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Earth Day Lessons

Introduction:

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It is held annually during both spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. The United Nations celebrates an Earth Day each year on the March equinox, a tradition which was founded by peace activist John McConnell in 1969. - Wikipedia

Lesson Plans:

• Students identify causes of pollution and ways they can prevent it in this bilingual photo story (K-3)
  
• Here is an idea for an Earth Day Song (K-4)
  
• This is an Earth Day poem or song appropriate for religious or Sunday schools (K-4)
  
  
• These are Rain Forest lessons (K-5):
  • This Rain Forest unit targets kindergartners (K)
    
  • This lesson plan is on the "Layers of the Rain Forest" (K-1)
    
  • "The Great Kapok Tree" is used to teach about Rain Forest Trees here (K-1)
    
  • This reading and writing lesson idea on "Rain Forests involves comparing cultures" (1-2)
    
  • After comparing the "Magic School Bus in the Rainforest" book to its video, students research and present rainforest animal facts to the class here
    
  • This is a Rain Forest song (1-3)
  • Here is a language arts lesson on rain forests (2)
    
  • This lesson looks at the reasons behind the destruction of the Rain Forest and why we should try to save them (3)
    
    
  • This descriptive paragraph lesson answers the question "Can you guess who is in the Kapok Tree?"
    
  • This is another Rain Forest language arts lesson (3-4)
    
  • This lesson idea is called "Create a Rain Forest" and also uses the book "The Great Kapok Tree" (3-4)
    
  • This is a Rain Forest reading lesson (3-4)
    
  • This Rain Forest lesson plan involves painting animals (3-4)
    
  • This Rain Forest lesson involves people, animals, and life in the Rain Forest (3-4)
    
  • Here is an excellent thematic unit on the Rain Forest (3-5)
    
  
  
• This lesson introduces students to the class recycling bin and its importance to their environment (1)
  
• Aquatic wildlife and pollution are the topics taught in this lesson plan (1-3)
  
• Dance your way into learning about Earth Day with the book "Earth Dance" here (1-3)
  
• Here students learn the difference between the terms reuse and recycle (1-3)
  
• "Taking Care of the Earth" is also a four seasons lesson plan (1-6)
  
• This ESL recycling lesson integrates English vocabulary, science and environmental consciousness (2)
  
• "Create the Environment" is a game involving the characteristics of the seven continents (2)
  
• In this creative lesson, students make an animal and choose an environment (2-3)
  
• The student categorizes nonrenewable vs. renewable resources in this lesson and learns the effects of overusing our resources (3)
  
• This lesson on oil spills focuses on writing a letter to a senator (3)
  
  
• Here is a brief idea for studying soil with discussion questions for the class (3)
  
• Forest ecology and human interactions with forests are the topics of this lesson (3-4)
  
• In this project, students research, write, and use media to help a local environmental issue (3-5)
  
• Students love this Earth Day Jeopardy game activity (3-12)
  
• Students work collaboratively here to create ecosystem concept maps using Kidspiration software (4)
  
• This is a lesson on earth's various biomes and the climate associated with each (4-6)
  
• Here's another large, well-developed unit; this one is on erosion (4-6)
  
  
• Below is a short unit on National Parks (4-6):
  
  • The first lesson involves creating a National Park brochure
    
  • Students will map a trip to a National Park in this lesson
    
  • This one focuses on saving a National Park
  
  
• Here's an idea for using a computer to graph the litter in school (4-8)
  
• This is an idea for creating a simulated landfill to prevent erosion (4-8)
  
  
• Here is a fun, well-developed unit on Garbage and Recycling that makes use of the Internet (4-8):
  
  • Here's the Project's Lesson Outline and additional materials
    
  • Here's Lesson 1 which involves activities at the Recycle City website
    
  • This one involves a scavenger hunt at Recycle City
  • This part is very interesting - determine the efficiency of your lunch packaging
    
  • Lesson 4 is on the 3 R's of Recycling
    
  • Lesson 5 is on landfills and how they work, involves creating a simulated landfill
    
  • The last lesson plan involves "what you can do" - developing possible action plans
    
  
  
• Here are two great Earth Day ideas from Planetpals.com:
  
  • 10 Earth Day Classroom Activities (4-12)
    
  • Recycle? Precycle? Which Cycle Is Best for You? (4-12)
    
  
  
• An Earth Day history timeline is created here (5)
  
• This lesson teaches about ecosystems while also teaching Diamante Poetry (5)
  
• This lesson is called "Ecosystem in a Box" (5)
  
• Chief Seattle's Letter and ecosystems are the topics in this great lesson (5-6)
  
• Although part of a unit on Mars, this lesson's discussion of the greenhouse effect, trees, and leaves may be helpful on its own for Earth Day (5-6)
  
