Earth Day Compilation

compiled by Kathleen Carpenter, Editor in Chief

Earth Day is on April 22.

Take a look at the Teachers.Net Eco-Earth Day Chatboard at http://teachers.net/projects/earthday in the Project Center. And, if you search the term "earth day" in http://teachers.net/lessons you'll turn up dozens of projects and activities.

You can order these items free from the Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov

• Coloring Book: Happy Earth Day
• Coloring Book: Save our Species Coloring Book
• Poster: 50 Ways to Make Your World a Better Place
• Comic Book: Adventures of the Garbage Gremlin

Write to:
Publications
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. EPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604

The United Nations declared Earth Day as March 21st, and it is commonly celebrated on April 22nd in the United States, with some groups also celebrating March 21st in the US. The Wilderness Society has a history of Earth Day online at http://www.envirolink.org/
earthday/history.html

A cute book to use for an Earth Day presentation. It is called It's Just A Good Thing To Do and it's by Margaret Holland, Ph.D., and Michelle Ross. It is published by Willowisp Press.

Here are a few poems I have found and saved. Elise in NY

Our Earth

The Earth is ours to enjoy
For every little girl and boy.
But we must always be aware
That all its beauty we must share.
With all the children yet to come,
Who want to laugh and play and run
Around the trees and in the fields.
So we must keep our planet free
From messy trash and debris
With air that's clean and fresh and clear
For all to breathe from year to year.
We must never ever abuse
Our sweet Earth that's ours to use.

Earth Day

I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.

Planet Earth

Taking care of planet Earth
Is what we like to do.
We won't pollute
We give a hoot.
Waste's a disgrace.
Keep litter in it's place.
Now - how about you?

Compilation of Earth Day ideas:
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/404.html

Transcripts chock full of Earth Day ideas & activities, resources:
http://teachers.net/archive/ec032399.html
http://teachers.net/archive/ec032100.html

Earth Protectors Activity:
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/281.html

An Annotated Bibliography of Children's Literature with Environmental Themes:
http://teachers.net/archive/envirobks.html

For any theme or unit, when looking for a book by author, check here:
http://teachers.net/bookshelf/
shopping/lit_frame.html and click on author's name in left frame.

A site with printable resources, activities (Adobe Acrobat needed):
http://www.abcteach.com/earthday/earthtoc.htm

Mrs. Vig's Earth Day page
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/
1stGrade/pagev.html

Happy Earth Day coloring and activity book
http://www.epa.gov/region5/happy.htm

A Page of Songs and Poems
http://www.track0.com/canteach/
elementary/songspoems51.html

Happy Earth Day Coloring Book:
http://www.kidsdomain.com/
down/pc/earthcolorp1.html
Print out an Adobe format eleven page coloring book on Earth Day, with tips and activities included. PreK-1.

Sammy Soil:
http://www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/class/sammy.htm
Subtitled, A Coloring Book Story; download for PreK-1.

Making Paper From Recycled Materials:
http://www.kinderart.com/recycle/makepaper.htm
Your students will be very proud of the paper they create with just a few simple materials.

Celebrating Earth Day With Students:
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers
/bi/1991/earthday.html
Teachers can find a long list of potential activities for both inside and outside the classroom to become more environmentally aware, and to celebrate Earth Day.

Pennies For The Planet:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/windows/
pennies/index.html#newpennies
This program from World Wildlife for Middle Schools helps to target and save ecoregions around the world. The new program does not begin until September, 2001, but meanwhile you can download the many classroom and learning resources available at this site, including career moves, future world, and mapping biodiversity.

Recycle Game:
http://www.cstone.net/~bry-back/
gardenfun/crafts.html
Download this shareware game for students to identify and sort recyclable objects. Choose your skill level, but watch out--the game gets faster and faster. For Macs only.

The Dynamic Earth Lesson Plans:
http://www.wnet.org/wnetschool/
origlessons/dynamic_earth/index.html
Through a study of both volcanoes and earthquakes, students will learn about the mechanics behind these powerful natural forces, while comparing and understanding global patterns. Grades 3 - 8.

Environmental Explorer Lesson Plan:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/
ngo/education/ideask4/k4environ.html
Students will compare and contrast natural environmental features with human elements. They will also consider cultural differences in addressing environmental concerns, then critically debate environmental issues, and finally learn to predict future directions of environmental import. From the National Geographic; applicable to grades 3 through 8.

