Presenting, Mentoring and Volunteering are great ways to take action, meet new people, learn new things and share your talents. KEC has a volunteer corps made up of youth and adults, and we welcome new volunteers to join us. To volunteer with KEC, contact us and we will train you to be presenters or mentors using the curriculum below. If presenting is not your forte, you can volunteer for eco-action activities such as tree planting, exotic plant removals, camp programs, public outreach campaigns and beach clean-ups. Opportunities are increasing every day!
Visit our How You Can Help page to discover more about opportunities for you
LEARNING TO BECOME ENVIRONMENTAL PRESENTERS AND MENTORS:
Generating the Critical Mass of People in the World
to Make Environmental Harmony a Reality
Sunshine State Standards: LA.C.3.4, SC.D.2.4, SC.G.2.4
Objectives:
The students will learn how to become presenters and mentors to peers or younger students.
- Materials
- Presenter’s Guide (following)
- Choices for our Future by Ocean Robbins and Sol Solomon
- Background
After completing the curriculum course of study, the student will be equipped with valuable knowledge that he or she can then share with other students. Becoming a presenter or mentor will boost the self-esteem and confidence of the student. Sharing the environmental information will promote the education about and importance of sustainable living in the 21st Century.
Procedure & Activity
Students will learn the principles, practice in class, and then give actual presentations to other students and/or schools. An outline of the suggested information and the presenter’s guide (user edition) are provided.
Assessment
Receive feedback from the teacher and students where the presentation is made.
Discuss the experience with classmates during a follow-up class period.
PRESENTER’S GUIDE
Kids Ecology Corps Suggested Format
Creating the Conversation: Environmental Harmony, An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Purpose:
To inspire young people to make environmental action a part of their everyday lives, so that by 2012 there is a critical mass of people making Environmental Harmony a reality.
Training Tools:
KEC Membership Forms (optional)
KEC Coloring Books (optional)
Audio Music Tape (optional)
“7 Trees A Year” Cartoon
KEC What’s Recyclable Table
Props such as cup, water, toothbrush
Equipment such as VCR tape player and Monitor, Tape cassette player,
KEC Website Environmental Education Exercises: What Can I Do?
Preparation:
For you to be an effective presenter, your audience must be comfortable and involved.
Make sure everyone can hear and understand you. Keep in mind the age group of your audience. Here are some suggestions:
- Use words the students will understand.
- Make eye contact and speak TO them, not AT them.
- Smile a lot and be excited!
- Ask open-ended questions and encourage their involvement.
For example, “Everyone – you, your best friends – has to be responsible for what we do.
Who can tell me what “responsible” means? Can someone tell us about a time when they were responsible for doing something?” - Use examples from real life that the kids can identify with.
- Use props if possible; paint verbal pictures.
- Play music before the program starts and during any breaks.
- Congratulate them for participating and answering your questions.
Presentation:
Introduce Yourself
Explain who you are
Talk about Responsibilities and Kid Power
Define Environmental Harmony
Define an Ecosystem
2. Recognize the Condition
Explain the difference between Environment and Ecology
Ask the students questions based on your talk
3. Determine the Solution
Discuss Commitment and what it means
Ask the students to name at least 4 things that make it easier to stay committed
Discuss Responsibility and what that means
Ask the students to name 3 good things that could result from working in Environmental Harmony
Ask the students to name 4 examples of “an idea whose time has come”
4. Take Action Now
Talk about the 5 R’s and ask the students for examples of each (Rethink, Reduce, Renew, Reuse, Recycle)
Talk about why we need to plant 7 trees a year for each person (show cartoon)
5. Enroll Others
Talk about “Critical Mass of People” and what that means
Ask the students why they think it is important to have a “critical mass of people” to have Environmental Harmony
Ask the students to tell you what Kid Power is
6. Environmental Harmony
Ask the students to think of 7 new ideas that would make life easier
Play music (if it is available) while they do this exercise on their own
7. What Environmental Action Will You Take?
Offer some suggestions
Ask the students to “make a commitment” by writing down what they will do, and then sharing those ideas with the class; Hand out forms that they can sign (optional)
Give yourself a pat on the back – You did a great job!
Assessment:
Ask the students and their teacher to fill out a brief questionnaire about how you did.
You can use this information to improve your next presentation.
PRESENTER’S GUIDE – User Edition
Kids Ecology Corps Suggested Format
Creating the Conversation: Environmental Harmony, An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Think about your Purpose and go over your Preparation Steps. Make sure you have any handouts or transparencies you wish to use.
Now you are ready to enjoy sharing this exciting information!
1. Introduce Yourself and the Topic
- Introduce Yourself: Hi. My name is ___________ and I am volunteering my time to speak with you because I care about what’s going on in our environment. (Tell them a little bit about yourself, for example, what grade or school you are in, whether you have any favorite subjects or hobbies)
- Explain what you will do: Today, I would like to talk with you about some important things that are happening to our Earth. And, we will talk about how what you do affects everyone and everything else on the planet. After our discussions today, you will be able to make good decisions about how you can help our Earth to be a better and more fun place in which to live.
