In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is reminding students, teachers and kids of all ages to visit their Facebook page and website for links to their educational activity books-- Open Your Eyes to Litter.

This series of five books provides hands-on learning for grades K through six and can supplement online learning during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

-- Open Your Eyes to Litter, Volume 1 - Explains the difference between intentional and accidental litter and who is affected by it. Also available in Spanish.

-- Open Your Eyes to Litter, Our Littered Past – Illustrates litter and waste issues from prehistoric times to the present and explains how each culture managed or didn’t manage their waste. Also available in Spanish.

-- Open Your Eyes to Litter, Think Before You Toss – Explains ways trash can be properly disposed, what happens to trash once it is thrown away, and why you should reduce, reuse and recycle.

-- Open Your Eyes to Litter, In a Watershed – Illustrates how litter and illegal dumping affect watersheds and the animals and people who live, work, and play there.

-- Open Your Eyes to Litter, Keeping Our Greenways Clean – Explains how litter affects our greenways, how greenways function, and encourages both awareness and stewardship of greenways. This book illustrates the major greenways in Pennsylvania and shows how they connect cities and communities.

Each book addresses the Department of Education Academic Standards for Environment, Ecology and Geography and has a supplementary Teacher’s Guide that suggests multi-discipline educational activities that expands on the information, ideas, and activities that are included in each book.

The books and teachers guides are available to download.

“As an unintended consequence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, state parks, state forests, game lands and communities all across Pennsylvania are seeing an increase in littering. Our books can help kids learn the huge impact litter has on our economy and the natural world and gives them ideas of what they can do about it,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Our hope for the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day is that we all become more aware of how our individual choices and actions affect the world around us.”

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will provide technical assistance to parks and recreation departments, solid waste authorities, schools, local officials and others who wish to include the cost of printing and distribution of Open Your Eyes to Litter books in their budget.

For more information, contact Stephanie Larson by sending email to: slarson@keeppabeautiful.org or call 724-836-4121.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.

The  2020 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative is postponed until September 1 through November 30.  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

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[Posted: April 20, 2020]

4/27/2020