Write an Earth Day Journal

Subject:  Language Arts, Science

Grades:  3-8

Overview

Students will create a daily log of their activities that help preserve the environment and planet.

Background

There is no day better than Earth Day, April 22nd, to start developing habits of Eco-awareness and environmental responsibility.  In our daily activities, students can make choices and take simple actions to preserve the environment.  This can include recycling, turning off light switches, and not letting the faucet run unnecessarily.  It’s important for students to be cognizant of their choices and their consequences.

The Activity

Explain to students that our simple actions and choices can have impactful consequences.  Brainstorm as a class the many ways students can help the environment both at home and at school.  From this brainstorming, instruct students to do the following:

1. Take a picture of themselves to serve as the prompt for their Earth Day journal.  The picture can be a profile picture or a picture of them doing an action that is environmentally conscious.
2. Each day, give students journal time to list all of the things they did both at home and school that helped the environment.  They should then write a reflection on how it helped and any other personal thoughts.
3. At the end of a week of journaling, students should share highlights of their journal entries to a partner.  While one is listening, students can write any new ideas and strategies they can implement in their own lives.
4. The journal writing can continue throughout a related unit or for a single week.

What’s Next?

Supplementary activities include:

• Create an awareness poster where students share at least one easy strategy that can be done to save the planet.
• Create a mini-commercial for the school’s morning announcements to teach the student body tips on Eco-friendly choices.  Students can write it up I the Write About This app and use the audio feature to record the commercial.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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Lani deGuia is a teacher, instructional technologist, and social media manager.  She has over 13 years of educational experience in traditional and online classroom settings for both K-12 and adult learners. She currently works in digital content and strategy for businesses and personally blogs at Rose Tinted Traveler.