- Present Taking Action and Kid Power: Each one of us has to be responsible for what we do every day. That means we have to do the right things to protect our environment and to help it get new life so that it is a healthy place to live. We call that Taking Action! When you take action, you use your Kid Power! Do you know what Kid Power is? It’s YOU talking and inspiring and working with the kids and grownups you know; then the kids and grownups YOU know talk and work with others THEY know; then those people talk and work with OTHERS and so forth. That is how to create a critical mass of people to care for our earth. It starts with one person initiating a conversation with friends and family.
Because of Kid Power, many, many people will inspire each other to make positive environmental action part of their everyday lives. The result will be a healthier and cleaner Earth, where plants, animals and people all have healthier, balanced and happier lives. And, YOU and Kid Power Make the Difference!
When our time today is over, you will know how you can use your Kid Power to have fun and make what we call Environmental Harmony happen.
What is Environmental Harmony?
Environmental Harmony is the healthy balance between our ecosystems and ourselves.
An example of harmony would be vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
An example of dis-harmony would be strawberry ice cream and sauerkraut!
What is an Ecosystem?
The ecosystem is the relationship between living organisms (living things like animals, plants and trees) and the surrounding environment. A tree, for example, depends on water, proper temperature, soil, nutrients and sunlight for its growth. The tree is the organism. The soil, water and sunlight are part of the tree’s environment. How the tree and its environment interrelate is the ecosystem.
2. Recognize the Condition
Do you know the difference between Environment and Ecology?
The Environment is everything living and non-living that surrounds us.
Ecology is the study of the Environment.
What are some things that people do that affect the Environment?
Unhealthy: deforestation; pollution of air, water and soil; endangering species
Healthy: planting native or indigenous trees, practicing conservation
Can you name 4 areas affecting the environment that you feel we need to do something about?
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. Determine the Solution
What does Commitment mean?
Can you name at least 4 things that make it easier for you to stay committed to something? (for example: support, having fun, etc.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
What does Responsibility mean?
Why is it important for each person to make a commitment and to take responsibility for our Environment?
Please list 3 good things that you see could happen as we work together making Environmental Harmony a reality. (for example: cleaner neighborhoods, fewer illnesses like kids with asthma, more shade, et.)
1.
2.
3.
Can you name 4 examples of “an idea whose time has come”. Some examples would be: soccer, a man on the moon, sliced bread, fax machines.
1.
2.
3.
4.
4. Take Action Now
Remember the 5 R’s and see if you can list examples of each…
Rethink (what we do):
Reduce (what we use):
Renew (our resources):
Reuse (products):
Recycle (materials to recreate resources):
What do we need to Rethink before we buy or eat something?
Examples: product packaging (what is it made of), using recycled products, pesticide pollution, unhealthy chemical additives. Ask the students for more examples.
What things are Recyclable? (Give examples from attached chart).
Explain why we need to plant 7 trees a year for each person. Show a transparency or copy of KEC cartoon, if available.
Why plant 7 trees a year? Each person in the United States uses about 7 trees a year. That’s approximately 260 million people x 7 trees, or 1.82 BILLION TREES a year just in the United States!! If we save 2c of water per day, it would be enough to plant 7 trees.
Also, it is suggested that cities need 40% tree coverage (or canopy) in order to be a healthy environment for people. One tree can offset the toxic emissions generated by an average car being driven 4,000 miles.
What do we mean when we say “Environmental Harmony is a total of the simple things we do?” (Refer to Commitment Form).
5. Enroll Others
What does “critical mass of people” mean? Explain that critical mass refers to the enormous power generated by many people who have the same thoughts and actions toward a specific goal (like Environmental Harmony). Before long, all of these actions produce a great change in the way the whole world functions.
What was previously impossible becomes a fresh and exciting opportunity.
Why do you think that having a critical mass of people is so important to having Environmental Harmony be a reality?
Can you remember what Kid Power is?
6. Environmental Harmony
(If you have music available, play some light music during this segment)
What are 7 new ideas that would make life easier, healthier and more fun once Environmental Harmony becomes a reality? (Ask the students to think about it and write these down). You might also suggest that the students imagine they have a super powerful computer and they can create a future based on their ideas of what it might look like.
Examples: solar energy in homes would create more jobs and use less electricity, save trees and keep the air cleaner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
7. What Environmental Action Will You Take?
What Environmental Action will you put into your life? Offer them some suggestions, such as:
- Any of the “Things we all can do” on the Commitment Form (using less water to brush your teeth or take a shower; plant a tree; taking your own bags to the grocery store, etc.)
- Remove and properly dispose of a piece of someone else’s trash each day.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room
- Implement and be responsible for a 2c of water/day tree bank
- Ask your friends to do 10% more – enroll them with the Commitment Form
Ask the class if they have any questions. Congratulate them on being such a fine group and for their commitment to make the environment and the Earth a healthier place.
Ask them (if desired) to fill out a brief questionnaire about the information you presented and how they liked your presentation.
Thank them for their time and attention and participation today. Ask them if they remember the 5 R’s? (Rethink, Reduce, Renew, Reuse, Recycle!)
SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS
To obtain a copy of the most recent State of Florida Sunshine State Standards, please visit the State of Florida Department of Education website, or contact the State of Florida, Department of Education or the principal of any Florida public school.