M

ay 2

nd

Focus:

Students will collect, analyze, find patterns, manipulate, read, comprehend and discuss, create their own poetry, express, use large motor skills, use fine motor skills, self regulation and experimentation in a Earth day curriculum.

Objectives:

-How we will utilize math skills is through a variety of activities that are engaging and intriguing to the students. Our mathematical manipulative will be correlating with our week theme of recycling, and keeping our planet clean.

-How we will utilize science skills is through learning about how different parts of nature work together to keep our Earth clean. Discussion about how it is important to understand what it means to recycle, and what makes an item recyclable.

-How we will utilize language arts is through reading and discussing the story The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss. Scaffold writing activity after reading and discussing the book on what they can do to help keep the Earth, state, town, neighborhood, school etc. clean.

-How we will utilize music is through song and movement with music that have references to different ways that we can all work together to help keep our Earth, and neighborhoods clean.

-How we will utilize physical education is through different movement activities that encourage the children to think about consequences of their actions, and how they relate to keeping the planet clean.

-How we will utilize large motor skills is through our movement activities when the children are up and running around. Also through dramatic expression as they move around the room and outside finding different recyclable items.

Suggested Questions:

What do you already know about Earth Day? What do you want to know about Earth Day? What can you do to make the Earth better?o Your state, city, neighborhood, home, school, etc…

What does it mean to be recyclable? What are some things that can be recycled?

What are careers that help keep the earth clean? What did you learn about Earth Day?

Theme: Earth Day Day: 1

Reading: Scaffold Writing: What can you do to make the earth better?

Poetry: Acrostic Earth Poem

Math: Mathematical Nature Walk Science: Gardening

Drama: Decorating Dramatic Play area with recyclables.

Art: Collecting Cans

Music: Absolutely Green Song PE: Around the World Recycling

Cooking: Happy Pizzas Extension:

Theme: Earth Day Day: 2

Reading: Lorax Book and Project Poetry: Earth Day Badge

Math: Patterns in Nature Science: Litter Pick up

Drama: Jobs that Help keep Earth Clean

Art: Brown Paper bag Puppets

Music: What you do Counts PE: Capture the Pollution

Cooking: Veggie BonesExtension:

Theme: Earth Day Day: 3

Reading: Story of Ryan Raindrop Felt Board Story

Poetry: What You Can Do

Math: Addition in Nature Science: Water Cycle Maze

Drama: Recycling product in Recycling Bins

Art: Recycle Flower Pots

Music: Recycle PE: Garbage Ball

Cooking: Earth Rice Crispy Balls Extension:

Theme: Earth Day Day: 4

Reading: Earth Day Video Writing Prompts

Poetry: Earth Day

Math: Recycling by Numbers Science: Solar Power Seed

Drama: Readers Theatre Art: Yogurt Container Penguins

Music: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle PE: Recycle Toss

Cooking: Happy Sandwich Extension:

Theme: Earth Day Day: 5

Reading: Paper Bag Writing Poetry: Working the Trash

Math: Nature Worksheet Science: Energy Saving Tips

Drama: Detective Dress Up Art: Recycled Soda Bottle Animals

Music: Earth Day Song For Children PE: Recyclops VS Polluticorn

Cooking: Pudding Yogurt Pals Extension:

Reading/ Language Arts

1. What can you do to make the earth better? ( Scaffold writing)

a. Students will each receive a scaffold paper and the teacher will have the students put their names on top. The teacher will then ask the students what they can do to make the earth a better place. Give the students some examples of ways you can make the earth a better place. Then have the students draw a picture of what they would do themselves. After they have drawn their picture the students will then say their sentence as I will blank to help make the earth better. The teacher will then review the student’s sentences and show the student the “crazy grandma” way to write correct words.

2. The Lorax (www.Suessville.com)a. The teacher will read the story “The Lorax” to the class. Once the story is

over the class will have a discussion about the Lorax and what his main idea in the story was. Talk to the students about the environment and how a lot of things are wasted every day. Then have Students work in groups to draw two large murals -one that shows a beautiful clean environment, and one that shows a dirty environment. Students can examine each mural and describe how they can clean up the dirty environment and what makes the clean environment so clean.

