topics

Collections of lesson plans, ideas and resources for teaching popular topics.

Click a category to explore:

find a plan

Search for a Lesson Plan, then filter by Grade and Subject Area

Earth Day

Earth Day Lesson Plans & Resources

Introduction:

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It is held annually during both spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. The United Nations celebrates an Earth Day each year on the March equinox, a tradition which was founded by peace activist John McConnell in 1969. – Wikipedia

Lesson Plans:

Students identify causes of pollution and ways they can prevent it in this bilingual photo story (K-3)
Here is an idea for an Earth Day Song (K-4)
This is an Earth Day poem or song appropriate for religious or Sunday schools (K-4)
These are Rain Forestlessons (K-5):
- This Rain Forest unit targets kindergartners (K)
- This lesson plan is on the “Layers of the Rain Forest” (K-1)
- “The Great Kapok Tree” is used to teach about Rain Forest Trees here (K-1)
- This reading and writing lesson idea on “Rain Forests involves comparing cultures” (1-2)
- After comparing the “Magic School Bus in the Rainforest” book to its video, students research and present rainforest animal facts to the class here
- This is a Rain Forest song (1-3)
- Here is a language arts lesson on rain forests (2)
- This lesson looks at the reasons behind the destruction of the Rain Forest and why we should try to save them (3)
- This descriptive paragraph lesson answers the question “Can you guess who is in the Kapok Tree?”
- This is another Rain Forest language arts lesson (3-4)
- This lesson idea is called “Create a Rain Forest” and also uses the book “The Great Kapok Tree” (3-4)
- This is a Rain Forest reading lesson (3-4)
- This Rain Forest lesson plan involves painting animals (3-4)
- This Rain Forest lesson involves people, animals, and life in the Rain Forest (3-4)
- Here is an excellent thematic unit on the Rain Forest (3-5)
This lesson introduces students to the class recycling bin and its importance to their environment (1)
Aquatic wildlife and pollution are the topics taught in this lesson plan (1-3)
Dance your way into learning about Earth Day with the book “Earth Dance” here (1-3)
Here students learn the difference between the terms reuse and recycle (1-3)
“Taking Care of the Earth” is also a four seasons lesson plan (1-6)
This ESL recycling lesson integrates English vocabulary, science and environmental consciousness (2)
“Create the Environment” is a game involving the characteristics of the seven continents (2)
In this creative lesson, students make an animal and choose an environment (2-3)
This is a lesson on the endangered manatee (3)
The student categorizes nonrenewable vs. renewable resources in this lesson and learns the effects of overusing our resources (3)
This lesson on oil spills focuses on writing a letter to a senator (3)
Here is a brief idea for studying soil with discussion questions for the class (3)
Forest ecology and human interactions with forests are the topics of this lesson (3-4)
In this project, students research, write, and use media to help a local environmental issue (3-5)
Students love this Earth Day Jeopardy game activity (3-12)
Students work collaboratively here to create ecosystem concept maps using Kidspiration software (4)
This is a lesson on earth’s various biomes and the climate associated with each (4-6)
Here’s another large, well-developed unit; this one is on erosion (4-6)
Below is a short unit on National Parks(4-6):
- The first lesson involves creating a National Park brochure
- Students will map a trip to a National Park in this lesson
- This one focuses on saving a National Park
Here’s an idea for using a computer to graph the litter in school (4-8)
This is an idea for creating a simulated landfill to prevent erosion (4-8)
Here is a fun, well-developed unit on Garbage and Recyclingthat makes use of the Internet (4-8):
- Here’s the Project’s Lesson Outline and additional materials
- Here’s Lesson 1 which involves activities at the Recycle City website
- This one involves a scavenger hunt at Recycle City
- This part is very interesting – determine the efficiency of your lunch packaging
- Lesson 4 is on the 3 R’s of Recycling
- Lesson 5 is on landfills and how they work, involves creating a simulated landfill
- The last lesson plan involves “what you can do” – developing possible action plans
Here are two great Earth Day ideas from Planetpals.com:
- 10 Earth Day Classroom Activities (4-12)
- Recycle? Precycle? Which Cycle Is Best for You? (4-12)
An Earth Day history timeline is created here (5)
This lesson teaches about ecosystems while also teaching Diamante Poetry (5)
This lesson is called “Ecosystem in a Box” (5)
Chief Seattle’s Letter and ecosystems are the topics in this great lesson (5-6)
Although part of a unit on Mars, this lesson’s discussion of the greenhouse effect, trees, and leaves may be helpful on its own for Earth Day (5-6)
ESL students create a recycling brochure in this SIOP lesson (6-8)
Here teams research and construct different solar ovens and then test parameters with digital probeware (6-8)
This multimedia research unit reports the facts about Environmental Injustices(6-8):
- Lesson 1 – Research the Facts
- Lesson 2 – View the PowerPoint
- Lesson 3 – Go on the WebQuest
- Lesson 4 – Create the Television Newscast
- Lesson 5 – Make the Presentation
This is a 10-day Environment Curricula from Do Something, Inc.(7-12)
- Day 1: Introduction to global warming, energy conservation and how rising temperatures affect us locally
- Day 2: Students learn about greenhouse gases and the power of language
- Day 3: Students learn about the potential consequences of global warming
- Day 4: Students examine their own energy consumption and conservation
- Day 5: Students learn how schools can participate in energy conservation
- Day 6: Students compare U.S. energy use to that of other countries
- Day 7: Students explore different types of renewable energy sources
- Day 8: Students discuss pros/cons of renewable energy
- Day 9: Students debate the pros/cons of government involvement in energy conservation
- Day 10: Students present their energy conservation projects
Students research the Mexican Grey Wolf re-introduction dilemma here and write a persuasive essay/PowerPoint offering their solution (6-9)
Here is a reading comprehension quiz over a nuclear water contamination article (7-12)
Here is a lesson on the effects of urban sprawl on our environmental footprint (9-10)
This is just a set of handy questions that can be used after listening to a radio program available on the Internet on nuclear waste cleanup (9-12)
This is a global warming lesson disguised as a measurement conversion worksheet (9-12)
This globalization and the environment unit culminates with a mock Kyoto Protocol negotiation (9-12)
Sustainability posters with recycling, composting, water conservation, organic gardening, repurposing and biofuel facts are created by groups here (9-12)
In this hydraulic water cycle and water quality lesson, students prepare posters, test water samples, compile results, and create a display board as a class (9-MO)
This is a four-part environmental uniton climate change and the water pollution problem (11-12)
- Part I: The Science of Climate Change
- Part II: A Macro Plan for Climate Change
- Part III: A Personal Plan for Climate Change
- Part IV: The Water Pollution Problem
Find lessons plans, videos and additional resources about nuclear issues on our Seasons, Severe Weather, Natural & Man-made Disasters page including videos and recommended links on 2011 Nuclear Crisis in Japan.
Additional ecology-minded lesson plans and videos can be found in our Arbor Day collection.

Videos:

Additional Resources: