What Are You Doing for Earth Day?

The weather may still be changing but, believe it or not, Earth Day is just around the corner!  On April 22, people all over the world will join together to celebrate our planet; don’t miss out on the celebrations!  Many schools are not in session because Earth Day falls on Good Friday BUT there is still plenty of time to plan for your own Earth Day to get your students (and you!) excited about Earth Day (even if you don’t do it on the actual day).

Here are some ideas:

• Paint an eco-mural in the classroom with green and recycled art supplies – you can even use “trash” and turn it into art!  (For inspiration, check out the film Wasteland, about the catadores in Rio de Janeiro, on our home page.)
• Take your students outside and identify all the trees and plants around the school.
• Read an environmentally-themed book aloud with your students – for younger students Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax is a perfect book for the occasion.
• Discuss ways to make your community or school more environmentally friendly, and then write a letter to a local policymaker or the superintendent to put your ideas into action.
• Look into the history of the environmental movement and Earth Day withEDN’s Fortieth Anniversary Earth Day Curriculum, complete with lesson plans, images, videos and more!
• Take the classroom outside and teach in the school yard! Or, take a field trip to a park, field, or farm to give a hands-on lesson about different ecosystems and plant and animal life.
• Play educational games like Environmental Jeopardy.
• Clean up around your school yard and playground. Or take a field trip to your local watershed or park and take part in a cleanup.
• Have an environmental potluck: have everyone bring in food that is local and fresh. Discuss with your students why eating locally is better for the environment. 

The possibilities are endless, and most of them are fun for both teachers and students. Take the opportunity to spend a day, two days, or even a week stressing to your students the importance of taking care of our earth. You never know, the next Gaylord Nelson might be in your classroom! And as always, for more ideas contact the Education Department at education@earthday.org.