Tacoma Recycles (Grades K-3, 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 awesome connections between Earth’s unique habitats and everyday items 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 4-5, 50-60 minutes)
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 interview experts, search for hints, and crack codes. 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) – In-person or online
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) – In-person or online
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) – In-person or online
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 Fishing Going on? (50 minutes) – In-person or online
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.
Choose to be Idle Free! (50 minutes) – In-person or online
What's idling?
Idling is when the car is parked but still running even though it's not going anywhere! Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions than stopping and restarting the car! That means more smog and more climate change!
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? (50 minutes) – In-person or online
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? (50 minutes) – In-person or online
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.