Student teachers share Earth Day lessons with local kindergarteners
Released: April 21, 2008
Student teacher Stephanie Gardon calls on a
kindergartener during an Earth Day lesson at
Washington Elementary School in Whitewater.
With Earth Day right around the corner, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater undergraduate education majors are helping Washington Elementary kindergarteners learn how to "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle."
Seniors Stephanie Brimmer, Lori DeGolier and Charlotte Pertzborn and Junior Stephanie Gardon, are working with Amber Meyer's kindergarten class; Meyer is a graduate student at UW-Whitewater. This group is teaching the elementary students about recycling and the concept of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."
Earth Day is April 22 and teaching youngsters to become more involved in conserving the earth is a great way to celebrate. Student teachers asked the kids how much garbage they thought their school could create in one day, and the response was, "A super duper amount!" The kindergarteners were enthusiastic to learn more about conserving the environment.
The UW-Whitewater student teachers taught the kindergarteners how to sort recyclables at home, and about what can and can’t be recycled. They learned the difference between plastic and glass bottles, aluminum cans and paper.
"The goal of the student team's recycling/conservation unit is to help young students understand the impact of waste accumulation on Earth," said Assistant Professor Liesl Hohenshell. "Getting the kindergarteners to see themselves as active participants in reducing the negative impact through first reducing and then reusing and finally recycling is the main objective."
The students observe in the consulting teachers' classrooms and report on their analyses. The college students work directly with the elementary students and create their own lesson plans for the day. Students help the younger kids with the projects and make sure the task is hands on. Meyer has worked with six groups of UW-Whitewater students over the past three years. She loves having the college students teach in her classroom.
"Working with them is extremely beneficial to them and myself. They all work together so well and are learning great skills to take to the field with them," said Meyer. "The passion and energy they bring to the classroom is amazing. The students take great pride in their work. The time and effort the girls put forth really shows in their lesson plans."
"Amber is really great to work with," said Brimmer. "She has given us excellent direction and allows us to really work with the kids and teach them about recycling."
Currently, 60 UW-Whitewater students are enrolled in ElemMid 324, Teaching Science in the Elementary/Middle School. Hohenshell teaches this course. It is a methods course for preservice elementary/middle school teachers that was developed to familiarize students with models and strategies to teach science content. With the help of UW-Whitewater’s preservice teachers, local elementary/middle school students can make their ecologically friendly footprint.
For more information on this program, contact Liesl Hohenshell, hohenshl@uww.edu or 262-472-1190.
- Ashley Jones,jonesac08@uww.edu
