My favorite unit to teach in FACS class is the recycling one. Most students already know a lot about recycling. Their generation is reminded of it daily and there are recycling bins throughout their schools, homes and communities. I put a little twist on it. We start by watching the original pollution PSAs from the 1970's including "The Crying Indian" and "Woodsie the Owl." They learn what PSA stands for (Public Service Announcement) and what a tagline is ("Give a Hoot - Don't Pollute.) We discuss the changing trend from Pollution toward Recycling. They can already tell me what and how they should recycle. At the end of the unit they are required to write a report, create a poster, or make a PSA to be videotaped.
Many students really get into the PSAs with props, music, etc. Other students create a twist on recycling - one talked about hunting and disposing properly of bagged animals. We had one PSA all in Spanish and another with Zombies. I try and never show the previous trimesters videos or the creativity stops flowing. At the end, we take a day and watch the PSAs of the year. It is fun to hear their reactions. One group went completely out of the box and made a comic book. It was quite clever and I appreciated their dedication to it.
Tonight Brett helped me by watching my FACS classes recycling PSAs. He was able to tell me if they hit the mark, spoke clearly and seemed prepared. We had a lot of fun discussing them. Brett is a great critic and sees things that I sometimes do not (both good and bad.) I appreciated his help and had a great time with him. I will miss that next year, but I know that he will enjoy all the opportunities and freedom he will find in college. Much as my 8th graders are ready for high school, Brett is ready for his new adventure too!
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