Zink Respects the Environment
Zink is a special zebra with spots and lives in the Lipus Jungle she thinks it is important to treat everyone with respect, it is equally important to treat our environment with respect. If we respect the environment and try to leave as little of an environmental footprint then we can protect our planet for future generations.
An environmental footprint is the mark we leave on our planet. As the world population grows, we encroach upon wilderness as areas and destroy habitats at an alarming rate. This reduces the biodiversity and causes extinction of many plants and animals, which in turns threatens our own survival.
You will have the opportunity to discover information about environment, connect to the environment and finally take action to reduce your own environment footprint. Complete at least one activity under Discover, Connect and Take Action. After completing the activities you are eligible for the “Respect” patch bar and the Black and White Zink the zebra learning tool or just the patch bar, ask your council how you can purchase them. If your council is not willing to help you or you are not with the Girl Scouts, please email zinkzebra@aol.com.
Discover
Zink first decided she needed to learn and discover about the different environmental issues and terminology. Pick an activity that you would like to discover more information on the environment.
1. Learning different terms in the environment/recycling:
Match the word with the definition:
A. Anaerobic 1. Excess material or waste produced in addition to the primary product.
B. Composting 2. A community of plants and animals that interact with one another and with the surrounding nonliving environment
C. Byproduct 3. Material that still has useful physical or chemical properties after serving its original purpose can be reused or remanufactured to make new products
D. Deforestation 4. Garbage, rash, debris or refuse
E. Disposable 5. Certain bacteria decomposed organic materials without oxygen & create methane gas through a process known as anaerobic decomposition
F. Ecosystem 6. The contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances
G. Groundwater 7. Refers to the process of throwing away unwanted materials
H. Life cycle 8. The controlled biological decomposition of organic material
I. Pollution 9. Water stored in porous spaces of soil and rock underground
J. Recyclable 10. The clearing and removal of trees from a forested area.
K. Waste 11. The complete cycle of events occurring over the lifetime of an animate or inanimate object.
2. Learn about biodegradable and decomposition:
Materials: 10 1 pound cottage cheese or butter tubs, 2 pieces of glass, 2 pieces of aluminum foil, 2 pieces small paper, 2 pieces of plastic, 2 pieces of food, sterile soil and enough soil from a garden to fill 5 of the tubs.
Decomposition occurs everywhere. If everything existed forever, we would be buried in our waste. Our waste products are varied: some are made of easily degradable materials while others will last for thousands of years.
Activity:
Display a piece of glass, paper, metal, plastic, and food. Ask the group to predict which of these substances are biodegradable (capable of rotting or decomposing)? Conduct the following experiment to determine whether their predictions were correct.
Dig enough soil from a garden or vacant lot to fill five of the containers. Fill five of the containers half full with soil and the other five half full with sterile potting mix. Place a piece of each type of waste into each container. Continue filling the containers with soil or sterile mix whichever they already contain. Add enough water to all pots so that the soils or sterile mix is damp but not wet to the touch. Cover the containers. Label the containers to indicate the type of waste and whether it contains soil or sterile mix.
After one week, examine the waste in each container. Which wastes are decomposing? Cover the wastes again, and continue to check them once a week for as long as you want. Record your observations. Check the original predictions and draw conclusions about which substances are biodegradable and under what conditions.
3. Nature Scavenger hunt:
Materials: egg carton or lunch sack, list for scavenger hunt.
One way to run a scavenger hunt is to hand out an egg carton and a list of 1 items to collect-e.g., natural items which are: soft, spiky, blue, strong, beautiful, old, fragile, yummy, sharp, smooth, closed, open wet dry, from an animal, dead, etc. Be creative. With younger children you may need to list specific items: leaf, rock, stick, grass, weed, bark, etc.
4. Leaf Rainbow
Materials: nothing
In small groups, have he girls search for leaves of different shades and colors and create a “leaf rainbow”.
Connect
Zink was excited about what she discovered in the environment. But she felt she needed to really connect with the environment to have a better understanding. Choose an activity to help you connect with nature.
1. Hug a Tree:
Materials: blindfolds for half the group, trees
Have the group divided into pairs. One person in the pair is blindfolded and is the hugger. The sighted person leads the blinded person around until they find the perfect tree for the tree hugger to use. This allows the blindfolded person to get to know the tree. The blindfolded individual is allowed time to get to know their tree. The size, shape, location. Texture, etc to get to know their tree.
The tree hugger is lead back to the original starting point and the blindfolded is removed. The tree hugger tries to locate their tree.
