- AUGUST ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Info Workshop for new Clubs
Planning meetings for the school year
- SEPTEMBER ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Professional Development Workshop for the HSI Committee:
This is the first meeting of the HIS Committee. Here they will plan the activities that can be done by them and the Humane Youth Lead through the period September-December.
Preparing for Club Fair:
The club will start creating the presentations, flyers and thinking about new ideas to outreach new members, for example posting pictures or videos of previous years’ fun activities, giving away jeans pencils, letting students try vegan food.
Outreaching New Members:
The sponsor and the club members will start proposing activities to outreach new members before the first official club meeting, through morning announcements, posters, flyers, using buttons and any other idea that could come up.
First Official Club Meeting:
(For first time clubs)
This is the first meeting for the Humane Youth Lead. Here the Sponsor will start with an icebreaker “global warming” activity (My name is… recommended) then s/he will give an overall presentation about the club purpose and the activities that we will be doing throughout the school year (Welcome Green Speech). Students will be divided into the three committees and they will choose the President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary of the Club. How is it going to work? Students can propose themselves or someone else can do it. Then they will have to present themselves to the rest of the club and talk about what’s their vision and what new ideas do they have for the club. Based in their brief speeches, the students will vote for them. Depending on the number of votes each of them have the positions will be assigned. The students of each committee have a week to meet each other in order to choose the president of each committee, the person with the most innovative ideas and with more awareness about the committee issues. Finally the sponsor will announce the next meeting, which will be the “Take the Pledge Meeting.”
Officers selection for clubs in their second year or older:
If the club is in its second year or older, the officers for the new school year will be elected the meeting before the Awards ceremony. Leaving officers will pass the leadership to the new incoming officers for the following school year. Officers take the pledge.
Take the Pledge Meeting:
This time the President and Vice President of the Club will conduct the meeting. They will start by an icebreaker “global warming” activity they will choose from our list or they can use any other. Then they will proceed to present the committee presidents, who can have any assistant to help him or her with their committee activities. Then the sponsor will start discussing the Club’s Constitution, the Good Standing Member Requirements and students will take the pledge.
Walk-Through (GSCH)
The Green Team will start conducting this activity. They will be distributed in pairs and they will be assigned with an area of the school, where they will collect data about energy wasting, water wasting and leaks, etc. etc. They will prepare a report and a possible plan to take action, and they will give it to the President of the Club, who will check it and fix it together with the vice president and they will give it to the club sponsor who will present the proposition to the school board. These activities will be done throughout the school year. At the end of the year we will develop another walkthrough, in order to see if we could create a greener school with more awareness about environmental issues. Also we will ask the principal the energy and water consumption for September and we will do it each month in order to check if our program is achieving results.
Social Climate Survey (GLSEN)
The Social Justice Team will develop an anonymous survey for students with questions about bullying, name calling, etc. and how those issues affect our schools. We will collect the data, and we will start with new proposals in order to eradicate this problem, (including Teen Line). At the end of the year we will develop another survey in order to see if the students have got help, and if they have seen a decrease in those activities.
Ethical Treatment of Animals Survey
The Animals Rights Team will conduct a survey about animal abuse, how they are used for entertainment, lab testing, food, clothing; what they know about veganism, etc. We will collect the data, and will start with education programs and activities in order to let students know issues we face every day related to animal abuse and how they can be involved in order to eradicate those problems. At the end of the year we will develop another survey in order to see if students know more about those problems, and if they have taken actions to help eradicate animal abuse.
Collection Drives:
- Plastic Caps to donate for children with cancer and for recycling.
- Box collection to start the recycling campaign at school.
- Hygiene, clothing, toys drive for donations for His House and other programs.
- Pet food, toys, hygiene and sleeping items for animal rescuers.
- Vegan food collection for Vegan Food Bank and donations
September 21st : International Day of Peace
EcoAdventure: Sea Turtle Awareness Program. Conservation Effort.
