Green World

　　In their first theme of the spring semester, Kang Chiao Preschool students developed appreciation for our planet, recognized problems in our environment, and took action to make our Earth a better place for everyone.

　　Students started out the semester with limited knowledge of the outdoors and green spaces. This was quickly addressed as classes set out for the nature park to explore and appreciate nature. Students discovered many wonderful things like plants, leaves, flowers, bugs, spiders, and more.They were quick to identify that they enjoyed clean green spaces where they could play and enjoy the outdoors. They were excited about creating their own artwork based on their visits to the nature park.

　　However, it wasn’t all roses and it didn’t take long for the little learners to begin pointing out different types of pollution. They recognized air pollution, water pollution, and litter as problem areas that needed to be addressed. Many students attempted to address these problems directly. They experimented with different materials to filter dirty water and discovered that by arranging them correctly they could produce clean water. Other students headed outside to pick up litter. Still others learned the basics of planting and caring for plants which help both to store carbon and to provide clean air for us to breathe. Some thought that rather than just cleaning up the pollution, we should try to stop the problem at its source and avoid polluting the environment altogether.

　　Students soon realized that they needed to reduce the amount of resources they were consuming. They started tracking their garbage output, counting their face mask usage, and measuring the water they used. They found that they could use less resources by cutting hand tissues down to smaller sizes, keeping better track of their face masks, and using less water when they brushed their teeth.

　　Soon, the students realized not everything should be thrown away. Instead they could re-use items in creative ways. They made art out of old plastic bottles and toys such as shakers and bottle cap games. They made useful objects such as pencil boxes and juicers. They learned about renewable energy and made solar powered lanterns. Some items could be recycled, but they needed to be sorted. They explored the properties of different materials and found that they could sort out plastic, paper, metal, and glass. Several classes took it further and tried their hand at recycling used paper to make new paper. This took several attempts but by the end of the theme they were master paper makers.

　　Finally, it was time to share what they had discovered with other classes. On the day of the theme activity, each class was able to visit three other classes to learn about their projects during this theme.The students took turns staying behind and teaching visiting classes. They did a truly impressive job of sharing their experiences and encouraging one another to care for our planet. If children are our future,then we’re in good hands!

Happy Children's Day