LIVING WITHOUT WASTE

Objective:

To encourage thinking and action about living without wasting.
To realize that the wasting is a form of violence, which we would have saved could have been used for someone else.

Assise silencieuse :

Asseyez-vous confortablement,vous n’avez pas de contact avec vos voisins –

le dos bien droit – les mains sur les cuisses – tournées vers le haut, comme des petites coupelles – voilà, c’est cela —

et maintenant -- vous imaginez tout autour de vous, une grosse boule de lumière dorée qui vous entoure et vous protège – elle représente votre espace, dans lequel personne n’a le droit de pénétrer –

Comme vous vous sentez en sécurité à l’intérieur de cette boule, vous respirez calmement –

A l’inspiration, vous sentez l’air entrer dans vos poumons--

A la pause, vous sentez l’air qui se répand dans votre ventre, vos bras, vos jambes et toute votre tête —

A l’expiration, laissez ressortir l’air de vos poumons et vous recommencez —

Vous sentez l’air entrer -- se répartir dans tout votre corps –

les muscles de vos jambes et de vos bras se relâchent, se relaxent – puis, vous laissez ressortir l’air de votre poitrine – faîtes cela plusieurs fois –

Lorsque vous inspirez, sentez aussi la lumière dorée qui entre dans vos poumons et qui vient éclairer toutes les parties de votre corps —

Cette belle lumière dorée, vous fait découvrir les zones d’ombres qui se trouvent dans votre corps, votre tête, votre cœur, votre esprit –

Ces zones d’ombres représentent vos douleurs, vos malaises, vos peurs, vos colères, vos déceptions, vos tristesses, vos rancunes, votre jalousie, tout ce qui vous perturbe, vous dérange.

C’est comme avec le soleil, là où il brille, l’ombre disparaît.

Aussi, peu à peu -- sentez -- grâce à l’Amour qu’apporte la lumière dorée, -- sentez que peu à peu, vos zones d’ombre disparaissent ,-- à l’intérieur de vous, tout devient lumineux, calme, tranquille -– lumineux, calme, tranquille –

Maintenant, toujours derrière vos yeux clos, vous réalisez qu’à côté de vous-- se trouve un grand et très bel oiseau avec un magnifique plumage.-- Cet oiseau vous invite à monter sur son dos -- pour vous emmener faire un voyage.—

Vous vous envolez très haut avec lui en toute confiance. – et maintenant il vous dépose sur un doux nuage blanc. –Vous êtes plus proche du soleil -- et là il vous explique, que vous êtes protégés de sa forte chaleur par un immense parasol invisible que l’on appelle la couche d’ozone –

Mais malheureusement à cause de certaines activités des hommes ce grand parasol commence à se trouer. –

Il vous invite maintenant à regarder en bas — là, dans la vallée il y a comme un brouillard au-dessus des routes où il y a beaucoup de circulation, -- vous voyez les fumées qui s’échappent des maisons, des cheminées des usines, -- que ce soient des usines qui fabriquent par exemple le papier ou bien vos jouets. Chaque activité humaine dégage ce que l’on appelle « des gaz à effet de serre » qui provoquent le réchauffement de la terre.

Maintenant -- l’oiseau vous explique, que chaque être humain est responsable de ce qui se passe, donc, chacun à notre niveau nous pouvons agir. Pour cela, il est important d’éviter de gaspiller, de prendre soin de nos affaires et de limiter ce que nous désirons.

Bien décidé de participer à cet effort général vous remontez sur le dos du bel oiseau qui vous ramène sur terre.

1 --2 --3 -- vous êtes ici, dans votre salle de classe, étirez-vous, ouvrez les yeux.

 
STORY TELLING

WATER - A GIFT OF LIFE

by Winifred Matthews

Nial lived in a very remote village where water was scarce and crops were few. Water was precious and sometimes had to be carried over very long distances. In Nial’s village and other surrounding villages water was used carefully. Water used for washing was afterwards put on the vegetable garden. Water used for cooking the vegetables, also became stock for soups. This was known to be the proper utilisation of water. It was a way of life.

Because water was scarce, very few crops could grow and food was not plentiful. The villagers had to make good use of food, water and time. To survive nothing was wasted. To them everything had value and everyone worked and interacted harmoniously with nature.

Nial was a bright boy. When he was eleven he won a scholarship to one of the big city schools. Everyone was delighted. He was the first boy from the village to go to study in the big city. The elders all gave him sound advice on how to conduct himself at all times so that he could follow in the footsteps of his respected family.

At last, the long awaited day dawned. Nial was very excited, although he was sad that he would not see his family and friends for a long while. But it would be a great adventure and very worthwhile. He was determined that, when he completed his studies, he would work to improve the standard of life in his village.

Living in the city was strange. Everything was so big. Everyone seemed rich and had so many more things than he had been used to in the village.

At first Nial was a little in awe of everything. Every evening he would sit down quietly and think about the new things he had seen and learnt. So much was good, but he was shocked to see the waste of the precious resources he and his people held dear - water, food and time. He could scarcely believe what he saw.