The Sea Turtle Awareness program consists of a 45 min. PowerPoint presentation that explains the different Sea Turtle species and their life cycle. As well as some of the dangers they face throughout their life time. Following the presentation we lead the group out to the beach where we will release Loggerhead hatchlings. The group will be able to watch the hatchlings start their journey out to sea. Due to all sea turtles being protected by the Endangered Species Act no one besides the permitted staff are allowed to handle the hatchlings.
Idea Box
The club will have an Idea Box, where any club member can place any idea they have, any suggestions or any activity they want the club to do. Club officers and the sponsor will be checking the box each they, to take everyone’s opinion in consideration.
- OCTOBER :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Take Action
The three teams of the Humane Youth Lead will start taking action according to the results of the surveys and the action plan they created. The club activities during the school year will also be part of the action plans.
Energy and Climate Change Challenge: 1. Design an Energy Board Game. (GSCH)
Challenge 1: Design an Energy Board Game
Grade level: Secondary
Time: 60-90 minutes
Submission: 1 energy board game with a description of how to play
Activity Description: Students create a board game to show their knowledge about energy use. The game should include renewable and non-renewable energy sources, energy saving tips, and energy wasting habits. Guidelines:
- Students should be given an energy-related journey or scenario to develop as the premise for their game. For example, players could be travelling along a path starting at a dirty, polluted city called Smogville and ending at a clean, healthy city called Greenville. On the path, players encounter spaces with environmental do’s and don’ts.
- It should be a game where players roll dice to progress down a path around the board.
- Players can use recycled materials as playing pieces such as caps from milk jugs or old buttons.
- Students draw a path of spaces large enough to hold playing pieces. To keep the game design and play manageable, the teacher should determine approximately how many spaces the game should contain.
- Students then identify and mark both the start and end of the path. For example, the start could be surrounded by the dirty city of Smogville and the end could be in the pristine city of Greenville. As players move down the path making green choices, the environment on the board can be getting increasingly cleaner.
- Spaces along the path should contain both positive and negative prompts relating to energy use and the theme of the game:
- Positive prompt samples:
1) Shut off lights when leaving room. Move ahead 2 spaces.
2) Remind Mom to turn up thermostat at bedtime. Take an extra turn.
3) Use rechargeable batteries. Go ahead 1 space.
- Negative prompt samples:
- Leave television on when leaving room. Lose next turn.
- Don’t shut off water while brushing your teeth. Go back 2 spaces.
- Keep refrigerator door open for a long time. Go back 3 spaces.
- Students will make a rough draft of game and test out the design by playing with classmates to determine if the spacing works.
- Make a final draft of the game and photograph students playing it.
Recycling Campaign
The Club will start decorating the collected boxes and giving them away to teachers who don’t have a recycling can, in order to start the recycling campaign. The Green Team will collect the recycled paper every other Friday. This activity will last until the end of the school year and the club will develop other activities each month to encourage recycling at school and home.
Transportation Challenge: 1. Create a No Idling Campaign (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: Summary of the campaign, submitted electronically
Activity Description: The purpose of a No Idling Campaign is to reduce pollution from idling buses and cars that negatively affect healthy lung growth and development. Get a No Idling Campaign started at your school by making cars and buses turn of their engines while waiting in school area. Make sure to involve the whole school in this mission to have a bigger impact. You can create signs and flyers for parents to read.
Procedure:
- Raise awareness: Introduce the campaign through school faculty/staff and PTA meetings, school newsletter, emails and flyers. Identify a teacher(s) and/or parent(s) who is willing to become your school’s No Idling Champion.
- Data Collection: Determine a timeline for counting idling or non-idling cars in your school’s carpool line. Reward bus drivers and parents who are not idling and remind those who are to turn off their engines. Count idling and non-idling vehicles during the prize patrols.
- Implement campaign: Notify parents of this initiative (either through a pledge card, flyer, or carpool hanger). Publish No Idling details on your school’s website and include in newsletters or emails. Post No Idling Campaign signage around the school and in the bus, carpool, and delivery service zones. Signs can be produced by the school or through a printing and production company. Collect No Idling pledge cards (from parents and bus drivers) and post in your school.
