Earth Day 2003
"Action for a Healthy Environment"

Prior to Earth Day, all of our students decorated paper grocery bags with environmental messages. These bags were given to a local Harris-Teeter for use by shoppers. Additionally, students researched the water usage in their own households, calculating how many liters per day their families used in taking showers, washing clothes/dishes, etc.

On Earth Day, April 22, students took part in role-playing situations in which they were affected by an environmental issue, such as the construction of a new marina on Lake Norman. They portrayed a character by researching their position on this topic and how it related to water quality. The students tried to persuade others of their viewpoint, even if the views of their character were not the same as their personal views. In the future, these students may find themselves in a real-life situation in which a choice must be made between what is best for a business or what is best for them and their quality of life.

"All individuals and institutions have a mutual responsibility to act as Trustees of Earth, seeking the choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, foster peaceful progress, awaken the wonder of life, and realize the best potential for the future of the human adventure."

As the above quote states, it is our responsibility to act as a Trustee of Earth. Storm drain stenciling is something we can do as a school to help improve the quality of our water. We labeled storm drains to inform residents of Old Davidson that the water drains directly to a stream. The students also wrote a pledge on a puzzle piece for actions they can take for a healthy environment. The puzzle pieces fit together to create a picture of the Earth.