Recycling Discovery Box!

 

 

The recycling themed discovery box found above is geared towards Kindergarten-aged children. The activities inside will give students practice with organizing recyclable items such as paper, cardboard, and plastic. Follow the pictures and step-by-step directions to make your way through all of the materials!

 

  

 

 

The two books above, Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel and Don't Throw That Away! by Lara Bergen, are great books for kindergarteners to look through and learn about recyclable items. If you're working through this activity with your child/children, be sure to read these to them.

 

 

Recycle! by Gail Gibbons serves as a "recycle handbook for kids" and is an essential to any kindergarten recycling discovery box! Be sure to check it out before completing the activities.

 

 

Let's get started!

 

 

On the outside of the box, you will find the above picture. While Kindergarteners will most likely not be able to fully read the descriptions given, this chart is a great visual for them to see different recyclable items. If you're exploring the box with them, utilize this chart and review it with the students!

PLASTIC

 

CARDBOARD

 

PAPER

 

Inside the box, you will find lots of items similar to the ones above. Several items made of each material (cardboard, plastic, and paper) will be provided. For the first activity, students will be sorting these items into the appropriate recycle bins, similar to the ones found below.

 

 

Each bin will be marked with three different labels (paper, plastic, cardboard) and pictures for students to match the items to.

 

 

 

 

 

After completing this task, students should fill in the chart above by drawing pictures of what they sorted into each bin. They can choose to draw every item or just one, depending on how long they have to complete the activity.

 

Now, let's get creative!

 

To follow up with a craft that shows children how you can use items you would normally throw away in creative ways, make sail boats out of egg cartons! It's fun, easy, and low cost. Below is a basic overview of what the craft entails, but head to the link for step-by-step directions and more pictures!

 

Egg Carton Sail Boats - let's create!

 

 

 

  

 

 

Final product - so cute and SO easy!

 

 

 

 

To extend this discovery box, head to the video below to help children see how they can become more involved in recycling at home and at school!

 

Recycling 101

 

Allow students to choose one task from the video to put into motion at home or at school - empower them to make a difference and take this mini lesson on recycling "outside the box" and into the world! Have fun!

 

Science Books for Children!

1. Pond Walk by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (ages 4-7)
 

This adorable book describes a walk in nature and the things you may see along the way. The main topics mentioned in this easy-read are plants and animals, the relationship between organisms, and the idea of documenting what we see in nature by drawing pictures.

 

2. 11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter (ages 4-8)

 

11 Experiments That Failed is a funny book that will ask very bizzare questions of children, such as, "can a kid survive the winter on ketchup-covered snowballs?". After each question, the book provides a hypothesis along with a list of materials needed for the experiment. A set of methods for performing the experiment as well as what the outcome of each experiment is is also provided. Smithsonianmag.com describes this fun read as "mini scientific papers [that are] great for teaching the basics of the scientific method in a hilarious way". 

 

3. In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up by Monica Kulling (ages 5-8)

 

This book tells the story of Margaret Knight, an early female inventor. While working at a cotton mill at the age 12, Margaret invented a device that helped to make the operation of looms safer. The item that made her most famous as an inventor was the flat-bottomed paper bag. Check this book out to learn about one of the greatest (and youngest!) inventors there ever was!

 

 

4. Coral Reefs by Jason Chin (ages 5-9)

 

The illustrations in this wonderful book where a young girl's world becomes a coral reef are absolutely amazing! Dive right into this adorable read where you can learn all about coral reefs, all while enjoying a cute story about a girl whose imagination is larger than life.

5. How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland (ages 6-9)

This really cool book follows the history of a Diplodocus from its initial discovery all the way to its display in the Smithsonian Institution. As the story unfolds, a description of all the different kinds of people it takes in order to make a dinosaur exhibit in a museum possible is explained. Check out this very informative and interesting book!


6. Nature Adventures by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom (ages 6-9)

While anyone can take an adventure of their own at any time, it is sometimes hard to plan accordingly when you don't always know what you're doing or what you're looking for. This informative text gives basic advice and guidelines on what to look for and what to bring along on an adventure in nature, whether you're heading to the beach, the forest, or a big city.


7. North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration by Nick Dowson (ages 7-10)

Artic migration is a very exciting and interesting topic to research for all ages. This book follows the habits of birds, caribou, whales, and other animals as they migrate from areas as far away as New Zealand to the Arctic in the spring. Then, the book takes a turn to follow them through the fall, where they experience their worst weather yet.


