Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22. What are you doing to celebrate? If you aren’t sure where you can focus your energy, try doing something with your students. Here is a list of different things you can do and websites you can visit to promote Earth Day Literacy!
Check out your EcoFootprint! Have you taken the quiz to see what your carbon footprint is? Many of us, myself included, are unaware of how our daily actions impact the environment. I like to think that I’m environmentally conscious and doing positive things, but we would need 3.51 Earths if everyone lived my lifestyle! From here, you can start a discussion with your student about different activities you can do to decrease your footprint.
Have your student read about the history of Earth Day. After your student is done reading, go over hard words and ask the student to rephrase the paragraph or page. Find examples of different English rules and practices you have been studying (ex. long vowels, consonant blends) and have your student point them out. Then have a discussion about what positive steps have been taken for the environment or possibly what environmental conditions were like in their country of origin.
State agencies provide many resources online about natural resources and environmental issues in each state. Parks, museums, and nature centers have many special programs for teachers and students. Learn about Florida’s resources and “plan” a trip to one of the areas. Have your student pick a location, schedule events, plan out the resources they would need to get to the location (food, gas, money), and turn it into an inclusive lesson! Perhaps include a Language Experience Story.
Last, National Environmental Education Week, PBS Teachers, National Geographic, ThinkFinity, and Earth Day Network have TONS of resources for you to use in the classroom. Some of them are K-12 focused, so you might have to altar some of the lessons to better suit your adults.
