Green Materials

Michigan Green Schools Announces Its First Publication

Get one of your green points by updating your Media Center with our new book on Michigan endangered and threatened creatures. Among the selections are the red-shouldered hawk, Indiana bat, and the short-eared owl. Designed for elementary and middle schools. Includes copyright free coloring pages. All author proceeds go entirely to Michigan Green School programs and materials.

Available on Amazon.com

Green Materials for Your Classroom

These green materials are available for use during the 2015/16 school year. Please contact your county coordinator to borrow the materials for use in your school.

Flower Pot Maker - This item allows students to make biodegradable newspaper seed pots which may be used for native Michigan Garden projects including rain gardens.

Books - Some of the new titles chosen to support the Michigan Green School program include We Planted a Tree and Adventures of an Aluminum Can.

Portable Solar Cook Kit and a Solar Event Kit - The cook kit is very easy to use and students can bake apples, hot dogs, even solar brownies with a recipe from the solar cook kit. You will need to provide a dark covered roasting pan to do the cooking. The solar event kit is an 18 minute CD on solar cooking and how it works. It also shows how solar cooking is being used in Kenya which is suffering from severe deforestation on how these cookers help deal with this problem. There are also three color posters demonstrating the science of solar cooking and how to solar cook. There are also a number of solar recipes on the CD including those great solar brownies.

Flags

Michigan Green Schools Foundation has additional indoor/outdoor flags available for those schools requesting them. This is the flag with the map of Michigan on it as seen in the upper right hand corner of the opening page of the webpage. These are 3 by 5 feet and are double sided. They have grommets for outdoor hanging. It should be noted that even an indoor/outdoor flag will last a maximum of one year in outdoor conditions. The flags are available for purchase. Please contact Michigan Green Schools or your local county coordinator for additional information.

Fun Way to Earn Points!

Hold a solar invention week. Many schools have competed at state events.

Michigan Wildlife Awareness

Photo: David Kenyon, Michigan DNR

The majestic American bald eagle is making a great comeback in Michigan. Pictured is an immature eagle who has yet to develop the characteristic white head plumage.

The eagle is no longer on the endangered species list but is still classified as a threatened species by the DNR in Michigan.

One of the Michigan Green School Program activities is adopting a threatened or endangered animal such as the bald eagle. One place to adopt is the National Wildlife Foundation.

A great idea for raising funds for the adoption comes from Pius X Catholic School of Flint. They had a "bring your favorite stuffed animal to school" day, charging 25 cents to bring a stuffed animal. They then took the funds to adopt their real animal.

More activity tips:

students can vote on the animal they want to adopt
school can hold a naming contest
students can create a special bulletin board display