We Are Problem Solvers

Protect the Trees from Porcupines by Amalie My Problem: I noticed that porcupines were eating the trees and scraping them.&nbsp; My Solution: To protect the trees using aluminum sheets and spices.&nbsp; My Materials: Aluminum sheets and hot spices The Steps: First, I needed to find the trees that are being most damaged by the porcupine. Next, I would hang a camera on that tree to see what the porcupine is doing. Then I would take the aluminum sheet and wrap it around the tree and put the spices under the aluminum. Finally, we wait to see if the porcupine stops climbing and eating that tree. If it stops the porcupine, then it probably worked.&nbsp;

Paper texture

How to Be a Problem Solver

by PPOS students grades K-2

Too Much Trash by Kaden My Problem: Too much litter My Solution: Pick up all of the litter with my grabber. My Materials: Plastic bag and a trash grabber The Steps: First, I got all of my tools ready; trash bag and grabber.&nbsp;Then I picked a spot where there was a lot of trash.&nbsp;I got my grabber ready, and went to work in one area.&nbsp;My mom held the trash bag for me while I placed it in the bag with the grabber.&nbsp;After I filled a full trash bag, my work was done.&nbsp;I placed the trash bag in the trash can right next to where I was picking up trash. I liked helping the environment.&nbsp;I didn’t like the litter, especially cigarette butts. The grabber made it easy for big trash, but the cigarette butts, bottle caps and straws made it hard to pick up. Afterward, it looked a lot cleaner but there was still more litter.&nbsp;It was an overwhelming&nbsp;job.

Dear Editor, My name is Finlay. I am seven years old.&nbsp;I love turtles, so I thought that I would take care of every turtle in the planet. Please will you write a story in the newspaper about plastic hurting oceans and the creatures that live in them.&nbsp;&nbsp;It also hurts rivers and the creatures that live there. I hope that we could ban plastic bags in our town, because when people use them at the store they go into the landfill and blow into oceans and rivers. (Did you know that our landfill is right next to a river?)&nbsp; Because I love Sea Turtles, I know a little bit about them. Their favorite food is jelly fish, so when they see a plastic bag, they think the plastic bag is a jelly fish and they swallow it and it hurts them and they die, sadly or they get sick and then die.&nbsp;I read that people only use plastic bags for about 12 minutes and when the bags go into the landfill or seas and rivers, it takes up to 1,000 years to decompose.&nbsp;Besides the Sea Turtles, plastics kill whales, more than a million sea birds every year, sea lions, sharks and dolphins. If too many of them get killed there won’t be any more of them on the planet. Wouldn’t it be sad if my kids wouldn’t ever be able to see a Sea Turtle and they were extinct? In your article, will you please write this list I made: 1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tell kids to tell their friends to put reusable bags in their parents’ cars. 2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Write a letter to our town council to ban plastic bags. 3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Call the grocery store managers and ask them to reduce the number of plastic bags that they give away. 4)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Make a video about saving turtles. Share it on your Facebook. Sincerely, Finlay Dear Mr. Mayor Don Volger, My name is Finlay. I am seven years old.&nbsp;I love turtles, so I thought that I would take care of every turtle in the planet. Please will you ban the plastic bags in Pagosa Springs that hurt oceans and the creatures that live in them.&nbsp;&nbsp;It also hurts rivers and the creatures that live there. I hope that we could ban plastic bags in our town, because when people use them at the store they go into the landfill and blow into oceans and rivers. (Did you know that our landfill is right next to a river?)&nbsp; Because I love Sea Turtles, I know a little bit about them. Their favorite food is jellyfish, so when they see a plastic bag, they think the plastic bag is a jellyfish and they swallow it and it hurts them and they die, sadly or they get sick and then die.&nbsp;I read that people only use plastic bags for about 12 minutes and when the bags go into the landfill or seas and rivers, it takes up to 1,000 years to decompose.&nbsp;Besides the Sea Turtles, plastics kill whales, more than a million sea birds every year, sea lions, sharks and dolphins. If too many of them get killed there won’t be any more of them on the planet. Wouldn’t it be sad if my kids wouldn’t ever be able to see a Sea Turtle and they were extinct? Please can you make a law to ban plastic bags in our town to help our world? I bet you could do it! You would be a really good person if you did it! Sincerely, Finlay Calling the Store Manager: “Hi, my name is Finlay. This call is because I want you to stop giving out so many plastic bags.&nbsp;&nbsp;I read that people only use plastic bags for about 12 minutes and when the bags go into the landfill or seas and rivers, it takes up to 1,000 years to decompose.&nbsp;Besides the Sea Turtles, plastics kill whales, more than a million sea birds every year, sea lions, sharks and dolphins. If too many of them get killed there won’t be any more of them on the planet. Wouldn’t it be sad if my kids wouldn’t ever be able to see a Sea Turtle because they were extinct? &nbsp;Please tell all the other managers and the grocery baggers to not give out so many bags. Please will you not put milk jugs in bags, because milk jugs already have a handle on them. And please, because if you are using less bags because of this call, make sure you fill the bags that you do use mostly all the way the up.&nbsp;Also, please teach your grocery baggers to not use a bag if someone is only buying one or two things. Or maybe three things actually. Could you please teach your grocery baggers to ask the shoppers if they might not want to use Any bags and they could put the groceries back in the cart for them and help them load them into the car? Also, maybe you could have some old boxes at the check out that shoppers could use instead of bags? Thanks for talking! Have a nice day!”

