National Sweater Day: A Chilling Project!

Our most recent project was organizing National Sweater Day at our schools this month to promote energy awareness and energy conservation. National Sweater Day is a World Wildlife Fund initiative which Mrs. Devon Caldwell's Kindergarten class invited us to take part in. (You can read about their project here.)

Although this was a "smaller" project compared to some of our more massive PBL undertakings, it was a meaningful learning experience. Students researched National Sweater Day and learned some of the reasons why turning down the heat can help the earth. They wrote letters inviting other classes in our school to take part and talked to our school principal about participating in the event. Once we had full support from staff and students in our school, we moved ahead with the project.

Students advertised the event using posters and our school signs. My class even got our collegiate involved by writing to the student councils, asking them to organize the event in their school building. As a shared writing activity, we wrote informational announcements and reminder announcements to be shared over the school intercom. Student volunteers even read the messages LIVE on school announcements (using our great speaking skills!) We also prepared a message to send home to families so everyone knew that we were taking part in this event and to encourage families to turn down their heat at home in support of our event.

On February 5th, our school custodian turned down the heat and we wore our sweaters to stay warm, taking part in our school's first National Sweater Day event. As a nice treat for all of the classes in our school, our class prepared hot chocolate to help keep everyone warm!