3. The Story of Ryan Rain Drop Felt Board Story (http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2238246/THE-STORY-OF-RYAN-RAINDROP)

a. The teacher will have an interactive story about how rain is made by using a felt board. The teacher will then read the short story below and show the students using the felt board. The teacher can also involve the students with the story and the felt board. Once the teacher has gone through the story the teachers can go through it again with the class and see how well the class remembers the story.

4. Earth day Video writing prompts (http://www.teachhub.com/video-writing-prompts/cat/24/item/722)

a. The teacher gives directions to the students that they are going to watch a video. As the teacher explains that while the students are watching this video think about the question written on the board. The question will ask “What are some different ways that you use water in your everyday life? Draw a picture to describe one of those ways.” This way, students can watch

the video on how other people around the world use water and then compare to how they use water in their own lives.

5. Paper bag writingsa. Students will each receive a paper bag provided by local grocery store. The

students will then write a letter explaining what they could do to help protect the earth from the dangerous garbage monster. Explain to the students that these letters will hopefully be found by future people on Earth. Tell your students that earth is being attacked by the garbage monsters. Once the students have written their letter, have them read the letter in front of the class. This way everyone knows what great ideas are given to help save our Earth from the garbage monsters!

The Story of Ryan Rain Drop

A felt board play about the water cycle.

Materials

Large cut out of green leaf Raindrops Sun Cloud

Once Upon a time a teeny-tiny raindrop fell upon a green leaf.

(Place Rain drop and leaf on the board)

It stayed on the leaf until the sun came out

(Place sun on board)

The sun warmed the little raindrop and it changed into vapor. The vapor mixed with the air and we could no longer see the little raindrop.

(Take rain and leaf away)

The air then cooled the vapor and it changed back into a raindrop

(Raindrop returns to board)

The tiny raindrop found other raindrops and when they all got together they formed a cloud

(All rain joins together and goes behind cloud)

There were so many raindrops in the cloud that they began to fall and come back to earth again.

(Rain falls off board and cloud goes away)

One even fell on the same green leaf and that’s the story of Rain.

(Leaf and raindrop return to board)

ART

1. Collecting cansa. Have your students collect all types of cans ( soda, soup, vegetables, etc)

Once they have brought them into the class, tell them to get creative and create can people. Tell them they can use any art materials in the classroom and to be creative. See if you can make a whole community of can people in your classroom. This lesson can be continuing. You can have your students bring in recycled boxes to make houses and building for your can community. Students will enjoys this fun and ongoing activity!

2. Brown Paper lunch bag puppetsa. After lunch, have your students collect all the brown paper lunch bags they

can get at lunch. Have your students explain to other students that they can reuse them for many different projects. Once the students have collected a brown paper bag, they can start to make their own puppets. Have the students be creative and use leftover scraps and materials that were used in prior art projects. Once your students have finished their puppet, have them put together a puppet show for another classroom about Earth Day and how you can make the Earth a better place!

3. Recycled Flower Pots (http://crafts.kaboose.com/recycled-flower-pot.html)a. The teacher will have students bring in empty gallon milk jug. Once each

student has a milk jug, they must cut it in half to form a bowl shaped look. The students will then be supplied with leftover material and felt to decorate their half. Once they have decorated their flower pot, the students will then put soil and water into their flower pot. After they have inserted the right amount of soil and water, the students will then put a flower seed into the soil. The seed is then covered up by soil, watered and placed near a sunny window.

4. Yogurt Container Penguins (http://www.planetpals.com/recycle_crafts_kids.html)

a. Have your students bring in recycled yogurt containers from home. Make sure that they are completely cleaned out before having your students use them. Once you have all the containers cleaned out have your students start painting them like penguins. Make sure you give an example of your own penguin so the students have an idea of what they are making. Once the penguin is completely painted, have your students find other recycled products around the room that might be good for the penguins wings and

feet. After that students can use googly eyes or draw their own eyes on their penguins.