• ESL students create a recycling brochure in this SIOP lesson (6-8)
  
  
• This multimedia research unit reports the facts about Environmental Injustices (6-8):
  • Lesson 1 - Research the Facts
    
  • Lesson 2 - View the PowerPoint
    
  • Lesson 3 - Go on the WebQuest
    
  • Lesson 4 - Create the Television Newscast
    
  • Lesson 5 - Make the Presentation
    
  
  
• This is a 10-day Environment Curricula from Do Something, Inc. (7-12)
  • Day 1: Introduction to global warming, energy conservation and how rising temperatures affect us locally
    
  • Day 2: Students learn about greenhouse gases and the power of language
    
  • Day 3: Students learn about the potential consequences of global warming
    
  • Day 4: Students examine their own energy consumption and conservation
    
  • Day 5: Students learn how schools can participate in energy conservation
    
  • Day 6: Students compare U.S. energy use to that of other countries
    
  • Day 7: Students explore different types of renewable energy sources
    
  • Day 8: Students discuss pros/cons of renewable energy
    
  • Day 9: Students debate the pros/cons of government involvement in energy conservation
    
  • Day 10: Students present their energy conservation projects
    
  
  
• Here is a reading comprehension quiz over a nuclear water contamination article (7-12)
  
• Here is a lesson on the effects of urban sprawl on our environmental footprint (9-10)
  
• This is just a set of handy questions that can be used after listening to a radio program available on the Internet on nuclear waste cleanup (9-12)
  
• This is a global warming lesson disguised as a measurement conversion worksheet (9-12)
  
• This globalization and the environment unit culminates with a mock Kyoto Protocol negotiation (9-12)
  
• In this hydraulic water cycle and water quality lesson, students prepare posters, test water samples, compile results, and create a display board as a class (9-MO)
  
  
• This is a four-part environmental unit on climate change and the water pollution problem (11-12)
  • Part I: The Science of Climate Change
    
  • Part II: A Macro Plan for Climate Change
    
  • Part III: A Personal Plan for Climate Change
    
  • Part IV: The Water Pollution Problem
    
  
  

Videos:

• Here is news footage from the first Earth Day - what's changed? (Environment Change 1:13)
• In this animated movie, a hip Polly Bear tells kids about Earth Day and what they can do to save the planet (Habitat Heroes 1:54)
• In this shocking, fact-based video ad, National Geographic asks "Will Fresh Water Disappear for the Next Generation?" (Bing 3:28)
• This is an adorable, well-produced, and just fun video of preschool kids r-e-c-y-c-l-i-n-g (SchoolTube 5:47)
• This is an HD version of Michael Jackson's Earth Song video (Daily Motion 7:30)
  
• "Quest" is the story of the San Francisco Bay area's transformation from environmental disaster to an inspiration for a new generation (KQED 26:48)
  
  
• Here are green and environmental videos on climate change, energy, and recycling made primarily, but not exclusively by students
  • This video features a student recycling program conducted with pride by students with multiple disabilities (School Tube 2:37)
  • This is a slick fact-driven video linking overconsumption to global warming (School Tube 3:11)
  • This is an award-winning "Back to the Future" parody about alternate fuel made from recycled french fry grease (School Tube 5:11)
  • "Earth Daze" is a student video that compares and contrasts the beauty of the Earth with the damage man inflicts on it (School Tube 6:23)
  
  
• Earth Day TV celebrates Earth Day everyday with videos on global warming, getting active, alternate energy, greener living, authors and a special in the classroom channel
• National Geographic offers a collection of thirty environmental videos and nine on "Going Green"
  

Additional Resources:

• HotChalk kicks off Earth Day studies with an Earth Day Resource Guide featuring National Geographic videos and links to hot conservation topics, games, puzzles and valuable Earth Day sites for elementary grades
  
• Excite your middle and high school students with HotChalk's Severe Weather Resource Guide activities including The History Channel's Mega Disaster Video Series and links to resources on Earth's most awesome weather extremes.
• Check out PlanetPal.com - where Earth Day is every day. With over 300 pages of earth-friendly activities, facts, and fun ... they are sure to meet all your Earth Day needs.
  
• For Earth Day worksheets, edHelper.com is the place to go.
  
• Here is a great resevoir of teaching resources for Earth Day from the EPA
• "Air Pollution - What's the Solution" offers a comprehensive 6-12 web-based curriculum unit on air quality, ozone and particle pollution
• Explore the latest scientific information on global warming, how it might affect your life, and what can be done to minimize the effects at this Koshland Science Museum site for grades 6-12
• Learn how burning garbage in the open air causes pollution and health problems at this Air Defenders site aimed at students 10 and up
• This comprehensive guide for teachers interested in guiding student research project on composting is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association

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