The Dalton Daily Citizen – Liz Swafford
“One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job as a non-formal environmental educator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is the opportunity to lead students visiting our recycling center and landfill for a tour in educational activities that they normally wouldn’t do at school. Lessons about the carrying capacity of a habitat, the life cycle of a tree or those about identifying the right things to recycle are disguised as fun games. Usually the games are so entertaining that students don’t realize they’re learning until the game is over. As fun as the recycling relay race and other games are, the most memorable lessons tend to be the ones with an edible component. Yes, you read that right — edible. I have found that adding an edible component to an otherwise stale lesson enriches a student’s educational experience. When there’s food involved a two-dimensional lesson printed on a worksheet can become a three-dimensional object that students can touch, move, see, smell and — if the teacher allows — eat.”(more)