Schools go green for the day
Thursday at the festival was world environment day and - for 30,000 pupils across Birmingham and three other English cities - the UK’s first-ever green day for schools.
Green day, set up to by CABE to coincide with the climate change festival, is a one-day event with a simple aim: a fun and flexible way to bring alive the connections between climate change and the built environment, through thought-provoking eco-themed activities.
Joining pupils for the Birmingham green day were environment minister Joan Ruddock – visiting Thornton junior school - and round-the-world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur – visiting Chandos school.
Our green day reporter, Alex Reynolds, reported that Dame Ellen’s arrival at Chandos was accompanied by a power cut – but that the lack of electricity at the school was actually a part of that school’s green day activity. ‘Chandos was clearly embracing the green day’s aim of encouraging schools themselves to think green,’ he said. ‘The pupils were all very excited by Dame Ellen - so much so that they were completely silenced by her. She was very good with the kids and really helped them think about the limits on resources by talking about what happened on her yacht when food ran short.’
Teachers started the day – which targets key stage 2 and 3 pupils (aged seven to 14) - by making the link between climate change and the built environment, before moving on to whole-school activities. At Chandos, pupils ran a recycled clothing competition, while Thornton showed a film about recycling and designed a classroom for the future. ‘Thornton got so caught up in the day that it’s become a green week,’ Alex said.
A hundred schools participated in the green day across Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Nottingham – with 38 schools in Birmingham alone. ‘Almost all the pupils were dressed in green for the occasion,’ said Alex. ‘Every school we went to said that they wanted to do a green day again next year.’
CABE has produced a green day activity kit full of ideas for teachers.
