Earth Day has become the set date of April 22nd every calendar year. Since its inception back in 1970, it is celebrated to call the world's attention to our care of the Earth. As the day has evolved, teachers have found it a rich source of tie-ins for Science, Social Studies and Health curricula at varied grade levels, as well as Math and the Language Arts.

So many altruistic causes have gone by the wayside in the last thirty years, on what moral imperatives do we still stand? What will kids make a stand for in the next century? Who can say what societal issues may provoke their passions as technology and communications continue to redefine the global community. But this much is certain: we will continue to share the same Earth and these same issues will need to be continually addressed by our children and our children's children. Here is an offering of what's out there to help your kids make the connections between their studies and one of the true remnants of unabashed activism still thriving today - the environmental movement. You can find additional resources from my 1999 Earth Day edition at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Innovative-Teaching/message/135.

Enjoy!

• Acid Rain - http://www.angelfire.com/ks/boredwalk/
  This is a wonderful online project in which students take the perspective of the environment, history, chemistry, economics, health and government to examine the global issues of this ongoing problem, and it can all be done with just your class right in the classroom.
• Celebrate Earth Day Everyday - http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/index.html
  Kid's Domain offers this plethora of downloads, print outs and online features that can supplement your Earth Day efforts in your environmentally conscious classroom; this is a good place to start, especially for elementary teachers.
• Celebrate Earth Day with the Lorax - http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville/titles/lorax/
  Dr. Seuss's lovable character invites you to play the Save the Trees game and participate in reforestation by becoming a Lorax helper - great for elementary students familiar with the original story.
• Do Your Share - http://www.dep.state.pa.us/earthdaycentral/earth_day.htm
  This state of Pennsylvania site emphasizes good stewardship of the land in its 2002 Earth Day campaign, including a calendar, links, materials and a dozen html documents for educators on various aspects of the land theme.
• Earth Day Canada - http://www.earthday.ca/
  Here you'll find a nice cache of resources covering links, projects, events, a newsletter and the opportunity to peruse and purchase merchandise to deck yourself out Canadian style; easily adaptable no matter where you're located.
• Earth Day Groceries - http://www.earthdaybags.org/
  This unique campaign gets students to decorate brown paper bags from their local supermarkets so that they can be returned to the stores for bagging on Earth Day to promote environmental awareness in home towns across the country. What could be easier?
• Earth Day in Your Neighborhood - http://www.allspecies.org/neigh/blocka.htm
  Subtitled "a guide for kids from 2 to 122", a nice look at how to organize a grass roots Earth Day celebration on your block or neighborhood; see additional materials and information at http://www.allspecies.org/ including coverage of Earth Day in other localities and a study guide offer.
• Earth Day Network - http://www.earthday.org/
  This comprehensive site Earth Day events and activities and environmental resources on the Internet. There's an especially nice set of educator links to agencies and organizations promoting environmental education. Check out the "how to" link for practical ideas on getting started.
• Energy Fast - http://www.earthdayenergyfast.org/
  Not ready to become an activist on Earth Day? here's a great way to work with older students in preparation for Earth Day by learning how to conserve energy resources and actually practice the concept on April 22nd: spend a day functioning without using any man-made energy sources and reflect on our energy dependence in the process.
• Make a Rain Stick for Earth Day - http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/lesson44.html
  Marilyn Brackney has touted this creative arts activity for four years now on her Imagination Factory website. It's a great way to acknowledge Earth Day by celebrating the beautiful sounds of nature in the rainforest as the drops gently fall through the canopy and sustain all that lives there.
• March for the Parks - http://www.nps.gov/npweek/march.htm
  The oldest Earth Day activity going in which marchers raise moneys which are used locally for public park projects; you can register for the 2002 project at the National Park Service site for the first time, in cooperation with the National Parks Conservation Association. Find out about planned events for the week of April 22nd here!
• Planet Pals - http://www.planetpals.com/earthday.html
  Here's a great primary level resource for incorporating Earth Day in your classroom with everything from background information to the concept of "precycling." Looking for more primary-level resources? Check out Squigly's Playhouse http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/Holidays/EarthDay.html and Primary Games http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/earth_day/earthday.htm Earth Day pages.
• Wilderness Society Earth Day 2002 - http://earthday.wilderness.org/
  The Wilderness Society targets the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for Earth Day, inviting teachers and students to become more aware of the delicate ecological balance that thrives there. There's materials to download and classroom activities for K-12, along with additional links for more Earth Day surfing. Nicely formatted.
  

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