Students learn earth-friendly practices

By Eileen Persike
Editor
Students at Rhinelander’s Crescent Elementary School spent Wednesday much like their ancestors generations ago may have spent the school day: with the lights off, technology turned off and unplugged.
It was all part of their Earth Day lessons, learning about being earth-friendly.
Kindergartners in Ms. Pekoc’s class learned about landfills and recycling, using clay to create miniature drink bottles. The students acted out the way recycling works. They also found a repurposed use for milk cartons – they make perfect flower pots.
Third graders in Ms. Turgeon’s class, and Mrs. Vannattar’s first graders worked together to create bird feeders and bird houses out of milk cartons, bird seed and yarn to hang on trees in the school yard. That is just one of the stations in which students spent the day.
Other lessons included planting maple seeds after investigating their shape and unique properties, walking part of the trail to clean up the environment, learning to identify the footprints of Northwoods creatures and how they have adapted to the environment and reusing magazines to make posters.