Recycle Kits:
http://www.planetpals.com/pprecycle.html
Print out these charts for your classroom, or for students to take home and pass on the conservation and recycling efforts.

Paper From Paper--A Hands-On Approach To Recycling:
http://pbisotopes.ess.sunysb.edu/esp/
589_98/leibowitz/Lesson_Plan.htm
One of the best projects to get students interested in serious recycling efforts is to save all classroom paper scraps, collect a few used newspapers, and proceed to this lesson plan to make your own paper. Your students will be even more involved if you use the recycled paper to create personal journals. Add herbs, leaves, and/or fibers of interesting color for interest and texture. Students can also experiment with different types of paper and even tree bark to see which textures they produce as a final product--a great science project.

Technology Of Paper:
http://www.dhs.dcs.edu/HASP/Paper/int2.html
Extend your studies of trees and your activities with recycled paper with the math and language arts ideas at this site.

Paper Trees:
http://www.kinderart.com/crafts/papertrees.htm
A bit of twisting and tearing, more twisting, add some tissue paper leaves, and your class has created a tree to help celebrate Earth Day. Early elementary.

Earth Day Lesson Plan:
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/
TLresources/longterm/
LessonPlans/Byrnes/earthday.html
This lesson plan takes a close look into the everyday lives and familiar environments of students, where they investigate such issues as recycling, pollution, and other environmental problems, all with an eye to solutions.

Earth Day Webquest:
http://www.hinklecreek.com/
earthday/indexed.htm
How do we promote a healthy earth environment? By starting at home, is the answer found in this webquest lesson. Students will explore their own trash, and how they might recycle and reduce. A printable student question page is included.

Puzzle Piece Picture Frame:
http://www.kinderart.com/recycle/puzzle2.htm
Everyone has a puzzle lying around that is missing some pieces. Instead of throwing it out, use this art lesson plan to create a unique picture frame.

Build A Trashasaurus Rex Model:
http://users.hsonline.net/kidatart
/htdoc/lesson22.htm
Elementary through middle school will thoroughly enjoy brainstorming aqnd creating these wonderful recycled sculptures.

Torn Paper Bunny:
http://users.hsonline.net/kidatart
/htdoc/lesson21.htm
Wallpaper samples, glue, and other common materials serve as the ingredients to make this wonderful collage.

Create, Design, And Invent With Plastic:
http://users.hsonline.net/
kidatart/htdoc/lesson47.htm
Find some wonderful ideas to both incorporate a recycling lesson into an art project with plastics.

Painting Without A Brush:
http://users.hsonline.net/
kidatart/htdoc/lesson27.htm
All ages will enjoy this art lesson, painting without a brush. With a bit of background on famed artist Jackson Pollock, students will take a turn at their own creations, individually or in groups.

Composting In Schools:
http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/compost/schools.html
Take recycling a step further by setting up a solid waste composting program for your school. Students can collect such items as banana peels and apple cores, recycled class-room paper, grass cuttings and leaves. This site will guide you through the steps, and offers lesson plans and opportunities for research.

Recycle Card Game:
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/
courses/edtec670/Cardboard/
Card/R/recycle.html
To help your students recognize what materials can be recycled and to take responsibility for earth concerns, play a recycling game with these card templates and directions.

To Recycle Or Not To Recycle:
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/
hschool/webq/webq81
This elementary-level webquest takes students on a journey through civics and recycling research. They will email experts, create a recycled product, and present their findings in their choice of multimedia or standard report.

Litter Detectives:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/
dep/deputate/enved/
Rec_Lessons/litter.htm
Students will collect and analyze school and/or community litter, and make suggestions as to how it can be reduced.They will create graphs, and you can integrate technology by having the class create a spreadsheet with their findings.

Make A Paper Bag Book:
http://www.arts.ufl.edu/
art/rt_room/sparkers/
artist_book/make_a_book.html
Just in time for Earth Day, recycle your paper grocery bags to make student-created books.

We make a picture book titled 26 Ways to Save the Earth
Each student gets enough paper cut in half to put the alphabet on each page. They then draw a picture and illustrate. For example:

• A - Always turn off lights when they aren't being used.
• B - Brush your teeth without the faucet running, etc.

