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Seven Ways to Teach Children More About the Environment

How to Teach Your Children About The Importance of the Environment

By Mikkie MillsPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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It is essential to teach children about the environment, so that they will want to protect it from the dangers of pollution that harm the air, soil and water. Parents and teachers can help children to learn more about the environment in a variety of ways.

Way 1: Learn How to Sort Trash

A child can learn more about protecting the environment by sorting the trash in a classroom or at home. First, you need to teach a child about the different types of trash, including paper, plastic, and metal. Make sure to provide containers for sorting the trash, and also, place labels on the containers. If your town collects sorted trash, then you can place the containers on the curb, but alternatively, you can take the items to a recycling center.

Way 2: Learn About Global Warming

Teach a child how to record the weather information each day in a notebook, to compare the temperature and other conditions with previous years. This information is available on the internet for different regions around the world. Take time to learn how global warming is affecting other aspects of our lives, including food production.

Way 3: Take Nature Walks in Wooded Areas

A field trip to a wooded area is a great way to notice the environment. Children can take photographs of plants and wildlife. Take time to think about how the area would have looked many years ago, when the area was first visited by people. How would it have been different? Discuss how the wooded area has changed due to the intrusion of people.

Way 4: Grow Vegetables in a Garden

Many children have never grown vegetables in a garden, so they may not understand the importance of keeping the soil and groundwater safe for growing plants. You can have tomato or bell pepper plants in your home's backyard, and a school often has an area that is suitable for a garden. Learning more about organic gardening methods that don't use manmade pesticides or fertilizers is a great way to understand how to protect the environment.

Way 5: Walks Along a River, Lake, or Stream

You and your children may take waterways such as streams, lakes, and rivers for granted, but if these natural resources are polluted, then it disrupts the environment. Arrange a walk around a waterway to find problems, such as trash that people throw into the lakes or rivers. Bring along a trash bag and protective rubber gloves, so that you can pick up the items that other people have dropped along the waterways.

Way 6: Bird Watching with Your Children

The number of birds in the world is declining due to a loss of habitat, along with problems that are caused by the environment. With binoculars, it is possible to see the birds that live in your region so that you can keep track of the numbers of robins, blue jays or sparrows. It is also exciting for a child to find an unusual bird that is not living in a normal region, or one that is rarer. Discuss why there are fewer birds, including the lack of trees for nests or how pesticides are affecting the birds.

Way 7: Studying Insects

While some insects may seem annoying, honey bees, grasshoppers, and other insects are a valuable part of the earth's environment. You can order an ant farm that contains odorous ants, so that your children can see how the insects create tunnels in dirt or sand. Ant farms have soil or sand between sturdy, clear panes of thick plastic, and the items are sealed to keep the insects inside. Ants offer a variety of benefits for the environment, including ingesting garbage or other insects.

When Can You Teach Children?

It is better to spread your environmental lessons throughout the year, rather than teaching them everything in one week.

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