- For more information and suggestion of materials refer to the No Idling Campaign by Earth Day Network: http://files.earthday.net/
ednnoidle/EDN_No_Idling_-_ School_Toolkit.pdf
Green Career Challenge: 1. Create a Green Job Brochure/Flyer for your School. (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: An electronic brochure
Activity Description: There's been a lot of talk about "green jobs" during the past few years, but what exactly is a green job? Green jobs are those that have a direct or essential impact on a product, service, or process that results in environmental benefits. Think about and research jobs available in the green market. Now think of green jobs available in your city. Create a brochure or flyer that provides information about your 3 favorite green jobs available in your city. This brochure will inform, educate, or persuade students about green careers. The brochure is not an in-depth study of a topic but should give enough information to grab the reader’s attention and get them interested enough to want to know more.
Procedure:
- First, write down what you currently know "off the top of your head" about your topic. If it is an organization, write down what you know about that group, its' mission or purpose, its' membership.
- Look at sample brochures you or your class has collected. Identify those that have a style or format you might like to imitate or borrow. See how much detail each type of brochure/flyer includes.
- Find out information about green jobs in your city (see Green Career Tips for more information). Use the materials provided in the classroom, the internet, books or other sources to gather more details about your topic. Start picking out 3 or 4 jobs you like most that provide environmental benefits. Now highlight 5 to 6 interesting facts that you will want to include about each job.
- Sketch out some rough ideas of how you want your brochure/flyer to look — including any graphics you think you want to include. List major components; write headlines and subheads and descriptive text.
- If you want to use a computer, transfer your rough sketches to the computer. Your software may have templates or wizards that will provide you with even more ideas.
- Print your final design and fold as necessary.
Alternative Energy Presentation.
A member of the club will give a presentation about alternative energy resources. This is an example of how we can use energy with other resources without harming the environment. The other members of the club will talk about how electricity is generated. They are going to discuss ways in which this kind of energy is less expensive and harmful for the environment than non-renewable resources. At the end of the presentation this member will present a model, it could be a windmill, hydroelectric plant, solar panel or a biomass system and will explain how it works.
World Go-Vegan Week.
During this week the club members will encourage other students, and staff members to develop a vegan lifestyle, eating, wearing and using vegan products. During the whole week the school will have vegan food carts for students to try vegan food. On Friday, they will wear red shirts to honor all animals that die every day for human consumption; students can also wear buttons badges and stickers saying “Go Vegan”, “Go V” or any other ideas students might have.
Tap Day
The officers and other members of the club will go around the school to tap the rest of the members of the club. The members that are going to be tapping others are going to take the students out of class and paint them with the colors of the club (green, red, and blue). Also, they are going to do a dance with body gestures in which they write “HYL’’ in the air. All the members of the club will design little signs attached to a piece of string so they can use it as a necklace. Any other ideas are welcome.
Anti-dissection Campaign
This is one of the most important activities of the Year. The Club will ask the School Board to implement virtual dissection instead of using animals with that purpose. The club will also talk to Biology, Anatomy and Physiology classes to use these technologies. For reference visitwww.teachkind.org where your classroom, school, or district can get free non-animal learning methods for use in the school’s science classrooms to replace animal dissection with humane alternatives or implement a formal student dissection choice policy.
Organic Garden
The club will start planting vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants for the school. Vegetables and fruits can be used by the school for lunch and the other plants will make our school look beautiful and greener. Each week the green team will take care of the garden, removing bad weeds, and watering plants. During summer they should also go to the school and take care of them. Students can donate seeds to the club and help club members. The club can also ask corporations like Home Depot and Wal-Mart for plant donations.
October 9th: Cancer Walk
The club will participate in the "Cancer Walk". The members will wear a pink T-shirt or anything that can symbolize cancer in a way it can inspire communities to around the globe to fight back cancer. This activity let the kids in the club engage in the factor of helping save lives, not only by walking, but with words and donations. The club will also volunteer with anything the organizers need.
