Green Gifts
Summary
This is an art activity in which students make a
gift from recycled materials for another member of the class and
present it with a thank you note. The thank you notes are
intended to foster postive group dynamics. Students think about
what makes their classroom a pleasant environment by
acknowledging cooperative behaviour of a fellow student. Unless
some of the work can be done for homework, two class periods will
likely be necessary.
Level: *, **, ***
Grammar
Depends
on class level — gerunds, "You are…"
Materials
Used
materials that can be made into gifts such as, bottles, cans,
straws, magazines, newspapers, as well as tape, glue, string,
scissors, etc.
Preparation
Bring in some used
materials that can be made into gifts (see above). Before class,
make a sample gift from some of the used items or show an example
made by a student.
Procedure
- Discuss as a class how gifts can be made
from materials that are often thrown away. Students will
likely have many ideas. For example, cut plastic drink
bottles into different shapes, such as birds; make
sculptures and key chains from old straws; make envelopes
from used magazine paper or paint used jars to make
attractive containers.
- Students pick a name of another student in
the class from a bag. They keep the name of this person a
secret.
- Students make a present from reused
materials (if possible at home or in art class).
- Explain that a note in English will
accompany the gift. Depending on the class level, teach
the class a certain sentence structure to use in their
thank you notes. You could explain how to construct
gerunds (verbs that act like nouns, e.g. helping,
listening), or a sentence as simple as "You are very
kind/helpful/smart". On the blackboard develop a
student list of gerunds, adjectives or whatever you
choose.
- Students individually prepare notes on
reused paper thanking the person named in #2. Students
specifically mention examples of positive classroom
behavior.
- Students exchange gifts and notes at the
end of class.
Examples
- I enjoy studying with you.
- Thank you for listening to me.
- Working with you is fun.
- Thank you for helping me.
- I like talking to you at lunch time.
Variations
- To complete the lesson in one period,
write thank you notes on recycled art paper.
- Before a holiday, students discuss
presents they will make from reused materials. In class,
students prepare notes to accompany the presents. The
notes explain that the present is made from reused
materials in a effort to protect the environment.
- Students make unusual items for sale at a
school event. Proceeds go to an environmental club or
organization.
Acknowledgments
Adapted from
"Green Gifts" lesson in Linking Language and the
Environment by George M. Jacobs et al., Pippin Publishing,
1998.