On September 27 & 28 the Texas Association of Environment Education (TAEE) conference will be taking place in Galveston as a way for educators to celebrate Environmental Education in Texas.  The TAEE conference envisions residents who possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes and commitment to be stewards of the unique resources of Texas.  In spirit of helping to share applicable tools and ideas that help save the environment, we wanted to highlight an activity focused on educating students about recycling.

Sometimes students are unsure of which materials can be recycled and which cannot. There are lots of common recyclable materials such as paper, plastic, and metal which get thrown away because students are not aware that they can be recycled. Our Learn What’s Recyclable activity is designed for K-5 students to teach them about recycling symbols, how to clean their recycling, and ways to reuse. 

There are so many ways to reuse or recycle materials in the classroom.  As educators celebrate Environmental Education, let’s educate students about how to recycle properly!

Since 1991, October has been recognized as National Energy Awareness Month.  Energy Awareness Month was created to encourage governments and organizations to raise awareness of the importance of sustainably managing the nation’s energy resources.  This year, the Department of Energy is focusing on strengthening the resilience of our federal facilities through energy optimization and enhanced cybersecurity.

Every action campus-wide or at individual students’ homes contributes towards energy saving possibilities.  Our Keep Your Cool Naturally activity helps encourage students to be more aware of their energy usage and energy waste. This activity designed for students grades 3-5 teaches students about how to be conscious of cooling their homes and some key ways to keep their houses cool naturally, saving energy and money!

As a new school year is beginning to kick off, this is the perfect time to begin saving energy with your new students.  Starting a Watt Watchers of Texas program may seem challenging so we wanted to share some key tips from Leah Spurlock, the Assistant Energy Manager for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, who has helped over 50 campuses save energy through the Watt Watchers Program. 

1. Rolling the program out slowly to individual schools has a higher chance of success.

2. Having district level support from an Associate Superintendent or Superintendent and keeping them involved is extremely helpful.

3. Not every school may want to participate initially and that’s okay!

4. Be there to answer questions and visit campuses to show your involvement and dedication.

5. Share your success stories with other campuses.  If they see how much is being saved they might be encouraged to start saving too.

If you are looking for a good activity to begin with, the History of Science activity is a good way for high school students to gain exposure to the contributions of key historical technologies.  Educate students about electricity and the lightbulb’s origin to help them recognize why saving energy is so important.

Read more about the activity here.