Why is it Important to teach about Earth Day?
I have to admit, educating children about Earth Day is one of the most crucial tasks you would be doing, especially in today’s world. By raising awareness about the importance of taking care of our environment, we would be ensuring that our planet remains habitable for future generations.
By teaching about Earth Day and Human Impact on Our Environment, students will:
🌎Understand the impact human activities have on our planet
🌎Understand the consequences of not taking action to protect the environment
🌎Encourage responsibility and respect for nature
🌎Be inspired to take action such as reducing waste, conserving resources, and protecting wildlife habitats
🌎develop critical thinking skills
Don’t know where to begin?
I have an idea! Start with introducing a lesson on how humans impact the environment and all about pollution.
➡️ Begin with the PowerPoint. ⬅️
I created a fabulous PowerPoint that has been tried by 100s (so far) of teachers all over the world that has shown to develop engaging discussions. When students discuss a certain topic in class, you know that they are actually learning.
A secret to a successful start is not only by introducing the topic and presenting the information, but by having all the students involved right from the beginning.
The way to do that is by using the review sheets / guided notes that my PowerPoint also comes with. The students answer the questions or fills in the missing spaces while going through the slides. All of the answers are in the slides and that is one way to ensure the student is paying attention. It’s a win-win.
Next, you need activities. An extensive selection of activities to differentiate.
Here are a few activities you might find helpful:
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Cut and Paste Activity
This is a great activity for students to sort out and learn different ways they can reduce, reuse, and recycle material.
The students will answer the questions under each “flap”. After learning all about pollution using the PowerPoint, they will successfully be able to answer the questions. Each pollution template includes 5 questions to answer.
Understanding the causes and effects of pollution is essential in identifying solutions to reduce its impact on our environment. By learning about pollution, kids will begin to make informed decisions about their actions and reduce their environmental impact.
3. Human Impact Definition Flaps
Students write the definition next to word in the space provided. Under each definition “flap”, the student will draw a picture to help with remembering the meaning of the word.
Learning definitions help children understand the concept better by breaking them down into parts and explaining their meanings.
Definitions are the building blocks of knowledge. When children learn new definitions, they can use them to build upon their existing knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of a topic. It is an essential part of the learning process.
4. Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Waste Reading Comprehension | Interactive Notebook
The students will read a passage on biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and answer the questions. This is in an interactive notebook format. Under the “picture flaps” the students will write whether the picture shows a biodegradable or non-biodegradable waste.
Understanding the differences between biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste can help children make informed choices about waste disposal and reduce their environmental impact.
5. Real-World Examples of Environmental Disasters “Cards in a Pocket” Activity
This is actually one of my favorite activities. There are 12 cards that students will cut out that they can place in the pocket (that they also cut out and glue in their notebooks). Each card includes a real-world example of an environmental disaster that occurred.
The students will answer the questions on the questions page for each card. Make sure they notice the number of the card for each question before they answer it, in case they look at the wrong card to answer the question.
Here are examples of 6 out of the 12 cards that are included:
Why it is important to learn about real-world environmental disasters:
✅ Will understand the factors that contributed to their severity so that it can be prevented in the future
✅ Will learn about the effectiveness of response efforts so that the best decisions can be made if it were to occur again | can help guide emergency response efforts
✅Understanding the consequences can motivate individuals to take action to prevent similar events from happening in the future
✅Raises awareness about the importance of protecting the environment
6. What’s Happening in the Picture? – Cut and Paste Activity
The student will look at each picture carefully to glue the correct strip that describes what is happening in the picture. Then, the student will describe how it affects our environment or health. 
7. Deforestation Reading Comprehension
It is important to learn about deforestation because of the devastating consequences it can cause. Learning about deforestation allows us to better understand the impacts humans have on the environment and encourages us to take action to protect our planet and inhabitants.
Deforestation is a huge contributor to climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, but when forests are cleared, the carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere.
It is also important to remember that forests are home to many species of plants and animals that would lose their habitat.
8. Brainstorm solutions to real world problems
I have a worksheet with two problems and space for the students to record their solutions to the problems. Coming up with solutions to problems not only promotes creativity, but also increases problem solving skills.
9. Air, Water, and Land Pollution Reading Comprehension
Educating kids about pollution is important because it can help raise their awareness about the impact of human activities on the environment. Teaching them about the impacts will also help them develop a sense of responsibility towards protecting our earth.
Pollution also has serious health consequences, so learning how to protect themselves and others from the harmful effects of pollutants would be very helpful.
If you would like a 2 page reading passage about pollution with comprehension questions to test out what they learned, then grab it here!
I hope you found this post helpful! If you would like all the activities plus the editable PowerPoint Slideshow to help you teach about human impact on the environment then grab the bundle.
