Encourage Environmental Awareness Through These Activities

The severe heat waves, the melting of glaciers, loss of biodiversity, acid rain, and disruption of aquatic life are all consequences of detrimental effects on the environment. It's evident that our earth is suffering from many environmental issues and children, being the future, are responsible for taking care of it.

But, before the youth of this country takes steps for the protection of the environment they need to be aware of it. The schools of the country should take up the charge to produce environmentally conscious kids, by conducting fun activities.

Careers360 has listed a few environmental concerns and relevant fun activities on for students to understand how the issue is affecting our planet:

Acid Rain

Rain or any form of precipitation containing high amounts of acid is known as acid rain. When pollutants like carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide get dissolved in rainwater they form a harmful mixture of carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, and nitric acid respectively. This acidic mixture when it falls on the ground affects the vegetation, freshwater, marine life, animals and more.

Experiment: The students should learn the effect of acid rain on vegetation. For experimentation, the students will explore acid rain's effects with a lemon juice-water solution simulating its acidity.

Step 1: The students will take identical plants with the same type of soil under the same range of sunlight.

Step 2: Now, water one plant, let's say “Plant A” with regular water and the other say “Plant B” with an acidic mixture.

Step 3: Observe changes in colour, growth, and overall health over several days.

The students will notice that “Plant A” has healthy growth whereas “Plant B” has stunted growth. This hands-on experiment underscores pollution control's importance in safeguarding plants, ecosystems, and our planet.

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Rising Sea Level

The rise in the water level of the sea due to the melting away of glaciers, ice caps, and other frozen bodies. This is the result of human atrocities on nature through global warming. There are two big reasons why the sea levels around the world are rising. One is because the ocean is getting warmer, and warm water takes up more space. The other reason is that ice on land, like glaciers and ice sheets, is melting and adding more water to the oceans. The rising sea levels are a threat to coastal life, erosion of beaches etc.

Experiment: The students will check how the ice sheets on land when they are in contact with warmer temperatures cause the ice to melt and increase the level of the water body.

Step 1: The students will firmly press the clay into a breadth of a cuboid plastic container. The clay here symbolises the land.

Step 2: Now the students will arrange ice cubes over the clay's surface Here these ice cubes symbolise glaciers.

Step 3: Now the students will pour water into the container's unoccupied portion, making sure the water's level doesn't exceed the clay's top. The students will mark the level of water using a marker. Here the water signifies the ocean.

The students will leave the container to sit. Once the ice has fully melted, the students will use a marker to indicate the new water line. When the ice on the clay melts, the water rises, representing how land-based ice contributes to higher sea levels.

Deforestation

The loss of forest, or cutting of trees in an area leads to deforestation. The forestland is often shaved off to build infrastructure. The cutting off of trees can cause soil erosion, disruption to natural habitats, and more. Trees play an important role in our ecosystem right from giving us fresh oxygen and maintaining ecological balance.

Experiment: The students will check how the lack of trees in an area can wash away the topsoil.

Step 1: The students will fill two containers with soil. In the first containers say “Container 1” and evenly scatter seeds of grass or plant seeds a. This will represent a "healthy forest."

Step 2: For the other container let’s say “Container 2” students will put small pieces of cardboard or plastic inside to act as trees in a "deforested area."

Step 3: Now place both containers right next to each other on a surface that is slanted, to portray a hill.

Step 4: The students will pour water on the soil.

The students will observe that in the container in which the grass is planted, the soil remains steady. This is due to the roots of the plants anchoring it. In contrast, in a container with cardboard or plastic, students will notice that the soil erodes. This occurs because there are no trees or plants to shield the soil from being washed away. This step helps us understand how deforestation can lead to soil erosion and its consequences.

When students become well aware of the environment they should also need to know the sustainable use of it.

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Sustainability And Environmental Activities

Sustainability in terms of environment refers to the responsible use of resources and practices that maintain ecological balance for present and future generations. The students can also practise activities that make them sustainable usage of the environment.

Recycle, reuse and recycle are the most critical sustainable steps for the environment. For sustainability, students can practise making their own paper from already used paper. This will reduce the brutal chopping of trees that are the natural habitat of many species.

Sustainable composting is also an example of sustainable environmental activity. Composting is a natural way of recycling organic matter, or edible waste materials as chemical-free fertilisers for plants. Students can collect biodegradable waste from their lunch in bins which will further be mixed with the soil of an area along with dead leaves. This process makes the soil more nutrient-rich for the healthier growth of plants.

This not only reduces the burden on landfills but also restricts the release of methane gas released due to the decomposition of rotten food materials. This destabilised the earth’s temperature by heating up the atmosphere.

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Learning At School

Environmental science is a very important part of the school curriculum. It helps them understand and solve environmental problems. It also encourages them to care about our planet. The main ideas of environmental education are that the environment belongs to everyone, and we need to take care of it. Environmental education also teaches students that we should use natural resources wisely. Students learn how to protect and improve the environment. The introduction of environmental science to the students generates curiosity, makes them aware of citizens and encourages them to help fix environmental issues.