Our Home Planet Earth

Created twenty-seven years ago, this program was well ahead of its time. Today, most everyone is aware of the environmental problems the planet earth and its inhabitants face. This program will help boys and girls realize how important recycling is and how it is everyone's responsibility to respect and conserve the earth's natural resources.

Our Home in the Solar System
The show opens revealing a six foot diameter globe of the planet earth. Most people consider their town as being their home, but after a fast paced question and answer dialogue, students quickly realize that the entire planet earth should be considered as their home. Using a huge globe, terms such as revolution, rotation, and the relationship of the earth with the sun and the other planets in the solar system, are easily understood by students. Using special lighting effects and the huge earth ball, Jack demonstrates what causes day and night. Many teachers have commented how difficult concepts are made easy by these creative teaching techniques.

Natural Resources and Conservation
Boys and girls will learn what natural resources are and how we are wasting them. Using a bag of garbage, Jack has students identify many of the everyday items we throw away which should be recycled. Terms such as biodegradable, recycling, natural resources, landfill sites, incinerators, and conservation are introduced and discussed during this humorous portion of the show.

The Planet Once
Conservation is taught through a puppet show entitled "The Planet Once." Enter, Ish Ca, Bibble, and Mr. Greed. Using black lights and fluorescent puppets, boys and girls learn through this colorful puppet show what may happen to earth if we continue to waste its natural resources and pollute the environment.

Recycling From Old to New
In a dramatic slide presentation Jack focuses on landfill sites and incinerators, (also known as resource recovery plants). Jack traveled to many landfill sites and toured the Warren Co. resource recovery plant to learn first hand what happens to our trash. Jack imparts to his audience the understanding that what we throw away does not disappear.
Obviously, recycling is one way to reduce the amount of material we discard, but what happens to the materials we recycle? As our slide show continues, students travel with Jack through the entire process of glass, aluminum, plastic, and newspaper recycling. Children vividly see and learn how old cans, bottles, plastic containers, and newspapers are transformed from what used to be considered trash to useful products again.
One of the best feelings about presenting "Our Home Planet Earth" is that boys and girls learn that they are part of the planet earth and that we are all responsible for its well being.

This program may be 100% funded by the Clean Communities Program of New Jersey.