Teach third-graders about Earth Day with classroom activities.
Earth Day gives third-graders a chance to explore ways to take care of the planet. From conservation efforts to recycling, there are many project options for the classroom. At the third-grade level, students are better able than younger students to understand the basic concepts of Earth Day. Connect Earth Day activities with the third-grade science curriculum when possible.
Redesign Packages
This activity helps third-grade students analyze the packaging of everyday items. Most third-graders have a basic idea about what can be recycled. Review the basics of recycling and discuss packaging that uses recycled products. Divide the students into groups. Give each group an everyday packaged item. Ideas might include a bottle of laundry detergent, a packaged toy or a box of snacks. The groups analyze their packaging to determine whether it is environmentally friendly. If they think it is, they must provide a list of reasons. If it is not, they must develop a plan to redesign the packages.
Composting
A compost pile at the school is a long-term project you can begin long before Earth Day. Another option is to set up the compost pile on Earth Day, although you probably won't get to see the results by the end of the school year. For faster composting, choose vermicomposting, which uses worms to aid in the process. Red wiggler worms are often used in vermicomposting. The kids can save items from their lunches or bring yard and food waste from home to add to the compost pile. They learn care for the compost pile and can share the knowledge with their families.
Recycled Pond
This Earth Day activity teaches kids what happens when trash is thrown into the environment. Create a pond by cutting out a large piece of blue paper. Cut out several fish shapes from construction paper. Place the fish in the "pond" and have the students sit around it. Each child needs a piece of trash that can be recycled; plastic bottles or paper work well.
Talk about the pond and all of the fish that live there. Have one child at a time throw her trash into the pond. Discuss the fact that the space for the fish is becoming smaller. Eventually the trash will take over enough of the pond that some of the fish will need to be removed. Discuss how littering affects all life forms.
Planting
Planting activities work well with the Earth Day teaching theme. Provide the students with all of the planting materials, including pots, soil and seeds. Discuss what the plants need to grow, including sunlight and water. The kids plant the seeds on Earth Day and care for them for the rest of the year. Have them observe and record the growth of the seeds over the remaining weeks of school. Another option is to plant flowers or trees in the community, giving the project a public-service dimension.
Tags: compost pile, Another option, they must, work well
