Spring Cleaning

It’s that time of the year – and with all of us at home, we have the time to tackle spring cleaning.  There are opportunities to get the whole family involved and it can make for great learning too!  Here’s how to dispose of things you no longer need with the environment in mind: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/a19805/how-to-dispose-of-everything/ https://goodneighborsgroup.org/donate/ While there are many organizations that are not able to take collections at this time amid the Coronavirus pandemic, box and label and the items will be that much more important to people in need when the time comes! Many of our annual Severna Park Earth Day Festival partners will be able to put your items to use! Leveling the Playing Field – sporting goods equipment https://www.levelingtheplayingfield.org/volunteer-center/baltimore-md/ Best Buy – electronics https://www.bestbuy.com/site/services/recycling/pcmcat149900050025.c?id=pcmcat149900050025 Orphan Grain Train- school supplies https://www.ogt.org/branches/maryland/ Hope for All – housewares https://www.hopeforall.us/ Curriculum connections – how to involve your kids in this project, keeping them learning and contributing to your family and the larger community Pre-school to early elementary: Counting!  How many of each item; how bags and boxes?  Spelling – what letter does this start with?  Say other words with the same letter. Elementary:  Introduce concept of estimating – a good guess; estimate before and then compare to actual results.  Spelling & definitions & writing. Middle & High school: create complex calculations about tallying cost – if you are donating, create spreadsheet of items, and use guide to valuation to total.  Discuss the need for receipt for taxes.  If you are delivering the donations, discuss mapping, directions, mileage.  And of course, how the receiving organization will use the items.   High school reading:  The Rent Collector - https://www.therentcollectorbook.com/about.htm Novel but based on true story of living in dump of Cambodia   All levels – use as “sentence starter” or theme of artwork – “Throw it away.”  We say this every day.  Where is “away”?  What does it look like?  Who lives there?  Etc. When asked, “Help!  Humans make so much garbage, we’re running out of places to put it.  What can we do?”  A 10-year old student named Kristin responded, “Have a law that says every person who litters has to pick it up and eat it.”  How would your student recommend we solve this problem?   Books – before you get rid of, read again as a family – even picture books.  Same story hold different meanings at different ages.  Use a book to jump start a theme for the day. For example, Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Read it aloud and discuss through today’s lens.  Ideas for discussion:   https://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/BookModule/AlexanderAndTheTerribleHorribleNoGoodVeryBadDayHERE