease pollution
Decrease waste in landfills and incinerators
Create jobs in communities
Conserve natural resources

5 Recycled Science Projects to Try

Here are a few projects to teach students about recycling, the environment, and being creative all in one project.

Milk Jug Watering Can: Save those milk jugs! Quickly turn them into a tool for you and your students to use for your plants or gardens. Rinse out the jug, have students decorate them, and poke some holes in the cap to create a spout. You’ve got a new watering can!

Pop-Bottle Planters. Have any pop bottles lying in your recycling bin? Pull them out! Cut the bottle in half horizontally, add a few personal touches, and you have a new pot for planting this spring.

Bug Hotel. Teach students about wildlife with an easy-to-make bug hotel. Using a pop bottle and natural resources around the school, students can learn more about insects and observe the wildlife around their homes and school.

Bird Feeder. Do you have any plastic bottles left? Grab one and quickly turn it into a contraption designed to feed the birds around your community. All you’ll need is a few household items and some bird seed.

Terrarium. If you’re studying ecosystems, don’t throw away your disposable cups! Glue a few of them together, and with some soil and seeds, each student can have their very own terrarium.

The Earth Dome

The Earth Dome is a giant indoor inflatable used to educate students K-8 about geography and environmental issues. The Earth Dome stands at 19th feet tall, and students are amazed when they experience earth science in a brand new way. Visiting both the outside and the inside of the dome, students journey around the world in an engaging and educational way.

In the Earth Dome program, students learn about the following: