Exploring the History of Earth Day in Upper Elementary

 Written by Emily Upton - Posted March 16, 2024

Get ready to be the Miss Frizzle of history and hop into your time machine to teach your students about the history of Earth Day! Let's take a trip back in time to 1970, an incredible year that sparked widespread environmental awareness and gave birth to the amazing celebration we now know as Earth Day. It's not just a history lesson, though - it's a chance to inspire our young learners to become the protectors of our planet's future! As upper elementary teachers, we have an opportunity to ignite their curiosity and passion for environmental activism by exploring the origins of this global movement.

Imagine a world where pollution is everywhere and people don't care about the environment. But there's a tiny bit of hope - Earth Day! It was created by ordinary people who wanted to make a difference. Now, it's a day when people all over the globe come together to protect our planet. As teachers, we can use Earth Day to teach our students about the environment and how we can help. Let's talk about how to make history come alive for our students as we teach them about the history of Earth Day.

Understanding the Origins of Earth Day

Earth Day started in 1970 when people began to notice the increasing pollution levels and that we weren't treating the Earth well. Gaylord Nelson, a US senator, came up with the idea of a national day to raise awareness about environmental issues. Millions of people took to the streets on April 22, 1970, in the first-ever Earth Day celebration. Since then, Earth Day has become a global annual event that reminds us of our responsibility to keep our planet healthy and happy. As teachers, we can inspire our students to be the change-makers of tomorrow. Let's celebrate Earth Day every April 22nd and give a high-five to Gaylord Nelson and all the people who made it happen.

Why Should You Teach the History of Earth Day?

Teaching the history of Earth Day isn't just about memorizing dates and facts—it's about planting seeds of environmental awareness and activism in our students. By understanding how Earth Day came to be, kids can see how regular people, just like them, made a big difference. It can inspire them to take action and be stewards of the planet.

When students learn about the grassroots movement behind Earth Day, it shows them that change is possible, even when things seem pretty bleak. They see how people come together to tackle big problems, and it gives them hope for the future. Plus, it gets them thinking about their own impact on the environment and how they can make a positive difference!

Integrating the history of Earth Day into the curriculum is a no-brainer. It's a chance to teach important lessons about environmentalism, activism, and the power of community. Plus, it fits right in with subjects like social studies, science, and even language arts. By weaving Earth Day into our lessons, we're giving students a deeper understanding of the world around them and empowering them to be changemakers. And hey, who knows? Maybe we'll inspire the next generation of environmental leaders along the way.

Activities for Teaching the History of Earth Day

If you want to teach about the history of Earth Day with low-prep, engaging resources, you've come to the right place. These activities will streamline your lesson prep while keeping your students engaged in rigorous practice activities.

History of Earth Day Videos

I love using quick videos to introduce my lessons. These are some of my favorite free resources for starting your history of Earth Day lessons:

🌎 I love using these PBS Kids Videos to introduce holidays! They're short and to the point, and give your students come background knowledge on how Earth Day came to be. I always used these as an intro before we did any holiday activities in class!

🌎 If you aren't using Mystery Science in your classroom, you are seriously missing out. These short videos are super engaging, and they have a million episodes on YouTube that you could use for Earth Day!

History of Earth Day TImeline and Passages

These short engaging passages and timeline activity will quickly teach your students everything they need to know about the history of Earth Day. With comprehension questions and a built-in mini-project, the digital and printable versions of this resource will give you options when assigning that fit the needs of your classroom.

Teachers said, "I used this to pre-teach our Earth Day activities. My students and I enjoyed it! Good layout and age-appropriate information in a quick and efficient way to learn the history of Earth Day."

History of Earth Day Escape Room

Looking for an activity that is more collaborative? This escape room covers the history of Earth Day, as well as information about recycling and Earth Day fun facts. Students answer comprehension questions and use code ciphers to crack the code in order to complete the final coloring activity!

Escape rooms get your students up and moving. Use as a center activity, in small groups, or as an early finisher activity!

No matter what activity you choose, incorporating a history of Earth Day lesson into your plans will help your students to understand more about this important holiday. Instead of just teaching your students why they should care for our planet, help them understand how ordinary people came together to create maor change to help our home.