Earth Day

                                               
To celebrate Earth Day we first discussed the meaning behind the holiday and the importance of treating the Earth with respect by using less water, recycling, picking up trash and planting trees and plants. We spent the week reading books such as the Lorax, Earth Day, Birthday!, The Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. 

We also conducted a science experiment that I found on Pinterest that demonstrates first hand how plants give clean water and plants help the Earth while garbage and dirt gives us dirty water.

The following items are needed for the experiment:

• seeds
• 3 milk jugs or cartons
• dirt
• 3 small water bottles
• garbage
• scissors 

Below are images of the students helping plant the carrots seeds. My students love science experiments and anything that involves getting dirty!

                                           

 In the three milk cartons different solutions go into each. One carton contains dirt and the seeds, the other just dirt and the third dirt with garbage and leaves.

Planting the carrots is also a great conversation starter to discuss what plants need to grow and the parts of the plants. My co-teacher and I turn Earth Day into two weeks of lessons by learning about Earth and conversation one week and then plants and seeds the next week. 

The below picture is the picture from Pinterest shows how the experiment after a few weeks of watering the plants. The students are able to see the difference in the color of the water and see that the water from the plant is clear, the leaf water is slightly brown and the water from the dirt is brown.

Wish me good luck that the experiment we started today turns out to be a Pinterest success like the image below and not a Pinterest fail!  

What activity, book or lesson did you teach to have your students learn about Earth Day?