Lesson 6: Caring for the Environment

Game (10 minutes): Divide the class in 2 groups. Each group draws and colors an animal on a sheet of paper and passes it on to the next person in their group to add to the drawing and coloring, creating the habitat of that animal. Ask the groups to describe their animals and habitat to each other.

Introduce the lesson on Caring for the Environment (10 minutes):

1. What does it mean to care for the environment? 
2. Do you know if the animals you drew are currently safe and is their environment protected? 
3. What do you think is the relation between caring for the environment and social justice?

Video and Questions (10 minutes): 

1. Why do you think the narrator says the environment is a human right?
2. Do you think that we have the responsibility to care for the environment? Why?
3. Do you think people are doing enough to take care of the environment? Why?
4. Can we care for the environment alone or do we need to work together? 
5. How do you care for the environment in your daily life? Have you done something about it recently?

Cross the line Activity (5 minutes): Ask the kids to stand up in line. Then tell them to take one step forward when the answer is "yes".

1. Do you turn off the light when you go to another room?
2. Do you think of saving up water when you take a shower?
3. Do you eat locally grown produce?
4. Do you recycle?
5. Do you give away the toys that you don't play with anymore?

Some kids do actions that you don't do and vice versa. You can always get better at taking care of the environment by learning simple actions to reduce the human burden on the environment.

Group discussion (10 minutes): Divide the class in two groups and ask them to think of basic actions in our everyday life that could contribute to caring for the environment. You can give them some ideas such as: creating a compost with organic waste; organizing a waste pick up with friends in your neighborhood, a park or on a beach; buying less products with plastic at the supermarket; cycling more often instead of using the car, collecting rainwater to water the plants, etc. Ask them to choose a speaker to share their ideas with the other group.

Commitment (5 minutes): Ask each student to choose one action to commit to in order to care for the environment.