As a result of competing in a national energy challenge that tracks garbage, water and energy use, Falgarwood Public School has successfully instituted a Board-wide permanent/dry erase marker recycling program to benefit students and the environment for years to come.
The Oakville school competed in the Canadian Geographic Classroom Energy Diet Challenge is an intense months-long competition among Canadian Kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms that aims to increase energy awareness. Throughout the challenge period, from January to the end of April, classrooms worked together to complete 25 energy-themed challenges designed to teach students about different energy topics and increase overall energy awareness.
Each classroom selected the number of challenges to complete and the order to complete them based on the needs of a classroom. Schools that completed all 25 challenges were recognized with various awards and prizes. Falgarwood competed against more than 1,200 classrooms, receiving a $403 prize. It was one of only 33 schools to complete all of the challenges.
Teacher Karen Montgomery wanted students to learn that everything we do can affect the environment, negatively and positively.
“We got involved because in Grades 4 and 5, we learn a lot about Energy Conservation and we wanted to see the difference our students could make on a global scale," said Montgomery. “We thought the Energy Diet Challenge was a great way to keep us on track and to teach others about energy conservation. As a result, our school started a marker recycling program that is open to all schools in Halton."
Falgarwood completed challenges individually, in groups and as a whole class. Challenges were homework (having parents take a pledge to be more energy conscious), conducted in groups (completing an energy audit of the school) and as a class (growing a classroom garden).
The school connected the challenge to a number of different curriculum expectations. For example, in Language, the school kept a diary about plants; in Math, students calculated the weight of garbage and electricity use; in Art/Media Literacy, students drew pictures and made posters to get other students involved. The class even created a Twitter account called @thinkBIGkids.
Students loved taking part in the energy diet challenge.
“I learned how to save energy in small ways," said Grade 5 student Charlotte. “An example of this is unplugging my charger cord when I'm not charging anything. I found out it uses energy even when I am not recharging my iPad."
Said Grade 4 student, Patrick: “I learned about reducing garbage and the importance of sorting waste. I also researched and compared transit systems in different countries to learn how they use more or less energy."
“I hope students learned that small steps towards energy conservation can make a difference," Montgomery said. “Turning off lights and computer screens, planting a garden or tree, composting green waste or properly sorting garbage can help our environment."
