Earth Day Lesson Plan: 1st - 3rd Grade

Earth day is a fun thing to do with your students. There are a lot great ideas that I've come up with for your class to enjoy earth day, especially now that our earth is going green!

Captain Planet

Find a copy of Captain Planet before your class comes in. Find the clip where captain planet discovers the problem. The problems usually deal with pollution or something that harms the environment. Show that short piece of the clip at the beginning and then ask your students what happened. Instead of showing the entire movie show 5-10 minute clips throughout the day depending on how attentive your students are. After each showing ask them questions.

Jack and the Bean Stalk

Have your kids line up and give each of them a few bean seeds. Before you do this activity you need to acquire been seeds (or flower seeds depending on your preference), and bag or miracle grow dirt, water, and little water cups. The water cups are not pricy, you can find them at your local grocery store (or ask around school for extras). Divide the kids into groups. By calling one group at a time to complete the activity you can keep your room clean, because dirt and kids don't mix. Have each kid pick out a cup and than fill up the cup ¼ of the way with dirt. Than have them put their seeds in. After the seeds are in put enough dirt over the top (should be filled 75% with dirt). After lunch have the kids water their plants.

Color the World Green

While the other kids are doing the group plant project have the other kids cut out coloring book sheets of the earth. If you have an assistant things will run a little more smoothly.

Here are a few web sites that have earth day coloring sheets!

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/earth/mearthposter.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/earth-day/

http://parenting.leehansen.com/downloads/coloring/earthday-coloring.htm

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/holidays/ss/earthprint_9.htm

Recycle

Most schools have recycling bins that collect cans. This is a good opportunity for your school and your class to help out! Tell your kids to bring in cans for recycling, and when a kid brings in some kids reward them!

Give them different ideas of way to help the environment. Parents usually enjoy when their kids come home and give them a command that helps the environment. Its cute.

For Fun

Make cookies that are shaped like circles. Decorate them like the earth and pass them around at the end of the day.

I hope that I've helped your earth day teaching plans!