October 29th: Miami Dade Heart Walk
The club will participate in The Heart Walk, the American Heart Association's premiere event, to fight against heart diseases and stroke and raise funds. The Walk will be designed to promote physical activity and heart-healthy living. The club will also volunteer with anything the organizers need.
World Vegetarian Day October 1st
The officers of the club should make an announcement about October Vegetarian Awareness Month and why people around the world are celebrating it. Also, why being vegetarian is important for us and tell them about the benefits of meat-free diets (it may help to have printed pledge cards which list seven major reasons to choose a vegetarian diet).
EcoAdventure: Fieldtrip to Animal Sanctuary
The club will visit an Animal Sanctuary, it is a facility where animals are brought to live and are protected for the rest of their lives. Club members will go to help and know how a sanctuary works.
Contests:
Essay Contest “Dissection Alternatives”
Students will write an essay about dissection in schools. What’s their point of view about it, and how they can help to make a change in our schools.
Humane Education Activities:
During the club meeting these activities will be developed and you can find more about them at www.humaneeducation.org.
Lottery Ticket
The Aliens have landed
A moment in their shoes
- NOVEMBER :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vegan Thanksgiving
The club will make a vegan potluck, where each member will bring vegan food and they will eat all together. They can do it in school or outdoors. They can also bring a vegan turkey.
Adopt a Turkey
The club will adopt a turkey. Each member of the club could give a $1 or the club could raise funds in order to pick up money to adopt it, if the money raised is enough they can adopt more than one turkey. For more information visit http://www.adoptaturkey.org/
Energy and Climate Change Challenge: 2. Climate Change (GSCH)
Challenge 2: Climate Change Artwork
Time: 80 minutes (approx. 50 minutes for movie and 30 minutes for artwork)
Submission: 3 best posters
Create art work:
Activity 1: Climate Change: Students watch a video about energy and climate change, then discuss the information with their classmates and produce a poster or creative art activity (clay figure, mural, mosaic) illustrating what was learned from the video. Each poster should have written description of the message.
Guidelines:
- Materials used can include crayons, colored pencils, markers, chalk, paint, etc.
- Paper used should be size 8½” x 11” or larger.
- The main theme of this activity is climate change however, a connection can be made to sub-themes such as water, waste, energy, biodiversity, food and transport.
- Include the following information on the back of each poster: Name of school, student’s name, age and grade.
Watch a Video:
Activity 2: Climate Change: Students create an educational display or presentation for their school - a skit presented at a school assembly, a wall mural displayed in a common area, or participation in an eco-fair. The presentation is then made to the greater student community at the Eco Summit in April.
The video below includes a Green Schools Challenge project from Carver school in Miami.
Young Voices on Climate Change http://www.
Waste and Recycling Challenge: 1. Create a Video about Waste Reduction and/or Recycling (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: 1 video
Activity Description: Consider possible ways that waste can be reduced around school and implement a recycling initiative. Initiate a waste reducing project in school (e.g. put recycling bins in every class, create a mural to raise awareness, use signs as reminders to recycle, campaign to eliminate litter, etc) and create a short video (5 minutes or more) to highlight the initiative. Direct the video with students, teachers and parents in it.
Guidelines:
- Create a plan for the film. Use an introduction, middle and end to give the film structure.
- Film students at the school making a pledge, talking about their experience with green initiatives or delivering environmental messages.
- Film the school environment and all environmental initiatives.
- Include sound, pictures, and artwork related to environmental responsibility.
Water Challenge: 1. Develop Water Saving Tips (GSCH)
Time: 50 min.
Submission: Copy of green tips poster and/or digital photo
Activity Description: Schools use a tremendous amount of water every day, and require water for their heating and cooling systems, restrooms, drinking water faucets, locker rooms, cafeteria, laboratories, and outdoor playing fields and lawns. Develop a list of water saving tips for your school and publish it in your school newspaper, weekly bulletin or PTSA notices. Communicate the tips to all students.
