Earth Day 2023 is coming up on April 22. This is the 53rd time around the sun that more than a billion humans on Earth have paused to remember our planet. The 2023 theme is “Invest in Our Planet.” How can we invest in our planet and celebrate Earth Day?
1. Five Ways to Help the Earth at School
There is a wide range of actions that we can take to make a small difference. If everyone participated, we could make BIG, positive change. Check out these five measures you can start today in your classroom and continue throughout the school year. Remember, taking care of the earth is an everyday occurrence, not just once a year!
Here are five actions you and your students can start today.
1. Use a reusable water bottle.
2. Use materials wisely. For example, not cutting a shape out of the middle of construction paper.
3. Add a student helper to be in charge of shutting off the lights when leaving the room.
4. When students are waiting on rides, encourage them to pay attention. Cutting down on cars idling in the car line is a big help.
Bonus: If you can, encourage carpooling with one or more families for drop off and pick up. If the neighborhood is walkable or rideable, encourage walking or biking.
5. Get in the habit of recycling.
2. Earth Day Digital Breakout
In honor of Earth Day, here is my newest digital breakout. The Earth Day Breakout has four digital locks, and just like all my breakouts, I can provide the four lock answers if you email me at email@example.com
3. Make an Earth Day Pledge
Every Earth Day, I make a pledge to change one thing in my life to help out my home planet. In the past, since I travel frequently, I have pledged to return my hotel key cards to the front desk and shut off the lights in the hotel room when I leave. I also walk to my neighborhood mailbox instead of driving. A few years ago, I discontinued my gas lawn mower and bought a battery-charged mower.
This year, my lofty goal is to bring my own container to restaurants instead of taking my leftovers home in a one-time throwaway styrofoam container. Think of this pledge like a spin on a New Year’s resolution, except it’s an Earth Day resolution. To help keep myself accountable, here is a pledge card in Canva, or you can make a copy of the Google slide deck and store your pledges digitally.
4. Canva Earth Day Resources
If you’ve been bitten by the Canva bug, like I have, check out these two resources.
1. Earth Day Activity Book: An eight-page, customizable booklet that offers a writing activity, vocabulary, fill-in-the-blanks, information on renewable and nonrenewable resources, and should or shouldn’t activity.
2. Earth Day Graphing Math Worksheet: Includes four customizable graphing activities for students
5. Earth Day Quizzes from EarthDay.org
EarthDay.org is a nonprofit organization that’s based in Washington, D.C. and has a worldwide reach. The website is a storage house for all things related to Earth Day. You might find the quizzes and fact sheet resources helpful!
The quizzes are broken into three topics:
Climate and Emissions Quizzes
- Climate Change
- Clean Energy
- Regenerative Agriculture
- Sustainable Fashion
- Invest in our Planet
Individual Action Quizzes
- Environmental Literacy
- Upcycled Foods
- Nature and Happiness
Conservation and Restoration Quizzes
- Deforestations and Biodiversity
- Protect our Species
- Plastic Pollution
- Whale Conservation
- Endangered Species
If you are searching for facts to make a point hit home. Check out these:
Plastic Pollution Fact Sheets
- Disposable Plastics
- Single Use Plastics
- Ocean Plastics
- Microplastics and Drinking Water
- Facts: The Plastics Threat to Human Health
Conservation & Biodiversity Fact Sheets
- Global Species Decline
Food and Agriculture Facts Sheets
- Food Systems and Climate Change
- degenerative Agriculture
6. National Geographic Kids
National Geographic is an American monthly magazine that was founded in 1888. This long-term establishment is great for exploring geography, cartography, and exploration, and it sponsors a website just for kids.
I found two articles for kids that you might like to use in your classroom. One article is on the History of Earth Day and includes additional tips to help the environment. Another article, Save the Earth Tips, offers five different slide deck galleries of beautiful animals threatened with extinction and ways you can help. Additionally, the Funny Fill-in for Earth Day digital mad-lib would be fun as a group, partnered, or individual activity for students.
Remember, every small action we take as a human race will help us win in the long run. Happy Earth Day! Teachers, don’t forget, if you need answers to the breakout send me an email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
More Earth Day Resources
Digital Resources for Earth Day
Get Ready for Earth Day
Resources to Celebrate Earth Day in Elementary
Earth Day Digital Breakout