Build an igloo with plastic bottles by involving children from a class or the whole school . Here is a very original idea to educate the little ones at recycle and reuse materials in a creative and fun way. As always, from the point of view of children’s creativity and education, it is not so important to focus on the result obtained, as on the entire process of realization and the discoveries to which it can lead.
Pupils from the first class of Midland Christian School , Michigan , pledged to collect over 400 plastic bottles and went to work with their teacher to make a great igloo. They used rather large milk bottles, which however we do not find in Italy. We could replace them with the plastic detergent bottles or with the milk bottles we have available.
The project related to the collection and cleaning of the bottles lasted three weeks. Then the kids started building the igloo. The only costs incurred involved the purchase of the glue needed to join the various bottles together, for a total of approximately $ 12. The construction of the igloo has given rise to a creative process , useful for developing children’s manual skills and for educating them on the importance of recycling and the value of objects.
Now the same igloo, to the realization of which the children contributed while having fun, has become a didactic tool , to which the teachers can refer during the folding of the various subjects , such as geography, social studies and sciences. Building an igloo is an interesting project not only for schools, but also for libraries and centers dedicated to children. You can decide to use fewer bottles and build a smaller igloo.
How to start the project? Here are the recommendations of the Midland Christian School for teachers and educators :
1) Send an e-mail through the school mail to the parents of the classes involved or of the whole school, so that they can contribute to the collection of the necessary bottles . It would be nice to be able to involve other families and citizens, in addition to the waste collection centers. Don’t forget to ask to keep the bottle caps too, in order to obtain a decorative effect
2) Wash the bottles well, dry them and collect them in a special room , which you will have chosen as the place for the construction of the igloo. On the floor lay a cardboard base , so that the construction can find stability.
3) To join the bottles together use hot glue . With younger children, the teachers will carry out this operation, but still be helped.
he total work for the construction of the igloo is quite long and requires that you have hours to devote to creative activities . You can include the construction of the igloo among the afternoon activities of the school. The teachers will be able to carry out the most difficult operations on their own during their free time.
5) As for the igloo as a teaching tool , you can structure your lessons by linking them to this project and talk about it in relation to ecology , geography , cultural aspects and scientific subjects. Counting the number of bottles needed will be useful in mathematics. Finally, you can propose the reading of stories that have as protagonists the Eskimos or the animals that live in polar areas.