8. The Secret World of Whales by Charles Siebert (ages 8-12)

This comprehensive and extremely informative book on whales is sure to capture any child who is interested in these enormous animals. The book discusses three main topics: whales in literature, the history of whaling, and current whale science. Check it out!


9. Far from Shore: Chronicles of Deep Sea Voyage by Sophie Webb (ages 9-12)

This awesome read documents a four-month research voyage on the Pacific Ocean aboard the NOAA ship McArthur II. The book includes intriguing diary entries that are marked by latitude and longitude so readers can actually map out Webb's journey on their own while reading. Webb also inclues beautiful illustrations of the creatures she saw along the way.

(books 1-9 found here: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2011/11/ten-great-science-books-for-kids/)


10. Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (ages 6-8)

This fictional book about seeds is a great read for young children. Throughout the book, buddy bear creates a seed collection by gluing seeds to paper, learns how seeds grow and how to properly plant them, and even feeds the birds some of his seeds. The brightly colored illustrations will attract young children all while learning all there is to know about seeds.

(book 10 found here: http://www.imnotthenanny.com/2011/04/our-favorite-science-books-for-girls.html)

 

Science Activities!

Check out these awesome websites and blogs! You'll be sure to find an activity that is highly interactive and exciting for children.

Natioanal Geographic KIDS - Science! This site is packed FULL of science experiments for children, ranging anywhere from making a groovy lava lamp, making music with bottles, or making your own kaleidoscope! For each experiment, the following points are addressed: how the experiment works, what you'll need, and how you do it. Also, the "weird but true" comments that appear along the sides of the website will give you a good laugh as you work!

What the Teacher Wants - Tips for Teachers, Parents, and Anyone in Between! - Dive right into this parent-friendly blog bursting with tons of interesting and interactive science experiments. Don't let the title intimidate you - anyone can put these activities into motion for young children! With experiments on lights, dancing raisins, and our heartbeat, you're sure to find an activity your kiddos will enjoy with lots of parent/teacher feedback to look at.

Scholastic - 40 Cool Science Experiments on the Web - The Scholastic company is well known through education, yet some people may not expect them to be science experts! This link will take your directly to the science portion of the scholastic site where you can find lots of science experiments - 40 to be exact. The cool thing about this site is that each experiment is linked to some sort of video that kids will LOVE to watch!

Pinterest - Kid Friendly Science, Taylor Evan's page - This link will take you directly to the page of a woman who has compiled several kid-friendly activities to one "Science" board on Pinterest. This area provides a wide variety of science activities for you to try with your kiddos.

Teaching for a Better Tomorrow!  - This blog is a collection of quality resources for teachers (and parents!) to use as a way to teach the basics of science. While most of the posts give you links to other websites, each post gives a description of the site so that you know where you're going to next. For parents, this is an easy to way to narrow your search when looking for a specific activity.

Science...in the Kitchen...by the Quirky Mommas - If you're looking for an extremely organized and user-friendly blog to follow, you've come to the right place! The mother's that manage this blog have the site organized by age group - how nice! The science experiments can all be done using items that you probably already have on hand in your kitchen. You'll enjoy searching this site!

How to get Your Child excited about Science - Since science is often overlooked in the classroom, it can be hard to get children interested and involved in science. Luckily, the women of "Mom it forward, where mom is a verb" are not about to let science slip through the cracks. Check out this site for interesting and interactive science lessons perfect for young children.

Pinterest - Kids Stuff, Science Experiements - Yes, that's right, another Science Experiment Pinterest Board! You're sure to find an exciting activity in this long list of great options - you'll be wanting to try them all! There is quite a variety, so take your time searching.

The World of Kid-Friendly Science Experiments - This NAEYC accredited website is bursting with experiments that are sure to be a "crowd pleaser". With a simple step-by-step format for each activity, you'll have no trouble performing these experiments whether you're a teacher or a stay at home mom.

Why Not try a fun Science Experiment right now? - Last but not least, this website will help your explore the wonderful world of science through several activities. You'll LOVE what the "How to Make Slime" experiment has in store for you, either at home or in the classroom! This long list of activities/lessons will definitely give you hours of entertainment for your kids!