Lesson 3: Earth Day, Every Day
Essential Question:
How should we take care of our planet?
Focus Question:
How can we adjust our habits to help our surrounding community?
Goal:
Students will know different ways that they can help their local community through reducing, reusing, and recycling.
NCSS Standards Addressed:
I. Culture
III. People, Places, and Environments
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
X. Civiv Ideals and Practices
VA SOL Standards Addressed:
Social Studies and HistoryCivics
CE.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life by
a) practicing trustworthiness and honesty;
b) practicing courtesy and respect for the rights of others;
c) practicing responsibility, accountability, and self-reliance;
f) practicing decision making;
g) practicing service to the school and/or local community.
CE.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of citizenship and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens by
e) evaluating how civic and social duties address community needs and serve the public good.
ScienceResources
K.10 The student will investigate and understand that materials can be reused, recycled, and conserved. Key concepts include
a) materials and objects can be used over and over again;
b) everyday materials can be recycled; and water and energy conservation at home and in school helps preserve resources for future use.
Lesson Duration:
1 Hour, 15 Minutes
Student Materials:
-Construction paper
-Glue
-Writing utensil
Teacher Materials:
-Urgent news report from the school Principal (provided under teacher resources)
-Trash bin filled with trash. For example:
-Scrap paper
-Tin cans
-Toilet paper rolls
-empty tissue boxes
-Empty soda bottles
-Tinfoil
-Newspaper
Procedures for Learning Activity:
Introduction:
-The teacher will call all of the students to the rug and tell them that they have an urgent news article to read to the class.
-The teacher will read the letter to the students, paying close attention to the students reactions.
-After the teacher is done reading the letter, they should act really concerned/ worried about the situation.
-Ask the students if they know what happens to garbage after they put it in the garbage can. Write their thoughts on the white board. Explain to the children that garbage goes to a garbage dump (landfill) and that once one landfill gets full room for another one must be found.
Instruction:
-Before the lesson, the teacher will Fill all of the trash bins in the classroom so that they are overflowing with trash items and place them back in their usual spots.-In addition, the teacher will make the classroom an ungreen environment by doing things such as turning all the lights on, leave the water running, and anything else they can think to do. -After the introduction, the teacher will ask the students to spend 15 minutes walking around the classroom, taking note of things that they can reduce, reuse, or recycle within the classroom.-Next ask each student to pick an item from the overflowing trash cans that they think can be reduced, reused, or recycled. Have the student attach their item to a piece of paper and have them write a sentence about how that item could have been reduced, reused, or recycled at school.
Assessment:
-The class will come back together as a group.
-Ask the children what they can do today to keep the news story from coming true? Encourage students to use the three R's in their discussion. The Write their ideas on the board, classifying their ideas as Reduce, Recycle or Reuse.
-Students will brainstorm a list of things that we can do within our classroom to practice the three R’s and help the earth.
-First students will participate in a think/pair/share with a partner.
-Next the class will come back together and the teacher will write everyones rules on the board.
-Then the class will vote on the top 10, most important, rules and they will be compiled to create a class constitution that everyone will sign.
-As a class we will then follow our new classroom rules.
Teacher Resources:
letter_to_principal.docx | |
File Size: | 86 kb |
File Type: | docx |