Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, Education World offers the following articles and activities for classroom teachers.

EARTH DAY LESSON IDEAS

Best Lessons on Earth (Day)
Five lesson plans to engage students in creating maps of an astronaut's view of Earth, exploring issues of junk mail and hazardous household waste, and learning about endangered species.

Activities to Celebrate Earth Day!
Two dozen across-the-grades activities for a big Earth Day celebration.

Additional
Education World
Resources
Best Books for Teaching About...
Earth Day, Environment, Frogs, Life Cycle, Oceans, Plants, Rain Forests, Recycling, Trees, Water, more...

Every-Day Edits for April

Bulletin Boards That Teach
Check out April bulletin boards.

Plus!

Writing Bugs

Coloring Calendars
Month of Fun
Word Search Puzzles

"101 Amazing Earth Facts" Game
Play this Jeopardy-like game on Earth Day, or anytime. (Grades 3-12)

What on Earth Are You Doing for Earth Day?
Celebrate Earth Day with activities connected to our Earth Day Challenge.

What Is the Most Serious Problem Facing Earth? -- An Education World WebQuest
In this special Earth Day WebQuest, student teams research a critical threat to Earth's environment as they vie for $1 million in funding from the fictional Help Our World (HOW) Foundation. Included: student work sheets, lots of Earth Day resources, more.

Make a Difference on Earth Day
Earth Day, a time when people around the world hold events to honor our home planet. This week, Education World offers five service activities for students who want to help make a difference in their environment.

Wild and Wonderful Lessons About Endangered Species
This Earth Day, put the diversity of plants and animals to work in lessons that will tame your students’ need to know about endangered species. Included: Five “captivating” lessons that involve research, role-playing, and real-life creatures.

Lessons Teach Students to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Earth Day, first celebrated in 1970, is just around the corner. To celebrate, Education World offers five lessons to teach about trash and the importance of recycling. Included: A Mother's Day gift idea, recycle games, worms, scrap paper projects, more.

Education Resources Help Kids ‘Give Water a Hand’
Two national organizations offer support and information for creating meaningful and memorable learning experiences for students.

Science and Math e-Projects Connect Students Worldwide
The Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) provides teachers with five free projects and several real-time projects that connect students worldwide. Included: Comments from teachers across the grades who have used the CIESE projects.

Internet Projects To Celebrate Earth Day
Looking for cool Earth Day projects on the Internet? You'll find an abundance of interesting projects that involve students in Internet learning and saving the Earth.

Plant Seeds of Learning: Classroom Lessons Bring Plants to Life
Five new classroom lessons involve students in growing things and learning about scientific classification, plant cell structure, the importance of plants in our history, and the many uses of plants. Included: Links to more lessons.

Springtime On-Line
Does spring fever have your students all a-buzz? Use their boundless energy to help them learn about the bees -- and the flowers and the seeds.

Gems from the Garden: Digging Up Activities for All Ages
Plant a seed, design a garden, or investigate the life of a worm -- welcome the new season with those activities and a crop of others. Included: More great resources.

Trees Sprout Classroom Lessons Throughout the Year
Why not go out on a limb! Springtime and Arbor Day are great times to branch out and include in your curriculum timely lessons about trees. Included: Lessons for measuring trees, reading a color key map, creating tree silhouettes and a "good behavior tree," more.

Grow a Garden of Opportunity
Classroom gardens, whether outside or indoors, provide the perfect opportunity to bring life to lessons in science, history, math -- even poetry.

Schoolyard Soil Dwellers: What’s Living in Your Schoolyard?
Participants in the Schoolyard Soil Dwellers online project are discovering the rewards of getting their hands dirty and comparing data across the miles. Included: Teachers and students share their experiences.

Sites to See: Earth Day
These sites help make students aware of the risks of neglecting the environment and of their responsibility for maintaining it. Included: Three dozen links to sites about ecology and the environment.

'Down To Earth' Web Sites -- Helping Students Learn About Our Planet
If digging to the center of Earth is not an option, let the resources of the Web take you on a tour from the mesosphere to the inner core. Through diagrams, charts, and pictures, your students will discover that Earth is alive with motion.

Great Sites for Teaching About ... Earth Day
Internet educator Walter McKenzie tracks down the best of the best Internet resources.

EarthWatch Global Classroom
This site is a source for Earthwatch. Earthwatch is a non-profit organization whose members strive to "improve human understanding of the planet, the diversity of its inhabitants, and the processes that affect the quality of life on Earth."

Mrs. Burton Means Business
Recycling Kids, Inc.-- a business run by El Monte, California, third-graders--teaches business skills while learning about recycling, involving parents and helping the environment."

Schools Strive for Waste-Free Lunches
Schools are discovering the benefits of cutting down on the waste they produce, particularly in the lunchroom. In addition to monetary benefits, the schools are producing stewards of the Earth. Included: Simple ways to reduce waste in the lunchroom.