Feb/March 2018 Trashman Trashcan!

How Can PEGS Encourage 

People to Throw Litter Away?

Problem:  People don't throw their trash away. Many seem to toss their trash onto the ground a lot!
What can we do?

What to do!?
PEGS pondered this predicament!  The nomoretrash.org offered a contest to school groups to design a trashcan that would encourage others to use the trash cans instead of throwing litter onto the ground.

Here were the guidelines from nomoretrash.org:

"Trash Can Contest 2018

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) invite Missouri public, private, and home-school students in grades K-8 to help fight litter in the Show-Me State -- and to have creative and educational fun -- by participating in the 2018 "Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter-Free" trash-can-decorating contest. The annual contest is sponsored by MDC and MoDOT as part of the state's "No MOre Trash!" statewide litter campaign.

The contest encourages school classes and groups to join in the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the "No MOre Trash!" logo and a litter-prevention message using a variety of creative media. Schools may submit one entry in each competition category: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Entries are judged based on creativity, adherence to contest rules, and effective use of theme and logo.

First-place winners from each competition category receive $200 awarded to the sponsoring schools. All first-place winners are then eligible for a grand prize of a trophy and $600 awarded to the sponsoring school.

There is no entry fee for the contest. Participating school groups must submit a completed entry form online with up to three photos by Friday, March 16.

Contest rules, entry forms, logo, past contest entries and winners, and educational information are in the sidebar on the left."

The Process:

While I could write out the process, you may enjoy hearing the students explain in in their own words!

You must have access to Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/PEGSPattonville/videos/958958014260080/

Please see the site for pictures and information:

http://nomoretrash.org/Trash%20Can%20Contest/create-trash-can-entry-60

Learning Standards Addressed:

April/May 2018 - PEGS Designs an Outdoor Classroom

PEGS Designs An 

Interactive Outdoor Classroom

Currently, Remington has an "outdoor classroom." It consists of benches arranged facing one bench, presumably where the teacher would sit. 

I asked the PEGS students what do you notice about this set up:

* It is in the middle of our playground, with no shade. 

* The benches are uncomfortable to use when you have to write. 

* All students face the teacher.

* The only activities we can do out here are the kind where you face the center - when someone is speaking, a play,  or skit, or reading to the group.

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Remington also has a courtyard in the middle of the school.  The space has been made into a outdoor learning/reading area. But time has moved on and this space is is need of a renovation. I asked the PEGS students to make observations about the courtyard. This is what they noticed:

* The tree in the center is dead. 

* Ivy is growing up the brick walls and that is not good for the mortar. 

* The seating does not allow for a class size of 24 and the teacher.

* The overgrowth is not inviting to come out and use the space for learning or reading. 

* The bridge looks broken and, why is there a bridge out there?

* Some of the benches are rusty.

* We don't know what is under the leaves and ivy that is on the ground, and it is kind of scary to look at.

(The pictures below were taken in late April.)

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I asked the PEGS students what could be done about this situation. They brainstormed ideas and came up with the plan, a list of things to do:

1. Find out what is wanted in an outdoor classroom by asking teachers and students.

2. Identify items we can fix, paint, move and/or remove.

3. Find items that we can buy, make or build for the outdoor classroom.

4. Consider price and remember our school does not have a lot of money.

5. Make designs of the outdoor classroom.

6. Present our ideas to adults who would be able to help transform the courtyard into an outdoor classroom.

The Process

The students measured the space and made sure the graph paper they used had the correct measurements, 25 feet by 35 feet. The placement of the windows and door were also included. When students placed items in their design, they had to make sure they were the correct measurements.

Students brainstormed what they would want in an interactive outdoor classroom. Sandboxes, LEGO walls, and chalkboards to work on ideas and share them.  Tables and benches to sit at so it is comfortable to read and write. Countertops to work on for projects such as planting. They wanted a sink for water availability IF there is a water source in the courtyard.  Students wanted places to read comfortably. They wanted the outdoor classroom inviting.

As a class, we made a survey for the teachers to complete so that everyone had input. The results helped the students decide what to put in the interactive outdoor classroom.

Student Designs

These are the ideas the students designed. They made every effort to include interactive learning spaces for multiple groups so that a class could use the resources in small groups, and not have to wait turns taking up valuable learning time.

Students reviewed each others' ideas throughout the design process providing ideas, asking clarifying questions, and asking the designer to explain uncertain aspects of their designs.

Once the designs were placed on their poster board, students wrote  a description about their design. Students then practiced presenting their outdoor classroom design. They presented them to the class. These presentations were video taped.

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Now it was time to present the ideas to the PTO.

A couple of the students came to the PTO meeting on a Tuesday night. The students presented all of the designs to the PTO members.  The adults really liked the ideas. They explained that they would take some ideas from a few of the designs to help design a courtyard with parent help.*  The students were happy to know their ideas were appreciated and valued,

* Since this meeting, this project has been put on hold for various reasons. My hope is that we will see an interactive outdoor classroom in our future.

Learning Standards Met

Maryland Heights: Are you Meeting Needs and Wants of Our Community?

Maryland Heights: 

Are you Meeting Needs and Wants of Our Community?

Problem:
Is our city meeting all of the needs of its residents?


In the beginning:
Students brainstormed needs of people. The list was extensive (I forgot to take a picture of it! ugh!)

Then we searched the online business pages to see if Maryland Heights has businesses to address all of our needs. We used Google Docs to work together. This is what we discovered:

Students brainstormed businesses they had heard of that could address our needs.

We are on a roll!:
Next, students selected the type of business in which to send letters. Students decided it was best to stick to one type of business so that they could write similar letters.

Students brainstormed what to include in their letters to encourage businesses to look at Maryland Heights as a future business location. We looked at Maryland Heights' population for daytime and evening/weekends, available real estate, and building codes. Students also thought mentioning the very little competition they would have since the purpose of our project was to identify needs and wants not being met by our city.

Here is a sample letter:

Getting so close to finishing!:

Students wrote letters to their businesses.  Addresses were found on the Internet. All letters were mailed off by winter break.

Responses!!!:
Wow! The responses have been coming in! Diego's response came in first, within seven days of sending out the first round of letters. Businesses are impressed with the type of information provided in our letters. They are in awe with the fact that the students knew to think about daytime population and building codes. Overall, I believe many of the businesses leaders we contacted found our letters inspiring to consider Maryland Heights for future business endeavors. 

Diego received a $10 gift card to Half Price Books!

Daniel received a lot of goodies from Wendy's.

Lion's Choice sent coupons to Daniel.  Lion's Choice also said they would visit our classroom and that they would host a fund raiser for our school, program or classroom.

Results:

All businesses were impressed with the letters to students wrote. Some businesses are unable to open businesses in Maryland Heights due to proximity to their other stores.  However, businesses such as Half Price Books,  Payless Shoes, Olive Garden, and Michaels indicated that they will forward our request to the department in charge of selected new sites in the future.

One business, Lion's Choice, offered to have a fund raiser at one of their locations, and, to visit our classroom to talk about what it takes to open a business!  We will be contacting them soon!

Who will we hear from next?