April Showers Bring May Flowers EARTH DAY!

The air is changing, the sun is beginning to set later in the day, and all signs are pointing to Spring, which in teacher-speak means one thing:

TIME TO PLAN FOR EARTH DAY!

As a little girl growing up in New York, I looked forward to the month of April in school with such enthusiasm because I knew we’d be engaging in some of my favorite activities both inside and outside of the classroom. There were outdoor events that I looked forward to school-wide initiatives that I loved participating in, and most importantly, the books – oh, the books.

These feelings have only increased over the years, as I have made my way into adulthood and in front of the classroom. As a committed making-the-planet-a-greener-place enthusiast, being able to implement activities and strategies for Earth Day in my own classroom is not only enjoyable and rewarding, it’s imperative given the current state of affairs in our environment.

Our kids and future leaders of tomorrow should all be feeling the call to the betterment of our planet, and in my opinion, should have a lot of fun in doing so. You’d be surprised to find that each and every student, harbors an inner-ecoist!

Ready to give it your best green shot and promote a deep and necessary love for taking care of our planet? Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to your earthiest Earth Day yet!

3. Get Outside.

There is no better way to teach our students to love Mother Earth than by making them a part of it. Whether it’s a short nature walk, a story on the lawn, or an environmental experiment of sorts – a change of scenery and some fresh air will certainly do those little learning minds a whole lot of good.

2. Lead by Example.

Recently, schools in my area have been implementing a “shut it down” mindset. This simply means, “Not using it? Shut it down!” and is applied to all electronics and technology. It would be difficult to empower our students to love this planet more if we weren’t already doing it ourselves, wouldn’t it?

1.   Read!

Share good stories, base projects around them, share some more good stories, have students report on them – the opportunities are endless. We are so lucky as educators to be able to turn almost any event on the calendar into a learning experience, with some excellent reading material, of course.

Check out these favorites and more by visiting us on the web or connecting with one of our book specialists today!

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth, by Mary McKenna Siddals:

An amazing outline of experiments for you to implement with your students.

Here Comes the Garbage Barge, by Jonah Winter:

An example of what happens when we do not take care of the earth.

Fancy Nancy: Earth Day is Every Day, by Jane O’Connor:

A great way to promote care for our planet every day of the year.