2011 Earth Day Booklet - Free!

Earth Day is coming up next week on April 22nd, and we'll write more about how this event came to be in a future post. Today we want to direct you to the marvelous 2011 Earth Day Booklet we are giving to you for free. This 18-page booklet is packed with ideas for parents, teachers, and librarians and is geared for children in grades K-2.

You'll want to start the exercises at the beginning of Earth Week coming up on Monday - the activities are divided into five days and deal with each of the elements:

1. Monday - Water
2. Tuesday - Fire
3. Wednesday - Earth
4. Thursday - Air
5. Friday - Spirit of Life

Each category has an explanation of the element, demonstrations to help students understand, exercises for them to do, questions to answer, and additional activities involving art, music, and other experiences. For example, the earth category explains the process of planting seeds, watching them grow, then harvesting seeds to start the cycle anew.

Next, the booklet explores ecological footprints and the impact of our energy use and trash.

There are games and projects to engage students and teachers alike, including one that utilizes the glossary of ecological terms and definitions: from Air pollution - Wind energy.

Last but not least, a list of projects that can engage the entire classroom or school is included. It's a must-read mini-book for teachers. Don't miss reading it this weekend, and start your students on Monday with a fun week of Earth Day activities! Click here to download the pdf today. Please spread the word so everyone can participate.

Do you have any special activities planned for Earth Day?