The book is put together using paper grocery bags (cut to the size of the paper) for a cover. This could be done as a group activity, where each group made a book and they split up the alphabet. Some years in a group activity, one person draws the sketches, one colors, one writes the sentences, depending on the artistic ability of the groups.

Also, check out Shel Silverstein's Sarah, Sylvia, Cynthia Stout poem...she "simply would not take the garbage out." It's great for reading and drawing a picture.

When I was teaching, I used The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. I read the book to the kids and then they we did a lesson on personification. They were to write a letter to the people of earth as if they were The Earth. I got some great writing samples - especially showing Voice!

We then made an Earth - to hold the letter. (I hope I can describe this here)

1. Cut large blue circle (I had a pattern for them to trace - we used the large sheet of construction paper)
2. Students were to add the continents (using brown or green construction paper - how ever they wanted)
3. We cut two long stripes of construction paper and attacted to the back - coming out from each sided of the earth to look like arms. These were creased by the blue circle to stick out from the earth.
4. We attached the letter to the arms - looking like the earth was reading the letter (but we had the letter face forward, so we could read the letter)

The Teacher's Corner
http://www.theteacherscorner.net
"The Environment - Earth Day" thematic unit contains web sites, great literature, and over 50 lesson plans and activities.

This site can be used to create Earth Day e-postcards. You choose a sticker and music, create a message, and send as a reminder to other classes, etc.
http://www.planetpals.com/
funmail/happyholiday.html

Earth Day/Environment Theme
http://atozteacherstuff.com/
themes/environment.shtml

Recycling/Composting Another great topic for Earth Day!
http://atozteacherstuff.com/themes/
recycling_composting.shtml

Kroger’s [market] donated brown paper grocery sacks. We are putting Earth Day 2001 at top of bag. Underneath that the students choose a slogan, such as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Give A Hoot...Don't Pollute! Each student is given an earth template to trace. Then they are instructed to draw a map of earth. Underneath the earth, they write the name of our school. Kroger will use these bags next week in observation of Earth Day. This idea has been used for several years in our school.

Earth Day Crafts
www.EnchantedLearning.com/crafts/earthday
Earth Day is coming up -- April 22. A collection of more than 20 fun Earth Day crafts. All have detailed illustrated instructions, and all you need are materials found around the house. Earth

Earth Day resources

For Kids:

Community Clean Up
http://www.educationworld.com/
a_lesson/01-1/lp231_01.shtml
Students identify areas in their community filled with trash and work together to clean those areas. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Cafeteria Compost
http://www.educationworld.com/
a_lesson/01-1/lp231_02.shtml
Students create a compost pile in the schoolyard, using lunchroom food scraps and yard clippings. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Earth Day PSA
http://www.educationworld.com/
a_lesson/01-1/lp231_03.shtml
Students develop a short public-service announcement (PSA) video to raise awareness about an environmental issue. (Grade 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Earth Day Fund-Raiser
http://www.educationworld.com/
a_lesson/01-1/lp231_04.shtml
Students hold a fund-raising activity to raise money to buy seeds, plants, or tree seedlings to beautify school grounds. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Improving School Recycling

http://www.educationworld.com/
a_lesson/01-1/lp231_05.shtml
Students evaluate their school recycling programs and propose improvements. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Make a Difference on Earth Day!
http://www.educationworld.com/
a_lesson/lesson231.shtml
Sunday, April 22, 2001, marks the 31st celebration of Earth Day, a time when people around the world hold events to honor our home planet -- and to remind everyone about the importance of our ecosystem. This week, Education World offers five service activities for students who want to help make a difference in their environment!

Earth Day Theme Unit:
http://www.abcteach.com/
earthday/earthtoc.htm
Print out copies of the Earth shape book to create a template for students to record their illustrations and information while learning about Earth Day. Also included here are topic-related reading comprehension sheets, grade-leveled, and instructions for creating an Earth Day poster.

Munchy The Recycling Machine:
http://www.mcswmd.org/kids/muncher.html
Young students can learn all about recycling and perhaps start their own projects as they follow along an interactive tour through disposal and recycling. After completing the online field trip here, let your students create their own annotated coloring book demonstrating what they have learned, or a how-to chart on recycling different materials.

Earth Day -- More lessons for Earth Day
http://www.teachervision.com/
lesson-plans/lesson-6612.html

Keep our Planet Green -- Older site but a lot of good links
http://members.aol.com/donnandlee/
Green.html#EARTH