| Most of us have adapted to living a more eco friendly | | | | as they will then take this philosophy home with them |
| lifestyle, a few years ago we wouldn't have thought | | | | too. |
| anything about the amount of plastic bags we use at | | | | Sarting a school garden has so many benefits not only |
| the supermarket or throwing our cans out with the rest | | | | for the environment but for your pupil's lifestyles too. A |
| of the rubbish. Now most supermarkets offer | | | | school garden doesn't need to take up much room or |
| incentives for reusing shopping bags and most council's | | | | funding, all you need is an unused bit of land, some soil |
| in the UK provide and collect household recycling | | | | and some seeds, and you could even ask your local |
| boxes. | | | | community to donate gardening equipment (making |
| Teaching our children how to live a more eco friendly | | | | sure none of the pupils have access to anything too |
| life style can be one of the biggest steps we can take | | | | sharp or dangerous). By growing a selection of |
| for the future of our planet. If our children learn these | | | | vegetables you're introducing the children to a more |
| things as they grow up it will become second nature to | | | | healthy diet and they're going to be much more |
| them so introducing small steps at school can ensure | | | | enthusiastic about eating their greens if they've helped |
| they grow up living a greener lifestyle. | | | | grow them from scratch. Gardening can also |
| If you're not using it, turn it off. Lighting is going to be | | | | complement some other core lessons on the |
| one of the biggest causes of energy expenditure in | | | | curriculum too, it allows them to get good physical |
| school buildings. If you know the classroom is going to | | | | exercise outdoors, explaining about photosynthesis can |
| be empty for the duration of the next lesson or | | | | help science lessons, and the vegetables can be used |
| throughout a break, turn the lights off. If you don't | | | | in the home economics class. |
| already, start replacing dead light bulbs in lamps and | | | | Try to minimise the amount of paper your school uses. |
| energy saving light bulbs, replace florescent tubes with | | | | If it's not viable for your pupils to hand their homework |
| compact florescent lamps where possible which last | | | | in on an electronic format, encourage them to use |
| much longer and use up less electricity. This solution | | | | recycled paper and print on both sides. Have a |
| can also be applied to ICT, turning computers off and | | | | prominently placed recycling box in each classroom to |
| the monitors can save a considerable amount of | | | | ensure paper is never placed straight into the bin. |
| energy which will be reflected in your schools energy | | | | Encourage your pupils who have a packed lunch to |
| bills too, leaving an appliance on standby uses almost | | | | bring in a waste-less pack lunch, wrap sandwiches in |
| as much power as leaving it on in the first place. If | | | | paper bags instead of cling film or tin foil, if they do use |
| your classroom has any taps, make sure they don't | | | | cling film or tin foil encourage them to save it and use it |
| leak and teach your pupils about water conservation, if | | | | for the next day's packed lunch. Instead of having |
| you do have a leaking tap, leave a container under the | | | | store brought snacks, maybe they could bring in |
| drip to collect the water and use it for something else. | | | | homemade snacks or even better fruit. Although this |
| Drafts between door frames and window frames can | | | | may not be practical for some parents maybe your |
| be prevented with draft strips which can also provide | | | | school could introduce having a waste less lunch day |
| significant savings on your schools energy bills. These | | | | just once a week? Make sure any utensils used are |
| are all simple things that you can get your pupils | | | | reusable rather than plastic so they don't need to be |
| involved in; encourage them to point out if you leave a | | | | thrown away on a daily basis. |
| projector screen on standby or a leaking tap dripping | | | | |