Thought-provoking Lesson Prompts Environmental Cleanup Brainstorm

An effort to teach scholars about being responsible citizens prompted third graders at Matthews Charter Academy to get started on making their mark on the world. The students listened intently as teachers Savana Smith, Rachael Zimmerman, and Marissa Guarno, told them about the responsibilities that come with being members of their families, students in school, and part of their communities.

Building off their excitement after a professional development led by the Capturing Kids’ Hearts organization, the teachers stressed the importance of obeying laws, being respectful to others, and taking care of the environment.



That’s when a simple slide set off a drive to action. The slide read “Take Care of Your Environment: Keeping your surroundings clean and safe is part of being a good citizen. You can do this by not littering, recycling, and protecting nature.”

The students were nudged to consider the school’s exterior and its surroundings. While brainstorming, the scholars realized a large percentage of their school is surrounded by woods, inhabited by a variety of animals.



“They put themselves in the perspective of the animals and then something amazing happened,” Guarno said. “After realizing that the animals could be in danger from the litter that is left on the playground - the third-grade scholars of MCA, on their own, asked if they could clean up our campus during their recess time.”

Now the third-grade recess bin contains gloves and garbage bags so kids can grab what they need as they head out to the playground. Students collect food wrappers, pieces of plastic, paper, and any other discarded items that may have found their way near the school.



“Take a moment to reflect on that,” she said. “Our eight-year-old scholars want to give up their recess in exchange to pick up litter. Would you have made the same decision when you were nine?”

Guarno said she felt like her heart was captured within the lesson as well.

“It felt so good knowing that an academic lesson taught correctly could have such an impact on a scholar that it makes them want to make good choices on their own. When a scholar takes your lesson outside of the classroom and into their own lifestyles, it gives you that feeling of, "WOW, now this is why I teach!’"
About Matthews Charter Academy
Matthews Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Matthews, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

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