The city people did not seem to care about their wastefulness, or even realise they were wasteful. He sensed, too, the lack of purpose in many people’s lives. Many of his new friends were only interested in the latest fashions and enjoyments. They had far more of everything than the villagers, but they were still dissatisfied with life. They didn’t value things and they were wasteful.

When Nial shyly suggested to his classmates that they should not waste so much, they would brush his comments aside and tell him not to worry, after all there was plenty, so it didn’t matter. This upset Nial because he knew it was not always so and their attitude to life made him feel uncomfortable.

He felt everything in life was inter-related and people and things alike should be treated with respect and viewed as important. He determined to do something to change their view.

Nial’s chance came when the students in his class were asked to do an environmental project of their choice. Nial chose the subject of ‘Water’.

He wrote about the uses and abuses of water and the need to preserve this essential resource. He showed the great value of water in our lives and how to help the remote villages which suffered water shortages.

was publicised and adapted and many people became aware of the importance of water preservation.

Nor did he forget the resolve he had made when he first won his scholarship and later in life he was able to set up a fund to help the villages in the area in which he grew up.

QUESTIONS:

1 ) What name shall we give this story?
2 ) Why is water called ‘A Gift of Life’?
3 ) How did the village in which Nial grew up use water?
4 ) What did Nial notice when he went to live in the big city?
5 ) What did his classmates say when he suggested to them shyly not to be wasteful?
6 ) Why did they say this?
7 ) Retell Nial's project on ‘Water’?
8 ) What was his promise to his village when he left and what did he do about it when he was older?
9 ) What did you feel when you heard this story?
10 ) What did the story mean to you?

GROUP SINGING

WATER

(lyrics by Sara John)

What’s happened to my tap today?
It’s drained, the water’s run away.

Chorus:

Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.
Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.

I used to let it run away I wasted so much every day.

Chorus:

Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.
Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.

They told us this would come about
They said, “We’re heading for a drought”.

Chorus

 Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.
Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.

But nobody believed their words
We thought it was just too absurd.

Chorus:

Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.
Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.

What’s happened to my tap today?
It’s drained, the water’s run away.

Chorus:

Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.
Water, give me water! I need a drink of water.

(Repeat x 2)

GROUP ACTIVITY

1. Get into groups of four or five and brainstorm how to reduce wastage of water at home and at school.
Write recommendations on a large piece of paper which can be pinned up.

At the end of ten minutes one member of the group reports back to the class and a definitive list can be made and pinned on the wall.

Set a target for accomplishing your goals.

2. GLOBAL VILLAGE GAME
from The Green Activity Book

Satellites can send telephone, radio and television messages around the whole earth in a few seconds, so people can know what’s happening on the other side of the world almost straight away. This has led to the world being called a ‘global village’. As inhabitants of this village, we need to see and understand the whole picture if we are to do anything about it in our own corner.

This game (for three to seven players) will help you get a better picture of some of the world’s environmental problems, their causes and effects, and the solutions needed.

First click  on CARDS and paste a photocopy on to a piece of thin card. Colour the cards with crayons or felt-tipped pens, as shown on the colouring guide. You could then cover them with clear adhesive plastic film for protection. Cut out the cards, shuffle them and the game is ready to play.

PLAY

The object of the game is to collect as many sets of three cards as possible.

Deal out all the cards to the players.

Player one, on the dealer’s left, asks someone if he has a card she wants to collect, by asking a question like,

“Do you know the solution to the problem of acid rain?”

If that player has the solution card in the acid rain set, he reads out the answer and then hands it over to player one.

If he does not hold the card, he answers “No” and play passes to him.

When a player has three cards from one set, he or she places them on the table.

When three people are playing, the game ends when one player runs out of cards.

Otherwise the game continues until all the sets are completed.

The person with the most complete sets of cards is the winner.

Colouring guide

Colour all ‘CAUSE’ panels ... ... ... ... ... ... pale blue
Colour all ‘EFFECT’ panels ... ... ... ... ... ... pale green
Colour all ‘SOLUTION’ panels ... ... ... ... ... … pink
Colour all ‘ACID RAIN’ boxes ... ... ... ... ... red
Colour all ‘OZONE HOLE’ boxes . ... ... ... ... ... orange
Colour all ‘DEFORESTATION’ boxes ... ... ... ... ... yellow
Colour all ‘WILDLIFE’ boxes ... ... ... ... ... ... green
Colour all ‘DESTRUCTIVE FARMING’ boxes ... ... ... blue
Colour all ‘NUCLEAR POLLUTION’ boxes ... ... ... … purple
Colour all ‘WASTE OF RESOURCES’ boxes.. ... ... … grey

Extension exercise/Links to Other Subjects:

As a class draw a picture that depicts a perfect world where resources are equally available to everyone and nothing is wasted.

Classroom Discussion: How can we make this picture a living dream?

Des sites pour d’autres activités :

http://www.defipourlaterre.org/juniors/index.php

http://www2.ademe.fr/servlet/KBaseShow?sort=-1&cid=96&m=3&catid=12436