Thorburn Grade 2 students make zero waste holiday crafts!

Grade 2 students at Thorburn Consolidated School learned a fun way to go green for the holidays! Teacher Mary Webber-Cook wanted to incorporate some fun, hands-on learning for her 18 Grade 2 students who learned a lot about environmental sustainability in Social Studies. The holiday season is known as a time of excessive waste (think of the electricity, wrapping materials, food waste, etc.). Doing something green to celebrate the holiday season is a great way to demonstrate to our loved ones how we can waste less.

This is the write-up in the school’s January newsletter:

“It looked like a “green” Christmas in the Grade 2 class at Thorburn Consolidated School in December. Aligning with their Social Studies outcome about environmental sustainability, students made holiday centrepieces with repurposed objects and resources such as fir, pine and Canadian holly. The students were excited to take their centrepieces home to share with their families over the holidays.”

You can see from the newsletter that students used pinecones and other natural materials to create their holiday centrepieces. Natural materials like pine, fir, and holly boughs are ideal because they are 100% organic and once the time comes, they can be added to a compost bin instead of the landfill. These materials are also readily available in most Nova Scotia yards and wilderness areas around our province. With the help of an adult, students can gather their own materials to make beautiful, aromatic holiday decor for inside and outside the home. Ms Webber-Cook did a fantastic job helping her students learn about reducing waste through creating these beautiful green centrepieces for families over the holiday season.

Thinking about doing a green holiday activity with your class next year? Check out our Green Winter Holidays Pinterest Board for more green ideas!

Engagement Officer Pam visited Ms Webber-Cook’s Grade 2 class when she visited Thorburn Consolidated School back in October. Pam helped the students learn how to waste less energy with a brainstorm of simple actions like turning out the lights and opening the curtains to use natural light. The students knew that turning off the tap when brushing your teeth helps to save water and that using reusable shopping bags helps to keep plastic out of oceans and tree branches. What environmental sustainability projects will these young zero waste advocates think of next?

~Pamela Chandler,
Engagement Officer