Sustainability

Stop idling

Students draw pictures and create slogans to spread the word about idling.

Grade

Duration

20 mins

Type

Hands on

Overview

Catchy slogans and hand drawn signs promote a “no idling” policy when we’re getting dropped off and picked up from school.

Instructions

What you'll need

Drawing supplies
Paper

Stop idling

Explain to the students what it means to idle a car and how it affects the air we breathe.

On a piece of paper, have each student draw a stop sign and help them write a slogan below it with a reason to stop idling.
- Students can have different slogans or all the same.
Using crayons or markers, have students draw a picture in the stop sign that represents clean air like trees, sunshine, and mountains.
Ask students to take their picture home to share it with their family.
- For families that might already be idle-free, their pictures could be posted in the office area of the school.
As a class, recap the healthy choices we can make instead of using a car.

Modify or extend this activity

Ask your students to share how they can help keep our air clean and ourselves healthy.

Curriculum Fit

Kindergarten Physical Education

Big idea

Good health comprises physical, mental, and emotional well-being

Curricular competencies

Healthy and active living

Identify opportunities to make choices that contribute to health and well-being

Kindergarten Arts Education

Big idea

People connect to others and share ideas through the arts.

Curricular competencies

Communicating and documenting

Express feelings, ideas, stories, observations, and experiences through the arts

Assessments

Assess students’ understanding of the connection between idling cars and air quality.
Assess students’ ability to create a picture with a message.

Teaching Notes

Pollution from gas-powered vehicles (gasoline, diesel)

Gas-powered cars and other transportation are a key source of air pollution particularly in major cities. They produce nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter adversely affecting health, particularly for those with asthma or other respiratory issues. Making healthy choices to use people power (run, bike, walk) instead of using the car helps keep our air cleaner and increases our own health and well-being. Idling cars contribute to air pollution and this often happens in school areas as students are dropped off and picked up. Young people are one of the higher risk groups for respiratory issues and yet idling is avoidable. For more information regarding air quality and idling, go to: Air quality and Idling cars.

Electric vehicles

One of the benefits of electric vehicles is better air quality. Electric vehicles do not have an exhaust pipe emitting pollution, which helps to keep our air cleaner.