For info about green teaching in Japan, get a copy of ecosig's bilingual Environmental Action Guide! Made by JETs for JETS, it contains information about environmental issues as well as practical ideas for classroom activities. See also our new online book, Down to Earth English. Contact our Publications Distributor for details.

teaching resources

some advice to start:

• Many schools now seem to be undertaking some kind of education, albeit somewhat awkwardly, about green issues. Often this is done in word only, rather than reinforcing what is taught with practical action. It might be worthwhile consulting the teachers of other subjects like Science, Health and Physical Education to see what they are up to. This way you can design lessons which complement what other teachers are doing in their classes.

• Consult with your team teachers before you make class materials. Sometimes the materials you make will not be used: your team teachers may be uninterested in trying things a new way, they may not understand what you are trying to do, or may decide to do something else during the lesson. It is good to make sure any class materials you make are in a form where they can be reused for a different lesson or purpose. Always try to be economical and resourceful when making class materials.

• Many environmental groups can provide subscriptions to regular newsletters and magazines or other teaching material. Many organizations offer material specifically aimed at schoolchildren and provide useful information as well as word puzzles, educational games etc. Newsletters often contain useful classroom material. It maybe worthwhile to subscribe,and the newsletters are usually quite cheap, sometimes free.

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reading material

JET Environmental Action Guide

Editor: B. Donlon. AJET, 1996.

Written by JETs primarily for JETs but useful as a teaching resource everywhere. The contents are broken down into three chapters. Chapter 1: The Main Issues provides fact sheets on issues from air pollution to ozone depletion. Chapter 2: Individual Action explains how and why we must change the way we live. Chapter 3: Community Action includes advice for organising clean-up days, quizzes and other fun activities like making natural soap and paper. Also included is a list of environmental terms in English and Japanese; resources and networking information.

Cost: ¥1500, ¥2000 for non-AJET members. Contact our Publications Distributor to order a copy.

See our new online book of environmental lesson plans, Down to Earth English.

50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

The Earth Works Group. Warner Books, 1993.

A follow-up in the popular "50 Things" series of several years back. A Japanese version is also available.

Green Teacher Magazine

95 Robert Street, Toronto, Canada M55 2 K5

The Blue Peter Green Book

L. Bronze. Global Media Systems, 1991

Strands in the Web: 201 Activities for Teaching Environmental Awareness

R Smith. Pippin Publishing Ltd, Ontario, 1994

Mainly contains lesson ideas for teaching scientific material. It contains worksheets and ideas for outdoor activities as well as offering explanations of a wide range of environmental issues.

The Green Classroom

A Mason. Pembroke Publishers, 1991

The New State of the Earth Atlas

Joni Seager. Touchstone, annual. Japanese version also available.

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games and lesson ideas

Almost any word game can be adapted to suit a lesson about green issues. For example simple word games like hangman, crosswords or wordfinds can all be played using environmental terms. You can play Jeopardy using questions about Green issues, maybe incorporating some Geography and Science questions. You can write a short speech and give your students a copy with words missing. Ask them to fill in the blanks as you read aloud. You could modify one of our fact sheets to do this.

If your school engages in debating you may ask your students to debate some environmental topics, eg:

'Japan should be allowed to hunt whales'

'Drink companies that use PET bottles should be responsible for PET bottle recycling'

'The government should be responsible for encouraging people to use the rail system more'

'Public transport should be free'

'Where should be less car parking spaces and more for bicycles to discourage people from driving'

'Companies that encourage carpooling or using alternative transport should be given tax deductions'

'People should have to pay to have excess garbage removed from their house'

'Food should be packaged in recyclable material only'

Bulletin boards are always a good idea, especially if they include information in Japanese. Students (and other teachers) who are too shy to approach the gaijin are able to take their time reading material or looking at pictures. They also have the chance to return if it is interesting enough!

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project ideas for schools

• start a vegetable, herb or flower garden at school
• start a worm farm or compost bin
• start a comic swap at your school library where students can exchange their old comics; alternatively send used comics home to your host country where schools can use them as language resources. Perhaps organise an international comics exchange between a school at home and the school where you work..
• explore alternate energy sources like wind power, solar power, maybe in connection with science department
• make paper machie daruma dolls out of recycled paper
• make recycled paper
• have a tree planting. Bring seeds from your home country or use beautiful seasonal Japanese trees like cherry blossoms. Australian local government reps provide an information pack for cultural exchange participants which includes a pamphlet about wattles and includes some seeds.
• invite someone from your local council to give a speech about recycling or waste minimization, and inspire the students with creative ideas for reusing household items. Perhaps hold a competition between year groups or local schools to think of new ways to reuse an item like an old umbrella, etc
• have the BEE team visit.
• do a survey of ways the school community could become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Survey the school to see if there are recycling bins or that garbage is sorted, study the cafeteria and see if there is anything that can be done to make it become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly(eg start using reusable chopsticks instead of waribashi).
• students clean the school each day - perhaps see if once a month they (and any interested teachers) could clean the physical space around the school.

other recycling projects

Old greeting cards

Make a bookmark from an old card.

Use last year's Christmas cards to make Christmas gift tags and paper chains.

Make your own birthday, Christmas, Valentine's etc greeting cards by covering old cards with new pictures or photographs. To spice things up and to vary the range of expressions your student scan learn to use, you could make different types of cards for unconventional reasons. For eg: to send to someone you have broken up with, to wish someone luck in an entrance examination, to celebrate Earth Day.... the possibilities are endless!

Make gift boxes using old cards

1. Cut apart the two halves of the card. Trim .5 cm off one side and one end of the back half of the card.

2. On the wrong side of each piece, draw diagonal lines between opposite corners with a ruler, to form a large X.

3. Fold in the two sides so they meet in the centre. Do the same with the two ends. Starting at each corner, cut along the diagonal lines to the new fold lines. Use the box for small gifts or certificates.

4. Fold each point A to the inside. Now fold flaps B over points A. Tuck in the corners and glue if necessary. The back of the card, being smaller, forms the bottom of the box.

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worksheets and fact sheets

See ecosig's Environmental Action Guide for the best of these!

See our new online book, Down to Earth English for lesson plans worksheets and fact sheets about caring for the Earth.