Contents
Character Education Science FCAT Warm-up................................................................................................... 1
Kindness – Elementary School – December 2008 ............................................................................................. 1
Activity 1: An Environmentally Kind Celebration & Group Discussion ............................................................. 1
Activity 2: Recycled Snowman Bookends....................................................................................................... 2
Activity 3a: A Wreath for the Birds! ................................................................................................................. 2
Activity 3b: Bird/Squirrel Seed Wreath ........................................................................................................... 2
Character Education Science FCAT Warm-up
Kindness – Elementary School – December 2008
Activity 1: An Environmentally Kind Celebration & Group Discussion
Sunshine State Standards: SC.D.2.1; SC.D.2.2
Source: www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/nowaste.cfm
Throughout the month of December, thoughts of parties and New Year events are on the minds of people. It is a time to
share the warmth we feel toward others and to celebrate with people whose company we enjoy. Before the winter break,
have a kindness party to celebrate your success, hard work, and accomplishments throughout the year. With some
planning, you can make it a waste-free event, where very little gets thrown away.
Each student should bring a fork, spoon, cup, and plate from home. That way, everything can be washed and used again!
Decorate your party headquarters with paper, plants, or other things you have hanging around. Be sure to recycle all paper
products used for decorating. If purchasing paper plates, napkins or paper towels, make sure they are made from recycled
paper. Some products contain 100% recycled paperboard with at least 30% post-consumer material. These items are
readily available in most grocery stores today. Do not use balloons to decorate. Balloons are not environmentally
friendly and can end up harming animals when left outdoors.
Group Discussion: No-Waste Holiday Ideas
Divide the class into three groups. Each group should be assigned a no-waste holiday idea. Have each group discuss
what they think can be used as an alternative to purchasing new products from the stores, which will only be thrown away
in the trash.
Group 1 can discuss unconventional gift wrapping ideas, including alternatives to purchased wrapping paper, bows and
ribbons. Group 2 can have a conversation about what to use for packing the inside of boxes as well as green gift ideas.
Group 3 can discuss decorating ideas and creative party waste reduction tips. One example of each can be given by the
teacher, so that the students get into a creative and thought provoking mood. Examples include: Gift Wrapping - using
magazine advertisements; Green Gifts - a potted Florida native plant to clean the air; No-waste decorating - using old
holiday cards tied together with raffia.
While the students are brainstorming ideas, visit www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/nowaste.cfm and print out the complete
list of “No-Waste Holiday Ideas.” Have the students read aloud what ideas they came up with, write them on the dryerase board, check them off against the list from the Web site, and add to the list of the ideas on the dry-erase boards that
the students did not think of. Have the students write down all the ideas which did not occur to them, and ask them to
share the lists with family and friends. They can visit the above referenced Web site on their own to access the complete
list of no-waste holiday ideas. Use these ideas to help make the Environmentally Kind celebration a success!
Activity 2: Recycled Snowman Bookends
Source: www.nwf.org/kidzone/kzPage.cfm?siteId=3&departmentId=78&articleId=1181
What you need:
Two clean and empty plastic shampoo bottles
Sand
Acrylic craft paint
Ribbon or scraps of fabric
Craft glue
Buttons
Wiggle eyes
Orange clay (optional)
1. Fill the bottles with sand and tighten the caps. Then soak the bottles in warm water, long enough to easily remove the
labels.
2. Dry off the bottles and brush a few coats of white paint on them.
3. For the hats: Paint the caps and tops of the bottles as shown.
4. For the scarves and coats: Tie on ribbons or thin strips of fabric. Then glue on buttons, as shown.
5. For the faces: Glue on wiggle eyes and paint the dotted mouths. Then glue on a red button or an orange clay carrot for
a nose. Or, make up your own face designs.
Activity 3a: A Wreath for the Birds!
Source: www.nwf.org/gowild/kzPage.cfm?siteId=3&departmentId=154&articleId=1279
Sunshine State Standards: SC.F.1.1; SC.F.1.2; SC.G.1.1; SC.G.1.2
Go out for a walk in a local park, woods, or field. Look for things that birds might like to eat. Collect seedpods, grass
heads, pine cones, berries, and other plant parts. (See the list below for examples).
Purchase a bag of sunflower seeds, which can feed most birds, including the migratory birds visiting South Florida for the
winter.
Get a ready-made grapevine wreath from a craft store. With peanut butter, paste sunflower seeds to the wreath and weave
what you’ve collected into the wreath. Stuff pine cones with some of the sunflower seeds as well and tie them on with
string or wire. If you like, you can tie on slices of dried fruit as well.
Hang the wreath outside on your house or on a tree. Watch for birds to find the feast. If you leave the wreath up until
spring, birds may collect what’s left to build their nests, too. Enjoy the show!
Examples of What to Collect:
Food
Seed heads from flowers such as sunflower, Tickseed, and Blanket Flower
Seed heads from grasses such as Muhly Grass, Fakahatchee Grass and Purple Lovegrass
Berries on sprigs of Dahoon Holly, Pitch Apple, Sea Grape, Pigeon Plum and Juniper
Nesting Materials (see Activity 4)
· Mosses and grasses
· Milkweed pods full of fluff
Activity 3b: Bird/Squirrel Seed Wreath
Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: School of Forest Resources and Conservation
Supplies: Homemade or purchased bread ring, egg white, and bird seed
Method: Dry the bread thoroughly. Paint beaten egg whites on sides and top of bread loaf. Sprinkle heavily with bird
seed. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Decorate with a big bow and hang
outside. To replenish the wreath, spread with peanut butter and add more seeds.
Science FCAT Warm-up Question:
1. Using magazine advertisements to wrap holiday and birthday gifts are a great alternative to using store purchased
wrapping paper. Why is using magazine advertisements better for the environment than purchased wrapping paper?
A. The magazine advertisement pages have more colors available than store purchased wrapping paper
B. The size of magazine pages are a better fit for small boxes than store purchased wrapping paper
C. You are not spending any extra money on wrapping paper
D. Instead of purchasing another product made from paper, you are reusing the magazine pages and keeping less paper
out of our landfills
Answer: D