Tacoma Recycles (Grades K-2, 50-60 minutes) – In-person only
Did you know that all of our stuff is made from planet Earth? In this lesson students will learn about the wonderful resources that can be found on Earth and how they help us make things like paper, cans, and plastic bottles. Through hands-on games and activities students will discover that recycling is a great way to give our stuff a new life and protect our beautiful planet.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
It's a Solid Waste Mystery! (Grades 4 - 6, 50-60 minutes) - In-person or online
The Key to the City has gone missing and we need your help to find it! The Key makes sure our garbage is collected, recyclables are recycled, and food waste turns into compost – without it Tacoma will become a stinky mess! In this lesson students will explore the City’s solid waste streams by becoming super sleuths. To solve the case students will venture out on virtual field trips, search for clues, solve puzzles, and even “interview” City employees to collect information. Where is the Key to the City and how did it go missing? Let’s find out together!
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
More Litter, More Problems (Grades 4-6, 50-60 minutes) – In-person or online
Litter impacts the health of our neighborhoods and local waterways, like Swan Creek and Puget Sound. In this lesson students will learn about the connections between litter, stormwater, and surface water pollution. Through an interactive mapping activity, data collection, and hands-on activities students will learn that science can help us make decisions to solve real-world problems.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
2-5-Tree: Why plant a tree? (50 minutes)
What do trees do for our environment and urban spaces? What happens when trees are not around? Students learn trees clean our air, impact climate issues, filter and help manage our rain/storm water as well as provide food and habitats for many living things. Also, they are fun and beautiful to have in our yards and play places.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
Clean-Go-Bingo: Can you clean without chemicals? (50 minutes)
Through an interactive game of Clean-Go-Bingo, students learn about the caution, warning, and danger labels on hazardous household products as well as greener, more natural alternatives. As students play, the EnviroChallenger educators will answer questions and share stories to help them understand new vocabulary and concepts.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
Down the Storm Drain: Where does the flow go? (50 minutes)
Find out what goes down the storm drains in Tacoma and how it affects water quality. How do our actions affect water quality? Where do the chemicals we use on our lawn and garden go when it rains? While playing an interactive matching game, students will see how their actions affect water quality.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
Save Our Salmon: Is something fishy going on? (50 minutes)
Where have all the salmon gone? During this lesson about salmon and water quality, students hypothesize reasons for the decline in salmon populations, play a game about the salmon life cycle and brainstorm ways to help save the threatened and endangered fish. While playing the game, students encounter factors that are critical to salmon survival. After the game, students express actions they can take to help salmon survive and thrive.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
Talking Trash: Is it really garbage? (50 minutes)
Did you know that over a lifetime, the average American throws away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage? All of us can play a part in Reducing the amount of waste we send to landfills. Getting into the five Rs, students learn why and what they can compost, Reuse and Recycle in Tacoma. Using hands-on visuals and minds-on activities, students learn how to make Responsible choices to help reduce the solid waste stream. As the class participates, they learn to Respect the environment.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
Toxic Toilets and Sick Sinks: What's in Your Sewer? (30 minutes)
Find out what causes problems in the sewers. What gripes your pipes? Are you putting things down the drain that don’t belong there? Be careful. Some items like chemicals, oils and medicines can cause problems for your pipes, the treatment plant and the environment. In this lesson, students play a game where they are water drops traveling through the sewer lines. As they play, they find out what should and should not go down our drains. Students will learn about alternatives and proper disposal for things commonly flushed down or rinsed into the sewer.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.
Water, Water Everywhere: How can you keep it clean? (30 minutes)
Learn how pollution affects the water cycle. Students will unearth the importance of protecting and preserving this natural resource by learning about the water cycle and how pollution affects it. In this activity each student becomes a drop of water and collects different colored stamps as they flow through the water cycle. Putting their new aqua-information to work, the class discusses how to keep water clean and the environment healthy.
Pre/Post Lesson - Use this activity to better prepare your students before the lesson and as a follow-up to check student knowledge.