5. Recycled Soda Bottle Animals (http://www.planetpals.com/recycle_crafts_kids.html)

a. Have your students bring in recycled liter soda bottles. Also have on hand in the classroom, recycled paper cups, paper plates, pipe cleaners and other fun recycled products to use on these fun animals. Each student will choose what animal they would like to create. Explain that that bottle is the main part of the animal’s body. Students can paint and glue anything they want on their animal. Let your students know that they can be creative, and as detailed as they want on their animal!

P.E. Movements

1. Around the world Recyclea. Like the basketball game around the world, but recycling is involved. At each

point that the students reach, they must recycle a specific item. If the students recycle a non recyclable product they cannot shoot. They have to wait till their turn comes around again. Once they have made it around the world recycling correctly the students get to explain what they learned about what gets recycled and what doesn’t get recycled.

2. Capture the Pollution ( Like Capture the Flag)a. Split the class into 2 equal groups. Each student gets their own waist flags to

wear. On each teams side there is a pile of garbage. Each team has to try and get across to the other teams side to put more garbage in their pile. If their flags get torn off they must go to the garbage police station, until someone from their team comes and saves them. The team who transfers all their garbage from their pile to the others teams pile wins.

3. Garbage Ball (http://www.kidactivities.net/post/Gym-Games-for-School-Age-Kids!.aspx)

a. Find soft products for the students to throw (Sock balls, paper balls, rubber toys, dodge balls, koosh balls etc) divide the class into two equal groups. Each class has an equal amount of “garbage” on each side. Once the music starts each team throws as much garbage onto the other teams land and tries

to keep as much garbage off their own land. Once the music stops the team with the least amount of garbage on their land wins!

4. Recycle Tossa. Split students up in to partners. One student gets a “Recycle bin” (Used shoe

boxes, other boxes, etc) the other students get different types of recyclables around them. The one partner will then move around in different ways that the teacher announces and the other partner to make the recyclables into the recycling bin. First team of partners that recycles all of their recyclables wins.

5. Recyclops VS Polluticorn a. One student volunteers to be “It” Or be the Polluticorn. Then the rest of the

students are Recyclops. The Recyclops goal is to get across the polluted land to recycle town. Each student has to pick up a different piece of garbage or recyclable off of polluted land and try and get across to Recycle town without getting tagged by Polluticorn. If they get tagged they turn into a stationary garbage piles. The last Recyclops to not get tagged, wins the game!

Music

1) Absolutely Green song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdjNrFBex5I&feature=related )

We would play a YouTube video of a song called “Absolutely Green” from a movie called “A Troll In Central Park.” This song could be played while the students are working on art/writing projects, when they are working individually. Another time this could be used is during group time, and the teacher could show the video to the class, and afterwards discuss what the video showed and says. Another great thing about this video is that the lyrics are wrote on the bottom of the screen as closed caption, which the students can follow, and this would help them with recognizing words through their auditory sense.

2) What you do counts song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyIHWm16OA0&NR=1)

We would play a YouTube video of a song called “What you do counts” and is the Earth Day song of 2009. This song can be played during any individual working time when kids need to focus and having music playing will help and encourage that. If the teacher

wants, she can also print out the lyrics so that the students can learn the song, after taking it home and practicing it there.

3) Recycle (Sung to: Twinkle, Twinkle)

We recycle what we use,

Separate things and you should too!

Glass and paper, plastic, tin,

Go in you recycling bin!

We must start now, we can’t wait,

Quick, or it will be too late!

This is a fun song for younger children because when you tell them it’s sung like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, it is easier for them to learn it since they already know the way it sounds rhythmically and with pitch. This song would be good to use as a transition song either cleaning up, getting ready to go to lunch, walking to the carpet, etc.

4) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Sung to: Eensy Weensy Spider)

Reduce, reuse, recycle – words that we all know.

We have to save our planet so we can live and grow.

We might be only children but we will try, you’ll see.

And we can save this planet – it starts with you and me!