Guidelines:
- Write down 10 ideas to save water at your school.
- Consider tips for students and tips for facility staff.
- Publish or post your ideas in your school newspaper, teacher’s bulletin, or classrooms
- Communicate your tips: consider either talking about them in an assembly or creating a big poster to put up in the school’s common area.
Transportation Challenge: 2. Organize a Walk or Bike to School Day (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: 1 photo of students biking and walking to school
Activity Description: Promote and set a day for students to walk and bike to school together. This challenge can change community culture and create environments that are more inviting for everyone and reduce the number of vehicles arriving at school by encouraging more walking and biking to and from school.
Procedure:
- Choose a focus or theme for the walk or bike day: Improve the environment! Or Green steps to school!
- Schedule a day that everyone will be walking or biking to school. School-wide events usually have the support and participation of the principal, teachers, police, parents and local businesses. Invite them to be community partners. The school principal can represent the whole school's commitment. Teachers can encourage students to help organize the day. The local police department can be a valuable resource and will ensure that safety is a priority. Parents add energy and enthusiasm and make the walk work. Local businesses may be willing to sponsor the walk by providing refreshments or small gifts for participants.
- Get the word out! Tell students, teachers and parents how and when to participate. You can choose to make announcements at school, publish the event in a school newsletter and/or send flyers home. Also posting signs along the various school routes and around the school a few days ahead will help let the community know
Green Buildings Challenge: 1. Design your Green Dream Home (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: 1 drawing or model of a ‘green home’
Materials: Magazines: Dwell, Mother Earth News, Natural Living, Organic Gardening
Scissors for two; Glue; Large poster board.
Activity Description: Have students work in pairs to first write descriptions
of their ‘dream green home.’ You might wish to help students brainstorm some ideas for a dream green home and list them on the board beforehand.
Procedure:
Ask that the ‘home’ contain at least five energy-saving features. Have students look through the magazines and find green products, materials and building features that they would like in their ‘dream’ home. Have them specify what kind of alternative energy they want the house to use. Cut out the green building images from the magazines and begin creating a ‘vision’ of what green features the house would have. Glue the cut-out images down to create a ‘model’ of the home. Label each green feature with an explanation of its benefits.
Green Career Challenge: 2. Organize a Talk about Green Careers. Recycling (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: Provide a summary of the talk
Activity Description: This activity is intended to make students understand the work involved in green careers. By inviting a professional in your City to talk about their job and opportunities in the green market, students will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about green jobs.
Procedure:
- From the List of Speakers Dream in Green provides, select a green professional to come to your school and talk about their career or just green careers in general.
- Talk to your teacher or school principal about this activity and organize a day to gather all the students interested in green careers (either in an assembly, seminar or other type of event).
- Contact and schedule a date with the professional and refer back to your principal and teachers. Tell the professional about your interest in green jobs, and whether he/she will be willing to come to the school and give a talk to students interested in green careers.
- Spread the word around school and encourage all students to attend the event.
- Create a list of questions for the professional to answer.
Vegan Fridays
The club will ask the school to start providing vegan food on Fridays in order to reduce animal-food consumption at school. Club members will be required to try vegan food at least once a month on Vegan Fridays.
November 15: America Recycles Day
This day all teachers must have a box or recycling bin, so the club can pass by every two weeks to collect the recycled materials. This will be the first day they will do it, and they will give a sticker, diploma or a thank you note to those teachers who recycled the most amount of paper.
Introduce a Friend Meeting
This is a special meeting. Each club member will have to bring a friend to the meeting in order to get attendance. For each friend that the member brings s/he will receive community service hours or anything we can reward them with. During this meeting they will be able to interact with other members of the club and know what the club is all about. Also, we will be able to have more speeches to open up with the newcomers of the club. We would explain them how the club works so they can have the fundamental knowledge that they can inquire while engaging in the certain activities we will have for the club.