Calling the Store Manager: “Hi, my name is Finlay. This call is because I want you to stop giving out so many plastic bags.&nbsp;&nbsp;I read that people only use plastic bags for about 12 minutes and when the bags go into the landfill or seas and rivers, it takes up to 1,000 years to decompose.&nbsp;Besides the Sea Turtles, plastics kill whales, more than a million sea birds every year, sea lions, sharks and dolphins. If too many of them get killed there won’t be any more of them on the planet. Wouldn’t it be sad if my kids wouldn’t ever be able to see a Sea Turtle because they were extinct? &nbsp;Please tell all the other managers and the grocery baggers to not give out so many bags. Please will you not put milk jugs in bags, because milk jugs already have a handle on them. And please, because if you are using less bags because of this call, make sure you fill the bags that you do use mostly all the way the up.&nbsp;Also, please teach your grocery baggers to not use a bag if someone is only buying one or two things. Or maybe three things actually. Could you please teach your grocery baggers to ask the shoppers if they might not want to use any bags and they could put the groceries back in the cart for them and help them load them into the car? Also, maybe you could have some old boxes at the check out that shoppers could use instead of bags? Thanks for talking! Have a nice day!”

Give Birds Protection by Alice My Problem: My cat was killing birds to bring to us, and that is a waste of a bird. My Solution: I decided to give the birds a birdhouse so they would be protected. My Materials: hammer, saw, nails, wood glue, wood, paper, pencil, ruler The Steps: First, eat breakfast. Then draw a picture of the birdhouse. Now measure and mark on wood where to cut all the right angles so that all your pieces will fit together. Put on headphones and get a grown-up to use a saw. Now you cut the sides, the roof, the front and the back and nail it altogether with a hammer and nails. Next have a grown-up drill two holes in the front: one for the bird's door and one for a perch. Smother wood glue on a stick and put it into the small hole that's for the perch.

Save the Sea Turtles by Finlay My Problem: People hurt the turtles with plastic. My Solution: Stop people from using plastic bags. My Materials: Reusable bags, computer, e mail, phone, Facebook The Steps: 1) Tell kids to tell their friends to put reusable bags in their parents’ cars. 2) Write a letter to the newspaper asking our town to ban plastic bags. * See the example on the next page. 3) Write a letter to our town council to ban plastic bags. *See example on page 17. 4) Call the grocery store managers and ask them to reduce the number of plastic bags that they give away. * See example on page 18. 5) Make a video about saving turtles. Share it on your parents' Facebook.

Dedicated To our environment and all those who take care of it. Written in the Fall of 2020 by Pagosa Peak Open School's Early Elementary Distance Learning Cohort Students grades K-2 dove into their first social studies project with the question, "How can we care for our environment and inspire others to do the same?" Throughout this project, students practiced responsible citizenship by identifying problems and creating solutions for these issues. Students collected data, did research, organized and gathered materials, created written plans, and followed through with the mission of bettering their environment. Through this book, they hope to share their work with others in order to inspire the continued care of the world around us.

How to Save the Birds by Quinn The Problem: The birds are bonking into our windows. I am trying to stop them so they don't get hurt. The Solution: I put decorations up in front of the window. The reflections of the decorations stop the birds from trying to fly inside. The Materials: wire, string, ribbon, beads, paint, old spools for thread, hammer, nails The Steps: First, measure your window. Then cut string as long as your window. Put the beads and painted spools on the string and tie ribbons along it, too. Then hang your long strings with decorations evenly in front of your window. Now the birds will see that there is a window.

A Mouse in the House by Zeke My Problem: My problem is mice. The mice are coming into the house. A long time ago only house mice were entering the house, now field mice are getting inside.&nbsp; My Solution: You can spray peppermint oil or put big chunks of garlic cloves or a spray in the places that they are entering. You can also find the nest in the house or the place they're coming in. You can also fix the landscaping around the house by putting rocks around the house.&nbsp; My Materials: Garlic cloves, peppermint oil spray, hot sauce or hot peppers, and landscaping rocks.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Steps: First, gather landscaping rocks and put them around the house. Next, you put peppers and hot sauce in the places they are coming. At night if you hear any scratching or screeching there are some mice around the house. If you find a nest, you need to destroy it or take them outside, so they do not grow a community inside.&nbsp;

Dear Mr. Mayor Don Volger, My name is Finlay. I am seven years old.&nbsp;I love turtles, so I thought that I would take care of every turtle in the planet. Please will you ban the plastic bags in Pagosa Springs that hurt oceans and the creatures that live in them.&nbsp;&nbsp;It also hurts rivers and the creatures that live there. I hope that we could ban plastic bags in our town, because when people use them at the store they go into the landfill and blow into oceans and rivers. (Did you know that our landfill is right next to a river?)&nbsp; Because I love Sea Turtles, I know a little bit about them. Their favorite food is jelly fish, so when they see a plastic bag, they think the plastic bag is a jelly fish and they swallow it and it hurts them and they die, sadly or they get sick and then die.&nbsp;I read that people only use plastic bags for about 12 minutes and when the bags go into the landfill or seas and rivers, it takes up to 1,000 years to decompose.&nbsp;Besides the Sea Turtles, plastics kill whales, more than a million sea birds every year, sea lions, sharks and dolphins. If too many of them get killed there won’t be any more of them on the planet. Wouldn’t it be sad if my kids wouldn’t ever be able to see a Sea Turtle and they were extinct? Please can you make a law to ban plastic bags in our town to help our world? I bet you could do it! You would be a really good person if you did it! Sincerely, Finlay

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