Earth Day activities allow students to travel the world through geography exploration, track weather patterns, learn about different biomes and their climates, and discover ways that everyone can take better care of our planet.
Grades Pre-K-2 Activities
1. Be a Biome!
Activity: Explore the major biomes of the world and then choose one to research.
Suggested Questions:
• If you were a biome, which one would you be? Why?
• What is your climate like?
• Which animals love you?
• Which plants do you make a good home for?
• What do you like most/least about your biome?
Suggested Resource:
LaunchPacks: Social Studies – Biomes for Grades PreK-2
2. Meteorologists in the Making
Activity: Keep a weather log. Track the temperature, conditions, precipitation, and weather events. Research different kinds of weather phenomena that occur through the end of the school year!
Activity Extension:
Watch this quick video about climate change with your students. Ask the following questions. What are things that you can do to conserve energy? What are things that your city, state, and country can do?
Suggested Resource:
LaunchPacks: Social Studies – Weather for Grades PreK-2
Grades 3-5 Activities
1. Tourist on a Budget
Activity: Plan a trip to explore your Earth! Research the expenses and do the math! Choose how much you want to spend for your vacation and then research different destinations. Add up the transportation costs, places to stay, food, and activities. See how far your money can travel.
Suggested Questions:
• How much would it cost to get to your destination?
• Where would you stay? Which city? In a hotel? With a friend?
• What kinds of foods is your destination known for? Do you like this food? What would you be excited to eat?
• What sights would you want to see? Which activities would you want to do?
• What are different ways you could save money to make the trip more affordable?
• What are some ways you could help conserve resources during your travels?
Suggested Resources: LaunchPacks: Social Studies is filled with content sets on states, countries, sights (such as the Grand Canyon, Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China), and more. Sign up for a free trial through the end of the school year and explore the world with your students.
2. Create an Environmental Bill for Congress
Earth Day has made more Americans aware of the ways that people have hurt our planet and it’s also helped Congress to pass laws that protect the environment. Explore laws that have been passed and laws your students think are missing. Have students provide evidence from text, images, and videos to support their claim.
Talk about how ideas can become bills and even laws.
Suggested Research Questions:
• What environmental laws have been passed since the first Earth Day in 1970?
• What human behaviors are hurting our planet?
• What laws do you think we should pass today?
• How does a bill become a law in the United States?
Activity Extension:
Who are your state representatives? How could you reach them to share your ideas?
Suggested Resources:
Kids in the House – How Laws Are Made
LaunchPacks: Social Studies – Branches of Government for Grades 3-5
LaunchPacks: Social Studies – Earth Day for Grades 3-5
We hope you enjoy these activities, which are great for students all year long. Tell us how you celebrate Earth Day, explore the world, and conserve resources in your classrooms!
