Earth Day 2009 Lesson Plans for Grades 1-5

Earth Day has been celebrated in classrooms around the world since it began on April 20, 1970. Earth Day lesson plans can incorporate science, ecology, and social awareness in a way that most students will find engaging and interesting.

The 3 lesson plans for students in grades 1-5 are designed with flexibility in mind. All lessons can be used as a science lesson, or as a stand-alone special lesson to celebrate Earth Day.

Nature Hunt

The idea of the Nature Hunt activity for Earth Day is to encourage students to use their five senses to make observations about the world around them. The Earth Day activity takes between 1-2 hours to fully complete, including instructional time, the activity, and follow up discussion.

Directions

The Nature Hunt activity for Earth Day should be started with a brief instructional talk about the activity. Students should be given a briefing about what they will be observing and looking for on the Nature Hunt. Ideally, students should work in teams or small groups during the outdoor activity. Students should draw or write down the things they observe on the Nature Hunt and be prepared to share their observations with the class.

The Nature Hunt can be conducted in any safe outside area or incorporated with a field trip to a local park. Students should report any animals, plants, bugs, trees, and any other observations on their Nature Hunt.

After the Nature Hunt is complete, students can share their observations with the class during a discussion period. Additional activities for this Earth Day activity include student written reports, drawings, or oral reports as a group.

Vegetable Garden

Students can celebrate Earth Day by learning how to grow their own sustainable vegetables. This is an excellent idea for elementary students and it can be included with any science lesson about plants or nutrition.

Small plastic recyclable cups can be used to start the vegetable plants. The only supplies needed for this Earth Day activity are cups, soil, and a variety of easy-to-grow vegetable seeds.

Students can start their own seed planting on Earth Day by placing the seed in loose soil and learning how to care for their plants over the next few weeks. Once the seedlings have reached approximately 4-6 inches, students can then take their plants home to transfer into larger planters.

Recycling Game

One Earth Day activity to teach students about the importance of recycling is a recycling game. About a week before the activity is planned, students can be asked to bring in 3-5 things from home that can be recycled. Plastic pop bottles, newspaper, old magazines, cardboard boxes, and other recyclable materials are all good examples.

Teachers should prepare ahead of time by labeling 3 plastic bins for paper, metal, and plastic. On the day of the recycling game activity, teachers can provide a short lesson about the value of recycling. Students can then engage in sorting their recyclables into the correct bins and then noting how many things the class will be recycling. If the activity goes well, the class may want to share their results by writing a note to the principal or encouraging other classes to try the activity.