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Today is Earth Day. Last year on Earth Day, Arne Duncan spoke about the important role of schools in the nation’s transition to a green economy, and in the State of the Union Address President Obama reiterated the integral link between schools and creating an economic climate that is both profitable and environmentally-conscious. By providing students with an understanding of earth processes and human impact, together with imparting critical thinking skills and math and science knowledge to students, public schools can contribute significantly to these goals.  

Earth Day provides an opportunity to teach about these important topics in a fun way. I have fond memories of Earth Day from elementary school. My school had a general environmental focus, and Earth Day was like Christmas. The whole school would take the entire day off to learn about the earth and sustainable living. Different classrooms and communal areas of the school were assigned to host workshops led by community members and teachers. Most teachers decorated their classrooms to match the theme of the workshop they hosted, so classrooms became rainforests, deserts, oceans, bird sanctuaries, layers of the earth, and various other scenes. Administrators would even close a parking lot for the day to make room for a giant inflatable whale that appropriately hosted the whale workshop.

While clearly not all schools have the resources or flexibility to participate in these over-the-top measures of environmental enjoyment, there are plenty of lesson plans and activities teachers, schools, and parents can engage in. The following organizations have good ideas:

• The We Are Teachers blog has lesson plans and projects (courtesy of schools that have implemented them) geared for Earth Day—some require funding, others do not.
• The Earth Day Network offers lesson plans, and the Green Education Foundation offers curriculum options categorized by grade-level.
• The EPA also has lessons on environmental consciousness and regional contexts, and information about the history and role of the agency (which can also allow for discussion on public policy and government functions regarding the environment).

Keep these in mind when Earth Day rolls around next year (or any other time—since environmental education lessons are important and relevant every day, not just Earth Day).