Waste Materials as Resources

What's In This Kit?

This training kit helps teachers explore waste materials (recycled, scrounged, loose parts) as resources. Teachers will view waste materials in a new light as they take a proactive approach to repurposing and reusing typically cast-off objects and materials. In turn, children will learn to value objects beyond their intended use, as they explore new possibilities. Teachers will learn strategies to add new materials into their classroom space and into their curriculum. Teachers will also discover the cost-saving benefits of infusing recycled, repurposed materials into their classroom. This training program contains the following components:

• Expected training outcomes and learning objectives
• Training research, models, benchmarks
• Preparation and implementation steps
• Handouts
• The article “Waste Materials as Resources” by Tiziana Ciccone
• References and resources
• Training Certificate for Learner �" Certificate of Attendance and Participation

Who's the Target Audience?
The target audiences for this training kit are beginning, intermediate, and advanced Learners who are working with young children 3 through 5 years.

Teacher Skill Level

beginning intermediate advanced

Children's Age Level

infants toddlers preschoolers school-agers birth to 8

Kit Timeline:
Preparation time for this kit is estimated at 1.5 hours. Implementation and actual training time is 3.0 hours, which includes 1.5 hours of Face-to-Face Training and 2.0 hours of Independent Study and an Applied Activity Project.

Training Outcomes:

After completing this training, Learners will be able to do the following:

• Teachers will guide children to explore, discover, and value the use of recycled, repurposed items.
• Teachers will discover new opportunities for communication and creativity as they learn to respect objects and the environment.
• Teachers will connect classroom activities and content to the use of recycled and repurposed materials.
• Teachers will use the materials as tools for supporting curriculum content areas such as math, literacy, science, art, and engineering.
• Teachers will invite parents to help build classroom materials through a no-cost, collaborative approach.

These training outcomes address the following American Standards:

• National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria & Guidance for Assessment (2014). More information on NAEYC’s standards can be found at www.naeyc.org.

• The schedule provides children learning opportunities, experiences, and projects that extend over the course of several days and incorporates time for play, creative expression, large-group, smallgroup, and child-initiated activity. (2.A.11)
• The curriculum guides teachers in planning for children’s engagement in play that is integrated into classroom topics of study. (2.A.12)
• The arrangement of the classroom encourages children to become engaged and promotes child-centered learning experiences. (D8)
• Children are provided with varied opportunities to develop and widen their repertoire of skills that support artistic expression (e.g., cutting, gluing, and caring for tools). (2.J.05)

Note: Downloadable PDFs are only available for download in pdf format. Directions for downloading follow immediately after purchase.