Again, this song is easier for young children to use since it is sung to the tune of The Eensy, Weensy Spider. Not only can this be used as a transition song, but it teaches the children about “3 R’s” (Reduce, reuse, recycle) Having a song that is fun, and teaches an important concept at the same time is a great thing to add to our Earth Day Thematic Unit.

5) Earth Day Song for Children (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aez_Vc2Qq5I&feature=related)

We will be present a video/song to the students that teaches them in a very fun, easy way how important it is to keep the Earth healthy and happy. It’s a relaxed song that has tips like planting trees, and explains how to change the world. This is also a song that could be played as a transition song later.

Science

1) Gardening ( http://fatherhood.about.com/cs/activities/a/gardeniing.htm)

A great way to get students involved with Earth Day is through creating your own garden. When we do this for our class, we would use it as a science activity, by explaining many different concepts to the students, like the type of soil, climate, location, and what a plant needs to grow big, strong and healthy. After they learn about water, sun and clean air, we can show them hands-on how to plant their own plant and how to take care of it. Also a follow up can be done to show them how planting different plants help keep our world big, healthy and strong!

2) Litter Pick Up/Decomposition

If we take the students out to pick up trash in our own community we can show them how we are not only making our school look more beautiful, but also how it helps keep the world healthy. We would do a compost and show them the different things that decompose and what it means for an object to do that.

3) Water Cycle Maze (http://www.funlessonplans.com/science_lesson_plans/water_power.htm)

We want to show the purpose of the water cycle, and a great way to do that is through a visual representation of it. It shows how the water cycle moves from the ocean, and back to the ocean again. There are many different terms that can be taught through this, including condensation and evaporation, and when the whole science activity is explained, they can follow a maze to see exactly where it starts and ends, and how the water cycle looks and works.

4) Solar Powered Seed

http://www.funlessonplans.com/science_lesson_plans/solar_power.htm

Another way to visually represent a science activity is through a solar powered seed experiment. This activity will explain how solar power (the sun) creates biomass (growing plants). This is a fun way for children to see how important the sun’s part is in a plant’s life, but also that there are alternate sources of renewable energy available. Even though some of these concepts are advance for this level, introducing things like this to young children is important because they need to see why Earth Day is so important.

5) Energy Saving Tips

http://www.planetpals.com/partnerenergy.html

After explaining to the students how important it is to be as Earth friendly as possible we want to show them ways that they can help at school and home. By sharing energy saving tips, they can even teach their parents how to help the Earth. An example of a tip we would share with the students is to shut off the lights when you leave a room and make sure doors are closed tightly. We will explain to them that things like this will reduce the amount of electricity needed to run the house, which makes the Earth a happier place!

Cooking

1) Happy Pizzas! (http://www.planetpals.com/edible_food_art_crafts_kids.html)

Eating healthy is fun and just as important as keeping our planet healthy! To show how happy it can make us to eat healthy, we are going to make smiling pizzas, which will be wheat dough, marinara sauce, low-fat cheese, a slice of green pepper or the smile, and two black/green olives for the eyes. It is an important thing to introduce healthy alternatives to children at a young age, and to show them that vegetables are tasty, and can be fun too!

2) Veggie Bones

As always, children don’t often like vegetables, but the more they are exposed to them, and the more fun they are allowed to have with them, the better chance that they’ll like them. By creating a body of bones out of certain vegetables, including various peppers, carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, and a cup of dipping sauce for the head, we can show them all the different bones in the human body as well as explain how healthy these vegetables are.

3) Earth Rice Crispy Balls

By changing up a normal rice crispy, through the use of blue and green food coloring, we will be creating a replica of our healthy and happy Earth and be able to eat it too! While the children are creating this yummy snack, we can explain different facts to them about the Earth, and tips that will help make the Earth a better place to live!

4) Happy Sandwich

We will make a sandwich out of peanut butter and raisins, using the peanut butter as a base, and the raisins to make a happy face with. Not only is this treat healthy and fun, but it is really easy for a child to make on his/her own, and a great time to share fun facts about the Earth to them.

