Earth Day activities for elementary and middle school students
On Earth Day — celebrated on April 22 every year — we honor our home planet and reflect on how we can protect it. This day can be a good opportunity to introduce students to environmental science and discuss how they can be good stewards of the Earth through sustainable practices such as recycling. From Earth Day science experiments to creative writing tips, here are some different activities you can add to your lesson plans to inspire your students.
10 Earth Day activities for elementary and middle school students
Honor our beautiful planet in your classroom with fun Earth Day activities for elementary and middle school students.
To familiarize students with environmental science.
As a teacher, you have the opportunity to ignite a passion for the environment in your students and inspire them to care for the Earth – no matter what subject you teach. Get your students interested in Earth Day with these interactive activities and mini-units that introduce them to the broader concepts of the environment.
Earth Day mini unit for preschoolers and kindergartens by Intentional Mom
Grades: PreK-Kindergarten | Mathematics
This Earth Day mini craft is perfect for morning work or class activities in April.
Earth Day Mini Unit: Activities and Printables through Castle Curriculum
Grades: Kindergarten-II | Environmental science
Use these fun activities to engage students in exploring environmental awareness.
Involve students in science activities and pollution experiments.
Researching and raising awareness about the concept of pollution is an essential part of any Earth Day lesson. Motivate your students to keep our planet clean and green with these Earth Day science experiments and activities.
lava lamp | Experiment with oil and water by Kimberly Scott Science | Environmental science | Environmental science
Grades: 4-7
This is a fun Earth Day science experiment to help students discover that oil and water don’t mix. This is a great introductory exercise to talk about oil spills and pollution.
Earth Day Activity | Pollution Control Committee by HappyEducator
Grades: 4-7 | Environmental science
In this collaborative Earth Day learning activity, students take on the role of members of a committee to reduce environmental pollution. They will meet in groups to analyze several different scenarios and determine which polluter is the most destructive to the environment. They will then compare their results with other groups in the class.
Learn about recycling.
Recycling is a small step children can take to make an impact on the environment. With these recycled crafts, teach your kids the importance of recycling and reusing materials
Earth Day Recycling Crafts | Earth Day bulletin board with captions by Teacher Pawsitive
Grades: Kindergarten-III | The art of the English language
Students will organize things that both help and harm the Earth in this cunning.
Recycling logic puzzle for Earth Day by The Science Vault
Grades: 6-8 | Mathematics
These puzzles ask students to determine the number of items recycled in order to solve a “secret message” about the environment.
Start a discussion about climate change.
Introduce students to aspects of climate change, such as what it is, the effects, and actions they can take.
Walk through a gallery of climate change activities Earth Day by Education from DocRunning
Grades: 5-9 | Environmental science
This ready-to-use gallery walk is perfect for Earth Day or as an introduction to a climate change unit.
Build connections to topics through play.
Games, creative writing, and art projects are a great way to connect students to environmental topics and help them envision a better world to live in.
Earth Day Crafts: Design an Earth Heart Game, Art Subplan, and Writing Tips by Glitter meets glue | The art of the English language
Grades: 1-5
Need a creative bulletin board for Earth Day? Have students color the earth-shaped hearts and fill in one of the two provided prompts.
Counting puzzle without Earth Day for primary school students via Teach Me T
Grades: PreK-1st | Mathematics
These Earth Day picture puzzles are a great way for primary school students to actively practice counting to 2, 5 and 10 and learn how to make our planet a healthier place to live.
Creative writing: change the narrator! Earth Day theme by Real Native Learning
Grades: 3-5 | The Art of the English Language (Creative Writing)
Celebrate Earth Day with these fun snippets that cover the environment, ecosystems, recycling, awareness raising and more!
Discover more classroom activities and lesson plans for Earth Day on TpT.
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