TIGERS

Family Activities –

Circle Ten Council

Discussion

Have a family talk about the ways people can care for the Earth in the home, school or community?

Name some natural resources found in the school, home or community?

Talk about ways he can help take care of the Earth?

Earth Walk

Take the family on an Earth (natural resources) walk around the neighborhood.

On the walk, ask the children to look for things the Earth provides (natural resources).

As resources are observed, have the children stop, look at the resources, then use their senses to describe them (what they see, how it feels, what it smells like, how it sounds).

Ask the children: "In what ways have people taken care of the natural resources in our neighborhood?"

Ask the children: "How have the natural resources in the neighborhood been changed to make life better for people?"

If possible, take children to areas where people have not cared for the Earth. (This could be a site with a lot of trash, absence of trees and grass, etc.)

Ask the children: "If some natural resources have been damaged, how can we repair or fix them?"

Come home and let the children draw a picture showing what they are going to do to help. Hang it for all the family to see and be reminded of what they are going to do to help the earth.

Den Activities

Circle Ten Council

Apple Birdfeeders

You'll need for each boy -

One apple,

3 feet of string

Birdseed or cereal for each boy. 

Directions –

Cut lengthwise grooves in the apple on all four sides.

 Cut the top off about 1/2-inch from the stem of the apple. 

Scoop out some of the insides of the apple with a spoon, being careful not to break the skin. 

Fill the center of the apple with birdseed or cereal. 

Re-attach the top of the apple to the bottom using the string:

Criss-cross the string underneath the apple and tie it above the stem. 

Use the remaining string to hang the apple outside where it will be protected from rain. 

(Note: you could also use an orange, pear, nectarine or turnip, green tomato, gourd or firm squash.)

Trash Monster

You'll need for each Monster

Two paper lunch bags,

Construction paper,

Markers, scissors and glue. 

Directions

Cut an oval opening in the bottom of one lunch bag. 

Open the other lunch bag and slide the first one inside it so the hole is at the top (monster's mouth) and the other bag's bottom is on the bottom. 

Decorate the bag, as you like with construction paper eyes and accordion-folded arms. 

Or use markers. 

Set the monster on a desktop and feed it small pieces of trash!

Milk Jug Bird Feeder

Need for each feeder:

Gallon milk jug with lid

Sharp pointed scissors

Pencils

Bird seed

String, optional

Directions

Rinse out an empty plastic gallon milk jug with lid.

Dry thoroughly.

Cut a window in the front of the jug, and make two small poke holes for the perches.

Insert pencils for perches and fill the bottom of the jug with birdseed.

You can either rest the bird feeder on a ledge or punch holes near the top, add string, and hang from a branch.

WHERE DOES GARBAGE GO

Circle Ten Council

This one would work well with every level of Cub Scout.  The Bear Achievement, Take Care of Your Planet, came to mind immediately. The visual images are great and last longer with our Cubs.  CD

Before the Den arrives, set up a recycling bin to look like a big garbage can.

Read the book "Where does garbage go?" up through the part about Americans generating 4 lbs. of trash a day. Ask the boys to name the kinds of things they throw away.

Let the boys hold a bag with four pounds of trash in it to see/feel how much trash it contains (4 lbs.). Line seven bags up in a row to show them how much trash one person makes every week (28 lbs.).

Demonstrate what goes into a landfill. Ask the boys to pretend that the bin (recycle bin you disguised earlier) surrounded by a white sheet is a hole in the ground (landfill). More than half of the trash in landfills is paper. Ask a boy to put the paper provided into the landfill. Repeat the procedure with the correct proportions of other landfill trash (glass, metal, plastic, food and yard waste, other).

Read the pages about how many communities now recycle. Why do they recycle? (By recycling, these people cut down on the amount of trash they send to the landfills. By throwing away less trash, the people help to make the Earth a cleaner place.)

Ask the boys to look at the landfill again and name the things in the landfill that cannot be recycled. After taking out "other" and "food and yard waste," remove the sheet and show them that the pretend landfill is really a recycling bin. All of the items remaining in the bin can be recycled.

Show the boys a poster that shows the recycling symbol ("chasing arrow"). Ask the boys if they have seen these symbols before? Where? What do they mean? Explain that the boys and their partner will now work together. They will be recycling detectives and will look for these symbols on different items in their home to determine if the items can be recycled or not. Explain that not ALL of the objects that can be recycled have the symbol on them (like magazines and some cardboard, etc.), but many of the objects do. Looking for the symbol is a very good way to try and figure out if you can put the object out for the recycling truck or take it to a recycling center.  Have them bring their list to the next meeting to share with each other. Have each boy name one thing on their list and continue until all items on each list have been named.

Go See It Outing

Circle Ten Council

ü      Tour a fast food restaurant or small restaurant

ü      Tour an energy conservation home

ü      Tour a Wildflower center and learn about landscaping that will conserve water

ü      Tour Electric plant or company and have them explain ways to save energy

ü      Tour the local Water Company and ask for ways to conserve water.

ü      Tour the Gas Company and ask about ways to conserve during winter months.

ü      Tour the local or county landfill and have them talk about recycling.

This last one was a big hit with our Den when my wife and I were Den Leaders.  CD