Gathering local materials is essential for the teacher to be prepared for teaching and learning. Organizing the materials to meet storage requirements for a wide variety of materials is an essential, challenging and on-going task. The following materials may need to be purchased and others are available in the local environment.

Following is a list of common items:

• flip chart and flip chart paper

• A4 paper

• assorted recycled and colored paper

• markers (variety of colors)

• pens

• pencils

• erasers

• pencil sharpeners

• colored pencils

• crayons

• white chalk

• colored chalk

• masking tape

• sticky tape

• scissors

• glue or paste

• ruler and meter stick

• string or twine

• pegs

• paper clips

• stapler

• staples

Natural Resources

Natural resources differ from one geographical location to another. Near the ocean, there are pebbles, seashells and smooth sticks. In agricultural areas, there are pebbles, leaves, cornhusks, and seeds. In desert areas, there are pebbles, seeds and coconut husks. It is essential to select safe, clean, and useful resources for workshop activities.

Common natural resources may include:

• dried beans, peas and other lentils

• corn husks

• coconut husks and coconut shells

• flowers

• gourds

• grass or rattan

• leaves

• pebbles

• seeds

• sticks

• shells

Recycling and Reusing Resources

There are many resources in the environment that can be recycled and reused. Facilitators need to be resourceful and creative. Availability of items will vary from place to place; it is essential to focus on what is readily available and useful.

Some ideas for Recycling Resources include:

• Old Calendars

Use old calendars instead of chart paper to make charts, tables, graphs, and word walls

• Old Clothes Hangers

Use old clothes hangers for mobiles, word displays and decorations

• Old Magazines

Use old magazines for pictures to increase vocabulary; initiate discussion; and visualize words and concepts

• Old Newspapers

Use old newspapers for building bridges to increase teamwork or as an energizer activity; background for a display; covering boxes or display areas; searching for vocabulary words or common words; using headlines in displays

• Old Textbooks

Use old textbooks for various activities. Have pupils cut out pictures for different projects; cut apart text to make sequence story cards; or tear out and staple pages into smaller, readable sections.

• Dry-erasable Markers

Cover cloze activities, charts and checklists with sticky tape or plastic.  Have pupils use dry, erasable markers to write the answers, check and wipe off ready for another pupil to use the same activity.

• Donations

Ask participants, parents and community members to donate items such as egg cartons, plastic containers, jars with a lid, tin cans, cardboard tubes (tissue and paper towel tubes), fabric scraps, old calendars, old charts, old travel brochures, old advertisings and old clothes.

Next: Storing Local Materials