5) Pudding/Yogurt Pals

With the help of our pudding/yogurt pals, we can fight pollution and save our planet! By adding vanilla wafers for ears, two raisins for eyes, a marshmallow with a raisin on top for the nose, and licorice for the whiskers, all on top of a cup of yogurt or pudding, we have a happy pal that is ready to help give us energy to save our planet!

MATH

1. Mathematical Nature Walk

-Take nature walk out side and get random pieces of nature in a bag, bring back to class or if weather permits sit outside and go over what the students have found. Look for the following.

- Look for geometric shapes in nature

- Count, sort and arrange stones into arrays and sequences

- Use sticks to create and compare geometric shapes

-Meet in circle outside/inside and discuss what the students have found.

2.) Patterns in Nature

-Using the items that were discovered the previous day in the math hunt the students will create patterns. The patterns can be using any mathematical pattern that they can think of. The students then will glue their patterns to a piece of construction paper and display them around the classroom. The students will identify the pattern they discovered underneath their design.

3.) Addition in Nature

-Addition with 3-digit numbers has never been so fun! This activity uses a deck of cards to create addition problems and figure out sums. Start out playing with your child, and gradually allow him to solve problems more independently. You'll see his confidence with adding improve as he practices in a more engaging way. Soon enough, he'll be racing through the deck to create sums! Each time you create a sum you will race to write on a notecard one thing you can do to help keep the earth clean, whether it’s your

neighborhood, town, or state. At the end of the lesson everyone’s cards will be put up on the wall as a reminder.

What You Need:

* One deck of playing cards

* One Make My Day game board (Print this out.)

What You Do:

1. Use a joker and the cards ace through nine of all suits. (joker = 0, aces = 1)

2. Deal 6 cards face up into the first and second rows of the game board.

3. Go through the pack, flipping one card over at a time, and try to find numbers to fill in the bottom row. The bottom row must hold the correct answer to your addition problem. (Note: You may need to create a fourth row if your hundreds column adds up to more than 10!)

4. If you can complete the task before the deck runs out of cards, you win.

4 . Recycling by the Numbers

Objective: Through various computations, determine how much recyclable trash is discarded each day by various numbers of students.

Materials Needed: 1- Trash bag per student, a day's worth of recyclables collected (plastic soda bottles, newspapers, mail inserts, plastic bags, cardboard frozen food packaging, mailing envelopes, recyclable laundry materials - soap boxes and fabric softener bottles, other recyclable trash. Scale.

Preplanning - Save a day's worth of recyclable trash and bring it to the classroom. Present a lesson on what can and can not be recycled. Show the students some of the items in your day that you collected which can be recycled. Give each student a trash bag and have them collect a day's worth of recycling, starting immediately with any discarded notebook paper.

Have the student bring home the trash bag and fill it overnight with items used during the day that are recyclable.

The next day - bring out the scale and place it in front of the class. Weigh your trash and write the amount on the board. Multiply it by 365 and write that number down. Tell the students this is the amount of recyclable trash that is estimated to be tossed per year in your household. Now have the students each weigh their trash and multiply by 365. Divide the class up into groups of no more than six and have them answer the following questions:

1. What is the total amount of recyclable trash discarded per year by all of the members of your group?

2. What is the average amount of recyclable trash per year discarded by your group?

3. If you recycled 25% or ¼ the amount of trash per year in your group, how many pounds of trash per year would be saved from landfills? What if the amount changed to 50% or ½, how many total pounds of trash would be saved per year then?

5.) Nature Worksheet.

The students will briefly discuss the different methods that they have learned to keep a variety of different environments cleaner places to live. Next they will receive their math worksheet and work through the mathematical problems as well as the specific locations that are following each problem, on the opposite side of the worksheet the students will have to identify a way to help keep that location a cleaner place for them and anyone else whom will enter the location.

Name: ___________________

Earth Day Worksheet

Directions* Solve each problem and on the back of the worksheet for each problem you solve please provide an idea as to how you can help to keep the identified location a better more cleaner place to live. The identified place will be in the BOLD text after the question.

