Earth Day falls on April 22, and it’s never too early to start thinking about your classroom lesson plans for that day. First introduced in 1970, Earth Day is a holiday meant to spread awareness of environmental concerns and measures that can be taken to preserve the planet. Students of all ages enjoy learning about Earth Day and its importance in protecting our future. And you can make this Earth Day extra memorable by incorporating some fun and meaningful activities into your lesson plans!
Clean Up the School Yard
One activity to consider that’s appropriate for students of all ages is that of organizing a school yard clean-up. Your class (or multiple classes) can use their recess or even class time to head out to the school yard and pick up litter. Consider grouping students into teams and equipping them with garbage bags, gloves, and garbage pickers to beautify your school. You’ll all be surprised by what a difference you can make as a team! Be sure to have supervising adults available to ensure students aren’t handling broken glass or other potentially dangerous items.
Hold a Recycling Drive
Incorporating Earth Day activities into your classroom doesn’t necessarily mean having to take away from your regular lesson time. Consider organizing a recycling drive that can last the entire week of Earth Day. Send fliers home with students asking parents to send in recyclables such as:
- used ink cartridges
- old cell phones
- used batteries
Consider sticking to one category to make things easier on you. At the end of the week, take the recyclables to a local recycling center; you can do this on your own or even turn it into a mini-field trip. Your choice!
Decorate Cloth Shopping Bags
Opting for reusable canvas shopping bags over traditional plastic and paper bags can be a great way to cut back on waste and help the environment. Bring in a blank canvas bag for each of your students and allow them to decorate them however they’d like. Then, they can bring them home to their parents and encourage them to use them in lieu of paper/plastic bags on their next shopping trip!
Click here for three fun lesson plans on decorating reusable canvas shopping bags!
Plant Trees and Flowers
If your school has the resources, consider having your students plant some trees or flowers on Earth Day. This is a great opportunity for your students to enjoy some time outdoors while also doing their part to help the environment. Even if you can’t plant anything outside, you could consider starting a small windowsill plant or herb garden in your classroom using some packets of seeds and a few small pots. Designate a different student to water the garden each day.
These are just a few fun ideas you can use to celebrate Earth Day in your classroom. For more classroom resources or to shop for eco-friendly classroom supplies (included recycled paper), check out Classroom Direct today. Together, we can make a difference.
