Mission: Green Santa

I found an amazing website today called Mission Green Santa. I wish that I had found it in time for you to use it for Christmas! If you have not taught your unit on "Going Green" and on being "Eco-Friendly" quite yet, though, this website will still be useful to you this school year.

The website combines an interactive cartoon world with clips from "real" people who narrate the situation at the North Pole. These people include scientists, reporters, and Mrs. Claus!

Mission Green Santa all starts with a report from a climatologist who reports that global warming is causing the runway for Santa's sleigh to melt!

The report even shows Santa's runway at the North Pole...

 

...and the cartoon map of the North Pole also features that very runway. Without that runway, Santa's sleigh cannot fly on Christmas Eve!  

SO...the climatologist calls the students (or whoever is playing) to action! The students need to help the elves make the North Pole more energy efficient so that the runway can be saved!

The students explore the North Pole to help the elves be more "green." Anytime the student finds an elf that needs help, he/she may click on the "Help and Elf!" bubble to begin helping out.

And anytime a student successfully helps an elf or makes a pledge to be more "green" in his/her own life, he/she earns "greenies", or elf money.

The student can use those greenies to buy items at the elf store that will help the elves even more!

There is so much more to explore at the North Pole at Mission Green Santa. There is a cinema, or theater, that features episodes that explain the Santa runway situation and clips of actual students being more "green" in their own lives. There is also a post office that allows students to write letters to family and friends...and to Santa! Mrs. Claus even promises to make sure that he reads every one. There is even a playground with extra games.

Cautions:

1. The website does ask the student to register with an e-mail address if they would like to continue playing where they leave off before exiting the website.

2. The website is not American-based, so American students may not be familiar with all of the terms... like "cinema" instead of "theater." 

I am so excited about this website, and I cannot wait to use it. Let me know how you use this website in your own classroom.

Enjoy!