1. Devin's father bought a car that doesn't use much gas. It can go thirty miles on one gallon of gas. How far can the car go on three gallons of gas? (Earth)

2. Jennifer's class is planting flowers at school for Earth Day. They will plant fourteen daffodils, eleven tulips, and twenty poppies. How many flowers will they plant in all? (State)

3. Rachel went to an Earth Day Fair. She bought a book about Alaska at the fair. The book cost $4.94. She gave the clerk ten dollars. How much change did she get? (Town)

4. Mrs. Black's class is making posters for Earth Day. The posters will be put up in the hall. They need twenty posters. They have made fourteen posters. How many more posters do they need to make? (Street that you live on)

5. Nicholas is picking up soda cans from the lot near his house. On Monday he picked up seventeen soda cans. On Tuesday he picked up sixteen cans. On Wednesday he picked up thirty-two cans. How many cans did Nicholas pick up in all? (Your house)

6. Our class will see a movie about taking care of the Earth. The movie will begin at 11:15 a.m. It lasts 1 hour and 46 minutes. What time will the movie be over? (Your school)

Shopping Math

Directions: Find the total cost of each problem.

T-shirt $11.50

Shorts $21.00

Shoes $42.00

Hot Dog $1.50

Soda $1.00

1. Trey went to the mall today. He bought a t-shirt and a hot dog. How much

money did Trey spend?

2. Lisa went to the mall yesterday. She bought shoes, a hot dog, a soda and a t-

shirt. How much money did Lisa spend?

3. John bought two t-shirts and four hot dogs today. How much money did John

spend?

4. Mary bought a soda and three shorts. How much money did Mary spend?

5. Adam bought a T-shirt, shorts, shoes, hot dog, and a soda today at the mall.

How much money did Adam spend?

6. Cindy bought a hot dog and soda. How much money did Cindy spend?

-Now that you have figured out how much they all spent now figure out three ways that you can help keep the Earth clean while out at a ball game.

1.)

2.)

3.)

Poetry

1. Acrostic Earth Poem

No job is too big.No action is too small.For the care of the EarthIs the task of us all!

Read silentlydiscuss initial reactionsRead as groupmore reactions

What are different "jobs" that help keep our:Earth clean?Sate clean?City?School? House?

Write a poem usingEARTH

Format and each letter has to represent a letter or word used to help keep these environments clean

___________________

2. EARTH DAY BADGE

I'm proud to wear my Earth Day badgeI give the Earth a hand.I pick up litter, care for trees,Recycle what I can.I'm an Earth Day helperEach and every day.I take care of Mother EarthIn oh, so many ways.

Students can create a badge as a promise and reminder for them to take care of the earth all the time, not just on earth day. Students will write a cinquain poem that correlates with their badges promise to keep the Earth a cleaner better place to be.

______________________

3. "What You Can Do" http://www.classroomjr.com/earth-day-kids-poems/earth-day-poems/

Students will then discuss what different things they can do. Write a poem about one job specifically, what it is, what it helps, where it helps? etc.Haiku poem ________________________

4. Earth Day

I am the EarthAnd the Earth is me.Each blade of grass,Each honey tree,Each bit of mud,And stick and stoneIs blood and muscle,Skin and bone.

And just as INeed every bitOf me to makeMy body fit,So Earth needsGrass and stone and treeAnd things that grow hereNaturally.

That's why weCelebrate this day.That's why acrossThe world we say:As long as life,As dear, as free,I am the EarthAnd the Earth is me.

Write a poem and it will circle around the EarthPoem needs to be about helping keep the Earth clean

____________________

5. Working on the Trash

We've been working on RECYCLING All the trash we can,We've been working on recycling, It's a very simple plan,Separate your glass and paper,Separate your plastic and tin.Take the trash that you've recycled To your recycling bin!

We've been working on REDUCING All the trash we can.We've been working on reducing It's a very simple plan.Don't go wasting any products, Use just exactly what you need.Don't buy things in extra wrapping, Reduce and you'll succeed!

We've been working on REUSING All the trash we can.We've been working on reusing, It's a very simple plan.If it's a paper bag you're using, Don't use it once, use it twice!Give old clothes and toys to someone, To reuse them would be nice!

