Making This Book Work for You
Now you know the nuts and bolts of creating the environment to nurture a green classroom. Here are the final tips for using this book and making your journey successful.
Meet Your Major Headings
Most of the chapters of this book are organized exactly the same to make it easier for you to get into a rhythm of addressing the entire picture about a particular issue. Here's what the areas are called and what they cover.
“What It's All About” describes the basics of each issue.
“Global Picture” attempts to address how the issue impacts other regions of the globe, how different populations are responding, or general lifestyle differences.
“For the Classroom” brings the issue into the physical classroom space.
“School Projects” are ideas to address the issue as a school community.
“Field Trips” are — you guessed it — ideas for field trips that highlight the issue.
“Human Health” discusses how each issue relates to human health.
“Take It Home” identifies ways to bring the issue home to parents and caregivers.
Essentially, the framework of this book is to incorporate green living in every facet of life because the environment is everywhere and every action impacts the environment.
It's about Learning and Loving, Not Guilt and Grudge
Whatever you do, keep it easy and fun because if something is not fairly easy and fun, it won't get done. You have a limited amount of time with each child and you want your lessons to last a lifetime, so tackle little pieces every day until it becomes a habit for everyone. Laugh a lot. Smile a lot. You're making the world a better place.
