Earth Day activities, projects and videos
Searching for Earth Day materials? Thinkfinity offers Earth Day lesson plans, activities, projects, videos, interactive tools about conserving energy, recycling and finding innovative ways to solve environmental challenges.
ACTIVITES & TOOLS
First Lady for the Environment
Learn more about First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson and her work to protect the environment and bring beauty to every community. This module includes active reading suggestions and hands-on activities for the illustrated biography Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers, by Kathi Appelt. Smithsonian's History Explorer, Grades K-4
Creative Climates
Your Mission: As head of the new National Geographic Climate Observation Post, you need to create a Climate Map to illustrate the world's different climate zones. Xpeditions, Grades K-12
Backyard Naturalist
Your Mission: prepare yourself to take groups of tourists on short nature hikes and answer their questions about area wildlife. Because naturalists are expected to know a lot about the local environment, your job requires you to become knowledgeable about local wildlife and learn how to collect and analyze biological data. This will ensure that you can answer all those tourists' questions! Xpeditions, Grades K-12
Everyday Explorer
Your Mission: Become an Everyday Explorer! You will be making an exploration tool kit that will provide you with the necessary gear and ideas for year-round activities that will help you dive in, get hands-on, and find out exactly what makes your neighborhood tick. Xpeditions, Grades K-12
Saving Our Oceans
Your Mission: Teach oceanographers with different specialties about other ocean specialties and thus create a better understanding of the ocean as a complete, diverse system. Xpeditions, Grades K-12
The Arctic and Antarctic Circles
Your Mission: Explore the ends of the Earth—the Poles—to compare and contrast each region. Xpeditions, Grades K-12
Preserving Biodiversity
Your Mission: Create a map that shows where some endangered species live in the world. Xpeditions, Grades K-12
Explore and Write About Nature
This reading and writing activity gets children outside and encourages them to explore the world around them, whether it’s in their own backyards, in the woods during hikes, or at parks or beaches. ReadWriteThink, Grades 3-5
The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands
Prairie Builders, written and photographed by Sneed B. Collard, III, tells the remarkable story of an effort to bring back part of the native tallgrass prairie in Iowa. Readers learn where the vision for a new prairie came from and how scientists and volunteers are working together to make the vision a reality. The text includes striking photographs, taken by the author, which help bring the project to life. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-8
The Amateur Naturalist
The Amateur Naturalist, by Nick Baker, is full of information to enhance any outdoor learning experience. Each chapter is dedicated to a group of animals (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) or plants. Within each chapter, there is information on finding, tracking, and identifying each species, plus a few hands-on projects to enhance the outdoor learning experience. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-12
PLANS & COLLECTIONS
Science NetLinks Earth Day Feature
Visit Science NetLinks' Earth Day Feature to see the full collection of science related resources. Science NetLinks, Grades K-12
ARTSEDGE Earth Day Collection
ARTSEDGE's Earth Day collection lets students explore the arts and the environment in perfect harmony. ARTSEDGE, Grades K-12
Earth Day Calendar Entry
ReadWriteThink, Grades K-12
Investigating Local Ecosystems
This lesson lets students investigate the habitats of local plants and animals and explore some of the ways animals depend on plants and each other. Science NetLinks, Grades K-2
Protecting Our Precious Planet: Sharing the Message of Earth Day
In this lesson, students will learn to think globally and act locally by participating in the Internet-based Earth Day Groceries Project. ReadWriteThink, Grades K-2
Elementary Ecosystems
Students explore the basics of species interdependency within an ecosystem or habitat. Students will perform a simple simulation to see how one species can affect many others, and gain a basic understanding of the importance of biodiversity. Xpeditions, Grades K-2
Just Turn It Off
Energy is often expended when it doesn't need to be. Students investigate the importance of turning off lights, toys, machines, and appliances in this lesson. Science Netlinks, Grades K-2
True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet NEW!
This lesson helps students understand that products and objects that humans make have lifespans, too, and that they need to be recycled, reused, and re-imagined so there will be less pollution and waste on the planet. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5
Power Up!
In this lesson, students compare and contrast different energy sources and the trade-offs of using them. Includes a student interactive. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5
Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict
Study of humans and animals in cooperation and conflict within folktales lends itself to a simple lesson on ecology and endangered species, where students can explore how humans' relationship with nature has been compromised. EDSITEment, Grades 3-5
Energy Sources and Use
This lesson helps students to distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy and to investigate a variety of renewable energy resources and compare the benefits and drawbacks of each. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5
Earth Day Every Day
Students explore how classroom and community projects can improve the local environment and benefit communities beyond one's own. Students will discuss environmental concerns, analyze these concerns, and offer practical remedies. Xpedtions, Grades 3-5
What's Happening to the Emperor Penguins?
