Saturday, December 12, 2009

Thrifted Bears in an Oil Spill

Frugal and eco-minded teachers can hit gold at local thrift shops. In Science, my class is learning about Energy Conservation. We've been exploring fossil fuels and the environmental damages caused by oil spills. Last week, I bought two bags of brand new stuffed bears (10 bears in total) for $4.00 at Value Village. Yesterday, the class recreated an oil spill using cooking oil, black powdered paint (scooped for free at Artsjunktion), and water. Look at the poor bears.
The kids were a little excited. Perhaps a little too excited...
Teddy awaits a last minute pardon.
Greasy horror.
Soap and water did not get them clean.
The students wrote about this activity and their questions and comments will soon be posted on the Room 204 Student Blog. Needless to say, this hands-on activity made the class really think about the damage caused to wildlife following an oil spill. Next week, they will perform autopsies on the bears to see what they look like inside.
E. Hawkins

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