Link: Amusement park rises from the trash
As with many new park openings, there were a few glitches on the big day. The bumper cars and water slide were not working. But the haunted house, flying saucer and Ferris wheel were ready to go. The restaurant was open and the stage ready for entertainment. Cars were lined up at the tollbooths to enter the parking lot, and the ticket windows were ready for customers. The area's newest attraction isn't on International Drive. It's a miniature amusement park in Juli Seou's fifth-grade class at Hillcrest Elementary School in Orlando.
The students served as the designers and engineers as they oversaw construction of the park, made using all recyclable materials as part of a science project.
The class is studying the effects of global warming, pollution and renewable and non-renewable resources and had watched a Bill Nye "The Science Guy" video on how to conserve.
"The kids really got into it. Even when I throw something away, they say don't forget to recycle, Ms. Seou," the teacher said. "I just feel we need to learn more about recycling, especially when I hear people like Al Gore talking about recycling."
The students collected recyclable trash and used it for building the amusement park model for the past month and a half.
"We're doing this to show people you should recycle," said Sarina Clemens, 11. "We thought of what there was in an amusement park, and we had a whole closet filled with recyclable stuff we've been collecting from home. When we finished a milk carton, we'd wash it out and bring it in."
Construction materials consisted of everything from a glass cola bottle, cardboard and plastic bottle tops for the entertainment stage to a large plastic Chick-fil-A container, plastic foam, a wrapping-paper tube and old Tupperware containers for the Ferris wheel and flying saucer ride.
"You can take a piece of plastic and turn it into something really creative," said Jetia Julmis, 11.
"We want to show people you can have fun with your recycling," added Jocindra Glee, 10.
The restaurant was made from a laundry detergent bottle and cardboard box, and the haunted house from a cardboard box, duct tape and plastic milk bottle.
"It's cool that you can make a big diorama like an amusement park out of stuff you use every day," said Kai Crage, 10.
After all the rides are up and running, the amusement park will go on display at the front of the school and then, maybe get recycled again, Seou said.
"I might use it as an example for next year's class. This is a great age to get them thinking about these things, because when you tell them something they really absorb it," Seou said.
"You hope they will take it [the knowledge] with them the rest of their lives."
