Earth Day has so many opportunities to weave engaging Earth Day ideas, activities, and lessons that truly captivate kids.
Earth Day lessons are so fun to teach as a teacher, and kids enjoy the learning part too. It's a great chance to teach them about the gift of our planet and discuss simple ways to care for it. Hearing students share what they love about the Earth, brainstorming the best way to care for it, and seeing their eyes widen when we discuss the effects of pollution are just some of the rewards you will see as you use these Earth Day activities for kids of all ages. There are so many different directions you can go with this theme!
You can incorporate math, science, writing, reading, art, and more into your Earth Day study! What more can you ask for in cross-curricular lesson plans as a teacher?!
Here are some easy-to-implement resources for Earth Day this year to bring to your classroom.
This resource will be perfect if you need digital Earth Day activities to share with your students. This completely paperless download is made in Google Slides and can be assigned in Google Classroom.
It has:
- reading passages
- linked articles
- linked videos
- reflection questions
- writing prompts
- and MORE!
The digital resources can be used with Nearpod. If you haven't tried Nearpod with your students, what are you waiting for? Nearpods have the special power to make every lesson interactive by using quizzes, polls, videos, collaborative boards, and more!
Earth Day Activity Bundle
Get digital resources as well as printable activities to teach about Earth Day! There are so many resources, your class can focus on Earth Day for one day, one week or even longer! Enjoy the flexibility to combine the digital and printable options to make lessons that fit your classroom needs. The printable version focuses on the story, Just a Dream while the digital version has a nonfiction focus.
Earth Day Writing
Themed writing prompts are my go-to activity when preparing for a holiday. They are a great place to start when looking for the perfect Earth Day activity. These Google Classroom slides have 12 powerful prompts to get your kiddos thinking about our Earth. Each prompt has a related and thought-provoking image for your students to reflect on while writing.
Have students write a persuasive piece about the importance of recycling or ask that they use their newly learned Earth Day vocabulary when they write about how pollution hurts our Earth. You can even have your little learners revisit their letter-writing skills by having them write a letter to a friend stating why we need to save the environment.
Easily Customize Earth Day Plans
This Earth Day Bundle has resources in printable and digital formats. It's so easy to customize your Earth Day lesson to the needs of your classroom. The Earth Day Bundle has graphic organizers, KWL charts, Earth Day vocabulary cards, non-fiction passages on Earth Day themes, opportunities to draw and hypothesize about what Earth will be like in the future, and so much more!
Some of my favorite Earth Day activities are the resources that focus on the book Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg. The main character, Walter, struggles to respect the Earth and does not appreciate its beauty. As a read-aloud, this book presents many opportunities for meaningful classroom discussion. In addition, you can build on its theme and introduce reading and writing activities. It even includes a fun Earth Day craft!
Pop over to my TpT store to see the complete list of resources (digital and printable) perfect for Earth Day!
Creative Earth Day Lunch Idea
Are you looking for other creative ways to make Earth Day more meaningful for your students? How about challenging them (and their family members) to a “litter-free” lunch? Share some of these statistics about waste and tell them only to pack lunch items that include items that are 100% compostable or reusable.
Did you know…?
- The average brown bag lunch from home generates 65 pounds of garbage per child per school year.
- Lunch waste is 1/3 plastic, 1/3 paper, and 1/3 food.
- Waste-free lunches cost almost 40% less than lunches filled with pre-packaged foods.
Encourage students to bring their lunch reusable bags or even reusable shopping bags and include recyclable materials in their lunch. Be sure to recycle plastic water bottles and milk cartons instead of tossing them in the trash. Small positive changes like these can make a big difference!
Your students will love this conscious effort they make as individuals and as classroom community members.
I hope these great Earth Day activities and ideas help you plan some fun and engaging lessons for your students. Happy Earth Day!
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