It’s springtime! We are spending more time outdoors and appreciating all that comes with spring weather. Flowers are growing, birds are singing, and animals are visiting our yards. Seeing the signs of springtime also means that Earth Day is coming.
One part of being a positive global citizen is doing our part to help the world around us. Taking care of our world can mean doing things within homes or neighborhoods. Sometimes it means taking responsibility for our schools and towns. We can also expand that view with our students and encourage them to think about our country and other countries across the globe.
In the book, 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World, Melanie Walsh shares some simple ways that we can get students thinking about ways they can make a difference. Not only will this book encourage young learners to think beyond themselves, it will also promote sustainability, conservation, and recycling. It is a great book to share with students as we approach Earth Day.
This post will share ideas from Walsh’s book as well as three actionable steps you can take with your students. Through STEAM Maker connections (any way that we can incorporate STEM, STEAM, or hands-on making into our curriculum in meaningful ways) and creating for social good, students can help our Earth.
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- Turn It Off!
Even our youngest students can learn about conservation. Turning off the lights, TV, or other items that use electricity can help to conserve energy. We can teach students the importance of saving energy and discuss all of the things at home and school that use energy.
Students can also learn about turning off water sources. Not letting our faucets run when we brush our teeth or not taking extra long showers can help to conserve water. Students will be amazed at how much water they can save just by making some simple changes.
STEAM Maker Connections:
●
Create a poster or a short video
clip explaining why turning things off is an important task that we can all do.
●
Design an invention that can turn
off the water for you while brushing your teeth
● Learn about alternative ways that things can be powered (wind, solar, etc.)
- Tackle the Trash
Throwing away our trash in the right place is something we can all do to help our world. Putting garbage in the can after we eat our lunch at school or putting plastic bottles in the recycling bin at home can help to keep our world clean.
Better yet, use the trash in responsible ways. Using both sides of our papers at school can reduce the amount of trees cut down to make paper. Reusing plastics can reduce the amount of trash that ends up in our landfills.
STEAM Maker Connections:
●
Collect plastic bottles and
containers for a week, then design a way to repurpose them
●
List 10 different ways that you
can use and reuse paper
● Design a way to sort the recycling at home or at school
- Take Care
Taking care of plants and animals is another way to be responsible global citizens. We can make sure that birds and bees have places to live and food to eat. We can increase awareness about the amount of pollution that we put into the water, so that animals are safe when they swim in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. We can reduce the amount of pollution that we put into the air from driving cars and using chemicals.
When we take care of our world, we are taking positive action steps towards making a difference. Teaching students this at a young age can help them as they grow into responsible adults caring for the Earth.
STEAM Maker Connections:
●
Plant seeds in the classroom or
design a school garden
●
Construct bee hotels so that they can continue to
pollinate flowers
● Research organizations in your area that take care of plants and animals (zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, aviary, wildlife refuge) and find out how your school can partner with them
There are so many ways to get our students involved in making a difference. From planting gardens to recycling plastics and increasing awareness about pollution and conservation. We can engage them through the books we read and the activities that we design for them.
Be on the lookout for an upcoming post with
other books perfect for celebrating Earth Day!
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