Lesson Plan: Earth Day

“The Three R’s of the Environment”

Celebrate Earth Day and learn how to reduce, re-use and recycle with this Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core-aligned lesson.

Objectives
Students will:
  • Identify examples of reducing, re-using and recycling;
  • Brainstorm ways that they can use the 3 R’s to help protect the environment in their daily lives.

Standards
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1
    Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.2
    Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.B
    Build on others' talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.
  • ESS3.A: Natural Resources
    Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not.
  • ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
    Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.

Materials
Products Created
  • Lists of ways that students can reduce, re-use and recycle in their daily lives to help the environment

Time
  • One class period

Sequence
    1. Explain that every April, we celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day is a holiday where we show our support for protecting the environment and think about what we can do to help. Everyone can help by reducing, re-using and recycling.
    2. Watch the Reduce, Re-use, Recycle video. Ask students to share any specifics they remember from the video and how they relate to the 3 R’s. Have students write the 3 R’s at the top of a sheet of paper. Play the video again, and have students fill in examples of reducing, reusing and recycling from the song in the correct categories. Or, you can print out the lyrics and have students underline examples of reducing, reusing and recycling as they’re mentioned.
    3. Tell the class they are going to think about ways that they have reduced, reused and recycled. Provide them with a few examples, like “wearing hand-me-downs,” “taking shorter showers” and “using newspaper to wrap birthday gifts,” and have students call out the right category.
    4. Divide the class into three groups, and assign each group “reduce,” “reuse” or “recycle.” Have each group come up with a list of ideas for what they could do in their daily lives to help in their area.

Wrap Up/Extensions:
  • Create Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle posters to hang up at school or at home.

Guided Reflection
  • “I used to think _______, and now I think _______.”
  • “One thing I learned is __________, and one question I still have is _________.”