Students will learn about emperor penguins' habitat and behaviors through Web sites such as National Geographic Creature Feature: Emperor Penguins and will illustrate a map to show what they have learned. Xpeditions, Grades 3-5
Earth Verse: Using Science in Poetry
In this lesson, students listen to poems in the book Science Verse by Jon Scieszka. Students then create diamante, acrostic, or shape poems with illustrations. To help increase fluency, students read their poems to the class. Finally, students create original poems using facts they have learned in the current science curriculum. ReadWriteThink, Grades 3-5
How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate NEW!
This lesson helps students understand the scientific research into climate change and the role of citizen scientists in helping professional scientists generate data to track the problem and devise solutions. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-8
Endangered Species 1: Why Are Species Endangered?
The purpose of this lesson is for students to examine the plight of endangered species and to help them understand and gain perspective on human issues that continue to endanger species and threaten our global environment. Sciecne NetLinks, Grades 6-8
Endangered Species 2: Working to Save Endangered Species
In this lesson, students explore the Endangered Species Act and the work of scientists who strive to protect species. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-8
Marine Sanctuaries
Through this lesson, students develop an understanding of diverse marine ecosystems and the problems they face. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-8
Photosynthesis, Trees, and the Greenhouse Effect
In this lesson, students will study photosynthesis and then transfer their understanding of this topic to a consideration of how trees can help reduce the negative impacts of the greenhouse effect. Xpeditions, Grades 6-8
Polar Regions: Arctic Adaptations and Global Impacts
Students will learn about the adaptive capabilities of animals and people living in polar regions, look at recent climate changes, study the effects of global warming and understand the interconnectedness of life in these regions with life around the world. Xpeditions, Grades 6-8
Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues
Students explore environmental issues that are relevant to their own lives, self-select topics, and gather information to write persuasive essays. ReadWriteThink, Grades 6-8
Green Roof Design
In this student-centered learning model, students work collaboratively in small teams to design a heat- and water-conserving “green roof” of plant material for an urban apartment building. Science NetLinks, Grades 9-12
Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations
Through this lesson, students gain an introduction to conservation biology via the memoirs of a scientist who has traveled throughout the world to study and defend endangered species. Science NetLinks, Grades 9-12
Environmental Issues in the Polar Regions
Students will learn about how environmental problems affect the polar regions, and they will create magazine ads to educate the public about these problems and to convince people to pay more attention to human impacts on the Arctic and Antarctic. Xpeditions, Grades 9-12
Climate and CO2: Analyzing their Relationship
In this lesson, students will speculate on various scenarios of future world climates if the greenhouse effect increases. Xpeditions, Grades 9-12
INTERACTIVES
Nowhere to Hide
In this activity, students can manipulate the level of pollution emitted by the factory (i.e., the background color of the screen) and observe the effects on the different colored bugs, moving them toward a better understanding of evolution by natural selection. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5, 6-8
Power Up!
In this interactive, students compare and contrast different energy sources and the trade-offs of using them. Science Netlinks, Grades 3-5, 6-8
Human Footprint Interactive
Xpeditions
Greenhouse Effect Interactive
Xpeditions
EarthPulse Interactive Maps
Xpeditions
PODCASTS & VIDEOS
Smithsonian Climate Change Conference
This archived online conference includes both general interest sessions and sessions intended for teachers. An excellent professional development resource that shows how to register for the free conference, the schedule and speakers, and information about virtual conferences. Also included - links to learning activities, the conference blog, and a brief essay entitled Why the Ginkgo? that explains the importance of the Ginkgo tree to science, art history and research at the Smithsonian.
Chatting About Books: Celebrating the Earth Podcast
This podcast episode focuses on the theme of environmental awareness and activities and books for Earth Day. ReadWriteThink, Grades K-5
Ascending Plants
In this podcast, students learn that plants are gradually moving to higher altitudes to escape global warming. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12
Thoreau's Plants
In this Science Update podcast, students learn how global warming has altered the composition of plants on the shores of Walden since the time of Henry David Thoreau. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12
Carbon Emissions
This podcast discusses why carbon emission rates may be higher than scientists thought. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12
Fossil Fuel Switch
This podcast asks, "How much would it cost to quit fossil fuels cold turkey?" Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12
Mountain Rain
This podcast focuses on why pollution from cities could dry out nearby mountains. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12
Nitrogen Pollution
In this Science Update podcast, students learn why human sources of nitrogen may be just as environmentally costly as carbon emissions. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12
A Conversation with Jean Craighead George
In this episode of SB&F Booktalks, you'll hear from children's science author Jean Craighead George. Her book, Julie of the Wolves, won the prestigious Newbery Medal, the American Library Association's award for the most distinguished contribution to literature for children, in 1973. My Side of the Mountain, the story of a boy and a falcon surviving on a mountain together, was a 1960 Newbery Honor Book. She has also received 20 other awards. AAAS, Grades K-12
A Conversation with Kim McKay
In this episode of SB&F Booktalks, children's science author Kim McKay talks about her SB&F Prize winning science book True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet. AAAS, Grades K-12
National Geographic Environment Video Library