Creating Cat Beds
The club members will start collecting shoe boxes and decorating them in order to create cat beds and donate them to the Humane Society of Greater Miami.
The Health Fair
This activity is performed once a year in each school. Members will present the benefactors this club has to offer for our health. The club will provide vegan food for students and staff members to try and explain how they can be good for our health. The club can also explain how taking care of the environment, animals, ourselves and other people can benefit our health.
Walk for Farm Animals
The club members will participate in the "Walk for Farm Animals" in order to keep up the leading farm animal protection organization. Our support will help advocacy efforts and provide refuges for farm animals in need. The club can also volunteer with anything the organizers need.
November 1: World Vegan Day
This day, club members have to wear vegan clothing, eat vegan food and use only vegan products. They can come up with any other idea.
November 16: International Day of Tolerance
Club members will create posters and flyers for this day. They will ask for no name-calling and no bullying, and will encourage students to be nice and kind to every other student and teacher. We could do fundraising selling bracelets for a no-uniform day or students can wear a blue shirt representing tolerance since the color for the social justice committee is blue.
EcoAdventure: Historic Oleta River Canoe and Kayak Trek
This is a fieldtrip in coordination with Miami Dade EcoAdventures. It is naturalist-guided trip, where students will observe herons, white ibis, and osprey and explore a tropical hardwood hammock in East Greynolds Park. It is not only to have fun, but also to learn and keep in touch with animals and the environment. The club should plan in advance this activity. For more information visit: http://www.miamidade.gov/
Contest:
Photography “Show your feelings” The contestants will have to take pictures of people showing different fillings, they should be really expressive and be able to talk for themselves.
“Reduce-Reuse-Recycle” Students should take pictures of products that can be recycled or those that are made of recycled products. They should make a collage and add a phrase that encourages recycling. Be Creative!
Essay “Facts. Go Vegan!” Students should write an essay about why being Vegan is not only good for animals and the environment also for us.
Humane Educational Activities
During the club meeting these activities will be developed and you can find more about them at www.humaneeducation.org.
- Circle of Compassion
- What’s in a Name?
- Whom do you pet, whom do you eat?
- DECEMBER
Energy and Climate Change Challenge: 3. Reduce Energy Consumption at Home (GSCH)
Time: 30 minutes
Submission: 20 signed pledges from students and 1 poster for distribution
Activity 1: Energy Pledge and Poster to Take Home
This activity gets students and their families to commit to reducing energy consumption at home. After brainstorming ways to save energy at home, the Green Team creates a pledge and a poster. Copies of the pledge and poster are made and given to other students to take home. Students put the poster up at home and have their family sign the pledge and return it to the Green Team. The Green Team collects the signed pledges and posts them in a common area.
Guidelines:
- The poster should outline 10 simple ways that can help students and parents save energy at home (see list below for suggestions.) Make the poster a size that can be easily photocopied.
- The Pledge should be a general statement with a list of actions that students and family members commit to doing regularly that will save energy at home (See example below).
We pledge to take the following steps to reduce our carbon emissions and slow climate change: Turn off lights when not in the room, Turn up the thermostat when no one is home, Unplug chargers when not in use, Seal leaks and insulate the house
Date__________ Parent signature____________________
Waste and Recycling Challenge: 2. Create Artwork Using Recycled Materials (GSCH)
Time: 50 minutes
Submission: 1 work of art made from recycled materials 43
Student Activity Description: Create artwork from recycled or used materials such as a Christmas tree, Hanukkah tree, accessories, bags, etc. You can use materials such as old cans, and clothes, etc. Be creative and let your imagination take over and produce something that can be appealing for other students to admire.
Procedure:
- First with a pen and paper design what your artwork will look like.
- Write down ideas that you would like to include, such as the type of materials and colors you will use.
- Gather all the materials (e.g. scissors, glue, etc) you will need to create your artwork.
- Create your artwork and display it in your classroom, wall, assembly hall, etc
- Choose the best artwork and send it to us at Dream in Green.
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