Swap. Allow the tree hugger now to become the guide and the guide to become the tree hugger.
This game is good as a trust-building activity as well.
2. Favorite Place in Nature
Where is your favorite place in nature? Write a description, draw or picture or describe the place to someone else. What makes it special?
3. Walk Like the Animals
Have races where you walk like the animals. Decide on a start and finish line with the group.
Crab Race: Racers are on all fours (hands and feet) body facing the ceiling and must move sideways.
Chimp Race: Racers hold their ankles with their hands or drag their knuckles on the ground.
Frog Race: Races squat in frog position and hop.
Can you think of other animals to imitate in your races? Let your imagination run wild-and may the fastest animal win!
4. Fox and Mouse Game
Animals often use their sense of hearing to help them find food and avoid danger. This Fox and Mouse Game will help you and your friends sharpen your ears.
The fox is one nature’s most clever animals. It uses its large ears to help hunt for food. Here’s how you can be as cunning as a fox:
You need at least 4 to play this game. Pick one person to be the fox. That person will stand in the middle of the circle with their eyes closed. Have a mouse (one of the girls in the circle) walk in an inner circle around the fox and then return to her place in the outer circle. The fox must try to guess who the “mouse” was, using sounds as clues. If he fox guesses correctly, the mouse takes a turn as the fox.
(Many animals use their hearing skills to protect themselves in the wild. Can you think of animals that have big ears so they can listen for danger and quickly run away? Example: rabbits. Can you think of some ways that your ears help you?)
Take Action
Zink is very excited about all she has learned and knows that the environment is important to our future. She wants to know if you can think of ways to reduce your environmental footprint. Here are a simple tips and tricks you can use to lessen your environment impact! Pick at least one to put into place with your family. Report back to the troop with what you did and how you think it helps. Or as a troop think about how your troop can reduce their environmental footprint. Maybe you can think of other ways to help.
1. Plant a tree: Trees store CO2 which help replace the oxygen in the air.
2. Transportation: Use alternative transportation whenever possible. Bikes, public transit and carpools are great ways to commute. Are there ways that your family can make your car more economical?
3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost: Reusing packaging materials saves more energy than recycling. By avoiding extra packaging, you save both energy and landfill space. Yard and kitchen waste make up 30% of trash-an amount you can significantly reduce by composting. Be sure to re-use plastic bags or better yet use and re-use a canvas grocery bag. 4. Conserve water: Check your home for leaks and don’t let faucets run. Water your lawn only when necessary, and then schedule it in the late evening or early morning. Take shorter showers, run the washing machine and dishwasher only when full or better still w ash your dishes by hand. You can use the leftover rinsing water to water your plants! Help your family plant native or drought-tolerant garden plants.
5. Change your Eating Habits: Look for locally grown food at local farmer markets. Local and organic foods reduce the energy cost of transportation and the excessive use of pesticides.
6. Everyday Energy Consumption: Lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer.
7. Polluted Runoff: Can you identify ways you can help prevent polluted runoff from your home?
8. Host a Waste Free Lunch, http://www.wastefreelunches.org, http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/pdfs/wfl-inst.pdf
Resource
Activities and information came from the following resources:
Ten Things You can Do to Make a Difference in Your Watershed/US EPA www.epa.gov/owow/adopt/earthday/index.html
Your Environmental Footprint @ The Rainforest Site http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/environmentalfootprint.faces?siteId=4&link=ctg_trs_environmentalfootprint_from_home_sidetabs
HowStuffWorks http://home.howstuffworks.com/animal
Planet Pals
www.planetpals.com/earthday.html
Kids for Saving the Earth
www.kidsforsavingearth.org
EPA
www.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/pdfs/wfl-inst.pdf
Action for Nature
www.actionfornature.org/action.html, www.actionfornature.org/eco-hero
About.com
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/craftsbyproduct/a/trashcrafts.htm
Word Match: A:5, B:8, C:1, D:10, E:7, F:2, G:9, H:11, I:6, J:3, K:4
Zink the Zebra is licensed by Regis Marketing Group.
The troop patch program teaches girls the importance of respect, understanding, compassion and acceptance. The message of Zink is that “Whatever you are is what you are.” & “Being different makes you special.” Girl and leaders choose the activities that spark their interest. The program helps girls develop their problem solving skills, reduces cliques, develop close friendships and is FUN! Ask your council how you can participate in the patch program. At the end of the program the girls can purchase a color coded Zink for their age level that come with a patch.
