Earth Day is a global annual event. It is estimated that more than a billion people around the world now celebrate Earth Day each year. If you are looking for ways to participate, Britannica Digital Learning has some ideas for students, educators, and library patrons of all ages.

Classroom Activities

Incorporate Earth Day into your lessons with these activities that will build students’ knowledge of the event while improving research and reading skills.

• Earth Day: Cause & Effect Worksheet
• Earth Day: Reading for Evidence
• Dig into Earth Day 2014 blog with lessons
• Why Earth Day? Setting the stage through reading and thinking
• Global Warming: How does it work and what can we do?
• Teaching Earth Day: A partnership
• Visit our Pinterest board for posters, quiz questions, printable activities, craft ideas, and other Earth Day materials.

Community Activities

Check out what your local community has planned to celebrate Earth Day. In Chicago, where Britannica makes its home, one event is a free viewing of “Just Eat It,” an award-winning documentary about the staggering amount of food wasted in households and farm fields, followed by a panel discussion. If something similar exists in your town, encourage your students to attend, go with fellow educators and bring some new information back to your school, or see if you can arrange a viewing in your school or library.

Look for a Young Filmmakers Contest or assign a project that requires students to create a film or image series focused on Earth Day. Show them this past Young Filmmakers winner, Let’s Talk About Water, as inspiration.

See what is happening at your local arboretum or botanic garden. Maybe you already have planned a field trip there; if not, have your students encourage their family to visit there on a weekend and have them report back on their outing. The arboretums or botanic gardens may have some educational materials available, such as this curriculum on Climate Change from NASA and the Chicago Botanic Garden. You might also ask if they would be willing to send a representative to speak to your class about Earth Day efforts.

Participate in a neighborhood cleanup or organize your own nearby—great for all ages!

Plant your own garden in the classroom or in a small plot outside your classroom or library if you have access to one.

 The ways to participate are virtually endless. The goal is to continue to educate our children—and ourselves—on how we can all work together to protect our Earth.

Do you have Earth Day activities happening in your school or library that you’d like to share? Share them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest using #earthday. You can also e-mail us at [email protected].

P.S. If your Earth Day materials are in need of updating, take a look at Earth Day, Is Our Climate Changing?, Saving the Environment, and other earth science e-books. All e-books are 30% off until June 30.