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Girl Scouts of Connecticut
Going Green, One Shade at A Time
Interest Project
Breakin’ It Down
Explore how pollutants from our everyday life impact the environment and health. This IP will
help guide you to make a difference individually or collectively in your environment at home and
in the world.
HERstory
The “Going Green, One Shade At A Time” Council Interest Project is the direct result of an IP
creation by Kathryn P. Jackman-Murphy, MS, RN, Girl Scouts of Connecticut member. She is
very committed to healthy living and the environment.
You’ve Got MAD Skills
By completing the activities in the “Going Green, One Shade At A Time” Council Interest Project
girls can:
- Gain awareness of the effects personal actions and choices can have on the environment and health
- Explore environmental careers
- Gain awareness of pollution and the effect on our environment
- Gain awareness of organic and non-organic products
- Gain awareness of products created by recycled materials
Helpful Links
There are several organizations and online resources to help you for researching and doing the
activities in this IP:
- Carbon Footprint- Reducing Your Input (http://www.carbonfootprint.com)
- National Library of Medicine- Tox Town http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov)
- National Recycling Coalition (http://www.nrc-recycle.org)
- The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide (http://www.obviously.com/recycle)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics- Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/OCO/)
- Your local Recycling or Transfer Station
- Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (http://www.crra.org)
Important
Work closely with your adult advisor to make sure you’re within Safety-Wise guidelines when
participating in any visit.
The Going Green, One Shade At A Time Council Interest Project award may be obtained through
the Girl Scouts of Connecticut Shops. You may shop online at www.gsofct.org > Shop. You may
also contact them at 203-234-6253 or shop@gsofct.org
Please contact the Girl Scouts of Connecticut Program Department for further information at 203-
239-2922 or 800-922-2770 or program@gsofct.org .
Need Help?
In order to earn any of these Interest Projects, you must:
- Do the one REQUIRED activity
- Do ONE activity of your choice from each of the THREE categories (LEARN,DO, SHARE)
- Design and do ONE activity of YOUR OWN
- Create a short REFLECTION after you’ve completed all of the activities
Food for Thought! Often, an activity in the “LEARN” category will help you build a skill that you’ll
have the chance to try in the “DO” category and then share in the “SHARE” category. Make
connections between the “steps” when planning which activities you’ll do. For an example of a
skill-building connection, check out the first activity of each “Going Green, One Shade AT A Time”
category.
Required: Have you ever thought about the connection between the environment and your
health? Learn where a recycling or transfer station is located in your community. Visit the
station. How did they begin? What materials do they accept? What materials are not accepted?
Why do they not accept these items and how can they be safely disposed? What is the average
amount received of each material? How is the station staffed? What education or training is
required? What goes into the design of the station? What are the costs of operating a station?
Has the usage varied over the years? What happens to the recycled items once they are
collected? Who oversees the protection of the environment in and around the station? What
tests are conducted to ensure the area’s health? What is a Carbon Footprint? Determine what
your Carbon Footprint is and how you can reduce your input. Tip: See Helpful Links.
LEARN
1. Use your detective skills. Walk about the house and identify 10 items that can be
recycled. (Hint: look for the chasing arrows symbol). Identify 10 items used during
troop meetings. What items can be recycled? Are there other less “disposable” items
that could be used?
2. Learn what products are created from recycled materials. Are any of these products
used in the home or at school?
3. What is an organic product? What is the difference between an organic and non-organic
product?
4. Learn what ingredients are found in soap, shampoo and body lotion. Learn how your
body might react to some of the ingredients.
5. Learn about careers involving protecting our environment. Find out what education is
required for these careers. Tip: See Helpful Links.
6. Select a country you would like to visit. Study what they are doing to help the
environment. Do they offer more recycling for different items? Do they allow use of
the same chemicals/ingredients as the United States?
7. Pollution comes from many areas. Research what pollution comes from cities, towns and
farmlands. Tip: See Helpful Links.
8. We all need clean water to live. Pollutants enter our water from many places. Research
how life in urban areas, farm lands and industrial areas can impact our water quality.
9. Many “high tech” items use rechargeable batteries which make our life easier.
Investigate the proper disposal of these items.
DO
1. Set up a recycling station at home. Ask your family to join you in using these stations for
two months. Make a recycling box for troop meetings and events and ask members to
use the box for items that can be recycled like soda cans. Keep a journal of the items
your family and troop recycles each week. Deposit your recycled items at a recycling or
transfer station. Discuss thoughts and ideas of changes your family and troop could
make to use items that are less “disposable”.
2. Visit a store that sells products created from recycled materials. What items are sold?
Are there differences in products not made from recycled materials? What are they?
3. Visit a supermarket that sells organic products. Compare organic and non-organic
products. Do they differ in price? How are they similar or different?
4. Visit several different types of stores that sell soap, shampoo and body lotion. Compare
two products from each group and learn if one product is safer than another.
5. Lead and mercury are some common pollutants. Find out how these toxins affect our
body. What are sources of these toxins? What can you do to avoid them?
SHARE
1. Share what you have learned about recycling in your home and troop and using items that
are less “disposable” with another troop or group.
2. Share information you have gained about products created with recycled materials.
3. Share information you have gained about organic and non-organic products.
4. Share what you have learned about soap, shampoo and body lotion with your troop/group.
5. Develop a play about recycling for children. Share your recycling play with others.
Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Inc.
Program Department
North Haven Service Center
20 Washington Avenue, North Haven, Connecticut 06473
203-239-2922 • 800-922-2770 • Fax 203-239-7220
Website: www.gsofct.org |
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