It's
that time of year again when we celebrate the planet we call home - Earth Day! This
year let's take the time to show our students just how important it is to take
care of our environment. How do you celebrate Earth Day in the classroom? To help you out, I've
put together a list of 10-20 activities that you can do with your students to
celebrate Earth Day in the classroom.
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1. Read Earth Day Themed Books:
Reading is a fantastic way to
celebrate Earth Day in the classroom. There are many great Earth Day-themed
books that you can read aloud to your students, such as The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, The Earth Book by Todd Parr, and Michael
Recycle by Ellie Bethel. For more Earth Day read-aloud suggestions, checkout this blog post.
2. Earth Day Color by
Number:
Engage your students with this fun and educational activity that
combines coloring and math concepts. For younger students, focus on number recognition skills, while older students can practice addition, multiplication,
or equivalent fractions.
3. Create an Earth Day Bulletin Board:
Get your students involved in creating a beautiful bulletin board that showcases the importance of protecting our planet.
I love this Earth Day pledge bulletin board for younger students.
There are also a ton of free ideas for Earth Day bulletin boards here.
4. Recycling Bin Sorting:
Teach your students about the different
types of waste and how to sort them into recycling bins.
5. Earth Day Word Search:
Keep your students entertained while they
learn new vocabulary words related to Earth Day with this fun Earth Day word search. Bonus: This resource includes multiple holidays and all 4 seasons, so you can use it all year round!
6. Plant a Garden:
Get your hands dirty with your students and
plant a garden on your school grounds. This is a great way to teach your
students about the importance of sustainability and taking care of the planet.
7. Create a Compost Bin:
Teach your students about composting and
how it can help reduce waste. You can even use the compost you make to fertilize your
school garden!
8. Conduct a Trash Audit:
Take your students on a walk around your
school grounds and conduct a trash audit. This is a great way to teach your
students about the importance of reducing waste and recycling. It also doubles as a math lesson in graphing!
9. Environmental Art Projects:
Get creative with your students and
make some amazing art projects using recycled materials.
10. Write Letters to Your Local Representatives:
Teach your students
about the importance of being an advocate for the environment by writing
letters to their local representatives.
11. Go on a Nature Walk:
Take your students on a nature walk and
teach them about the different ecosystems and habitats in your area.
12. Make Bird Feeders:
Create some homemade bird feeders with your
students and hang them around your school grounds. This is a great way to teach
your students about the importance of wildlife conservation.
13. Create a Recycled Instrument Band:
Teach your students about
music and sustainability by creating a recycled instrument band.
14. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt:
Plan an Earth Day scavenger hunt with
clues related to environmental topics. Here is an alphabet Earth Day scavenger hunt you can print out as well.
15. Earth Day Writing Prompts:
Encourage your students to express
their thoughts and ideas about Earth Day with these Earth Day writing prompts.
You can also check out this Kid President-inspired writing lesson, The World Would be More Awesome if...
16. Earth Day Videos:
Show your students Earth Day-themed videos to
help them learn about environmental issues. There are many great videos
available online.
I hope these activities inspire you to celebrate Earth Day in your classroom and teach your students about the importance of taking care of our planet. Remember, every small action counts towards a healthier environment!
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