Storytime - Trouble-to-Toys
This workshop consists of two parts: a reading of the "When the Earth Shook" by Lisa Lucas followed by a hands-on activity called Trouble-to-Toys. Using some very ordinary items at home, we're going to learn about how they can create a toy out of recycled items.
This storytime virtual outreach activity is split into a pre-activity document - i.e., workshop overview and list of materials with preparation instructions for both the volunteer and educator, and PowerPoint presentation with presenter notes to help lead the workshop virtually.
This workshop discusses topics, which can lead to feelings of eco-anxiety among volunteers, educators and youth if not presented in a thoughtful manner. The most important things to remember are to be honest, hopeful, developmentally appropriate, and action oriented. This workshop was created with these guidelines in mind. For more details, refer to the volunteer resource, Being Conscious of Eco-Anxiety.
What You Need
Physical Requirements
- You will need a space that will allow you to comfortably lead the virtual quiz, a stable internet connection, a desktop computer with 1-2 desktop screens, based on your preference, a webcam and a headset with microphone.
- Site coordinators and volunteers participating in online programming must ensure the following if video is recorded or shown: wearing a Let’s Talk Science t-shirt, having a neutral background and trying to avoid open backgrounds where other people may suddenly be visible.
- This activity works best with a partner who can monitor the chat for questions.
Materials
- Plastic water bottle with cap (cut half horizontally prior to session)
- Ribbon or string (approx. 40-50 cm)
- Tinfoil
- Tape
- Scissors
- Optional: construction paper, markers, stickers to decorate
Pre-Activity Document:
Presentation:
Safety Notes
Ensure you are familiar with Let's Talk Science's precautions with respect to safe delivery of virtual outreach to youth. These precautions can be found in the manual for this activity.
What To Do
- Reading of "When the Earth Shook" by Lisa Lucas.
- Doing the Activity:
- Cut your string to be about 40 cm long.
- Lay a pan-sized sheet of tinfoil flat out in front of you. Lay the end of the string on the tinfoil.
- Scrunch up the tinfoil to form a ball around the string.
- Add tape to where the tinfoil ball meets the string to make sure the string stays in place.
- Place the other end of the string in the whole you would drink from in the water bottle. Screw the cap back on to secure the string.
- See how many times you can get the ball into the cup!
Discovery
Greenhouse gases are types of gases that cause the temperature to rise. This is known as global warming or climate change. Greenhouse gases are often put into the air by things that are helpful to us like heating our homes, making the food we eat, or taking a plane or car to a cool place! But, greenhouse gases cause all sorts of problems for Earth when there’s too much of them, such as making the air harder for us to breath, big storms or forest fires, and temperatures that are too warm for animals to live in so they have to move.
You may be wondering what recycling or waste, like the pile of garbage on the slide, has to do with greenhouse gases. Well, A LOT of work goes into making an item! Making the item and shipping the item puts many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, when you throw an item away in the landfill, as it breaks down it also releases those bad gases!
Luckily, there are things we can do to prevent more of these bad greenhouse gases from building up around us! At the end of the story, the humans and animals start taking action to do this. What are some of the things you can remember them doing to help the Earth?
- Hanging up clothes (reduce using electricity or gas)
- Planting trees
- Composting
- Recycling
- Riding their bikes
It is also important to reuse items when we can or recycle items to turn them into something new. Turning an item into something new you can use is called upcycling! By doing this, less waste is added to the landfills!
What's Happening?
Greenhouse gases are types of gases that cause the temperature to rise. This is known as global warming or climate change. Greenhouse gases are often put into the air by things that are helpful to us like heating our homes, making the food we eat, or taking a plane or car to a cool place! But, greenhouse gases cause all sorts of problems for Earth when there’s too much of them, such as making the air harder for us to breath, big storms or forest fires, and temperatures that are too warm for animals to live in so they have to move.
You may be wondering what recycling or waste, like the pile of garbage on the slide, has to do with greenhouse gases. Well, A LOT of work goes into making an item! Making the item and shipping the item puts many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, when you throw an item away in the landfill, as it breaks down it also releases those bad gases!
Why does it matter?
Luckily, there are things we can do to prevent more of these bad greenhouse gases from building up around us! At the end of the story, the humans and animals start taking action to do this. What are some of the things you can remember them doing to help the Earth?
- Hanging up clothes (reduce using electricity or gas)
- Planting trees
- Composting
- Recycling
- Riding their bikes
It is also important to reuse items when we can or recycle items to turn them into something new. Turning an item into something new you can use is called upcycling! By doing this, less waste is added to the landfills!