Earth Day is Here

Earth Day is here this week. This day always sneaks up on me. We are always in the midst of test prep and this year with my new position (can I still call it new after 8 months?), and my National Boards that are due in a few weeks (that is a whole other story) there is never enough time. In any case, I am never prepared - no fancy lessons, no art projects, nada. Then I see some of the other teachers with their Earth Day posters and I feel a pang of guilt that I didn't teach about Earth Day. By the time I get home I vow that I will do a better job next spring. Well. that next spring is here and again there was nothing. Or so I thought. Two days ago I received an email asking me to look over and share an infographic poster if I thought it would be useful to teach conservations each day rather than just focusing on it each April. That is something that I could actually do.

I liked the suggestions offered (all except #5 that is. There is just no way I am giving up meat - sorry, not sorry). The second suggestion has been addressed by law in California. We are now charged ten cents per bag at the store if we do not bring in our own bags - this would make a great lesson on how reusable vs. single use bags are regulated or a persuasive writing lesson on whether we should ban single-use bags or not.

The ideas about gardening can be tied to school gardens, Sprout pencils can be used (these pencils are a bit pricey but they would make a very cool introduction to life science or conservation of resources. These pencils have a seed in them and they can be planted to create a number of different plants so you could even create a class garden with different pencil/plants.

What do you do to teach Earth Day? Or like me, do you usually feel guilty about not really teaching about Earth Day?