Celebrate Earth Day

April is the best time to celebrate Earth Day in the classroom! I love creating unique assessments for my students that encourage collaboration & critical thinking. Taking care of the environment is an overwhelming thought, especially given all the issues we learn about through the Environmental Science course. While I love teaching environmental science, it is so important to pause to give historical context to how we ended up where we are today.

Have you ever visited a National Park? They were originally created through the idea of preserving land for the enjoyment of citizens of our country. Have you ever heard of DDT and its effects on the bald eagle population? The research of early pesticide use and its impacts on the environment were made public by Rachel Carson’s work when writing her infamous book, “Silent Spring.” While there are so many AMAZING environmental heroes we can learn from, we have limited time in our classroom to really learn about these heroes. We don’t have time for our students to fully learn the depth of these great environmentalists, but we can at least take a few class periods to really set the stage and motivate our students to learn from the unsung heroes of environmental history.

My favorite way to celebrate these great Environmental Heroes is through my Earth Day Hero Research Project

I love this project to incorporate discussion of the greatest environmentalists for students to gain inspiration from! You can absolutely add to this list, but the project rubric and guidelines are ready for you to print & assign!

In addition to the Earth Heroes Research Project, check out my Environmental Timeline Assignment Bundle! This includes a list of important environmental events and milestones throughout history that shaped our impact on the environment. This could be used in an Earth Science or Environmental Science course and easily adapted for middle school, though primarily intended for high school use. The students should have access to technology, as they will need to do some research and access a website to help with their timeline creation. 

This resource contains two different timeline assignments, which may be assigned in sequence or at different times during the course. This resource also contains an environmental laws printable quiz for the teacher to assess student understanding and a teacher answer key for efficient grading and review of the quizzes. 

Both of these are excellent ways to bring history into your science class, adding a depth of critical thinking & student interest to your existing curriculum.

I hope you enjoy these products as much as I do! Enjoy celebrating Earth Day with your students!

You will feel inspired to continue learning about environmental science and creating positive change in your community. Bring the feel-good to your classroom today!