**Write a poem and paste it to some sort of recycled item.Poem can be any type of poetry worked on throughout the year.**

Dramatic Expression for the week of April 25-29

Day 1:

Have the students bring in random garbage, and recyclables. When the students arrive to class with them explain that you will be using these items to create the dramatic play area. Encourage creativity in creating different every day objects out of every day things. An example of this would be, using a water bottle as a phone, or a pizza box as a lap top.

Day 2:

The students will discuss what different types of jobs that help keep the Earth clean. Discuss other environments that different jobs help keep clean. Then create your dramatic play area with some props, and manipulatives that are relevant to these various careers that help to keep our environment a clean, happy place to live. What the jobs do, and their positive effects.

Day 3:

Have different recycling bins and different recyclable items in the dramatic play area. Allow the students to create signs to put on the bins in regards to the types of garbage that can be recycled in them.

Day 4:

Readers Theater reading Saving Planet Earth

A Playbook® Original Story

Written by: Gregory Brown

Illustrated by: Liliane Grenier

Have the students be on the look out for what different roles that the characters play in contributing to keeping our Environments around us clean.

Day 5: Dress up as detectives. Create hats, magnascopes, jackets, and a notebook with pen or pencil. Go on a nature walk around the playground and the school. Discover different pieces of garbage around the school, and collect it. Bring it back to the classroom and sort it out, and recycle it. Encourage them to discuss why or why not something should be recycled in a certain bin.

COOKING CENTER*Dirt Cups with Gummy Worms

What You’ll NeedChocolate Pudding Mix

Milk

Oreo Cookies

Gummy Worms

Cool Whip

Cups

Spoons

Zip Lock Bags

DirectionsIn a zip lock bag place Oreo cookies, have your child break them up by banging the bag.

Cover bottom of cups with crumbled Oreos.

Combine pudding mix and milk to make your pudding, pour into cups; leaving 1/2 an inch of space at the top.

Refrigerate pudding until set.

Add crumbled Oreos to the top of each cup and garnish with a gummy worm.

Science center-

Indoor Spring Garden

What You’ll Need

Soil

Small foil containers

Grapefruit, Orange or lemon seeds

Plant your Indoor Spring Garden:

1) Fill the containers with soil

2) Plant 12 to 15 seeds in each one.

3) Water the soil well.

4) Place the container in a warm, light spot.

5) As the soil dries, add more water.

Four to Six weeks, your containers will be filled with small plants with shiny little green leaves.

** Students will color pictures and write about the changes they see in their plants.

MATH CENTER

For younger grade levels you can put numbers in different areas and have them coordinate the numbers with specific colors. Or have them count the rain drops, trees, umbrellas etc.

http://www.funlessonplans.com/science_lesson_plans/water_power.htm

CRAFT CENTER

Earth Necklace

Celebrate Earth Day by making and wearing your own Earth Necklace!

What You’ll Need

white glue

food coloring

plastic cup

plastic spoon or popsicle stick

plastic bag

paper clip

scissors

brown marker

ribbon or yarn

Instructions

1. In a plastic cup, pour about 2 tablespoons of white glue. Add about 2 drops of blue food coloring. Stir well with a plastic spoon or popsicle stick.

2. Pour the mixture onto a flattened plastic bag. Place the paper clip so that half of it is on top of the glue. Let dry completely for a few days.

3. When the glue mixture is completely dry, peel it off from the plastic sheet. Cut it into a circle, making sure to include the edge with the paper clip.

4. Draw land forms with a brown marker.

5. Tie a ribbon or yarn about 12 inches long. Thread it through the paper clip and knot it around your neck.

This is a quick and easy craft, you only need to wait for the glue to dry! You can also try making a ball with glue by putting the glue into a plastic bag, forming a ball and setting it somewhere where it won't change shape. This shape will take longer to dry, but when it is finished you can decorate it in the

same way.

Extensions:

Field Trip PowerPointo A day in the life of a Garbage Man!

Students will watch as the garbage man works through a day of work. Then at the end of the power point the students will be able to discuss and compare what they saw and what they liked about the field trip.