Lindsey Lambert

Holiday Unit Plan: Earth Day

Grade: 2nd
Student Learner Objectives:

Students will learn about Earth Day.

Students will watch/listen to a video about going green and about the 3 Rs.
Students will make their own Earth.
Students will learn how water pollution can hurt our Earths animals.
Students will investigate how to protect our Earth.
Students will listen and learn the meaning behind The Lorax.

Curricular Connections: Music, Art, Science, Writing, Literature

When is Earth Day?: April 22nd

Going Green! (Music)

Materials:

YouTube video Going Green

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DJ45Yc3urg
Earth Day worksheet that deals with Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils

Procedure:
1. Ask the students what the 3 Rs are. (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
2. Show students the video of Going Green
3. Ask the students what are somethings that they mentioned in the video that can help our
Earth go green. (Turn off lights when not in use, turn off computers, unplug things when
not in use, reuse boxes/bottles, donate clothes/toys, recycle paper/cans/bottles)
4. Hand out worksheet that deals with Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Have students explore
out of the items said in the video. Students can color sheet if they have time.

Science Standards:

A.4.5 When studying a science-related problem, decide what changes over time are
occurring or have occurred

Lindsey Lambert

C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan investigations, make
observations, make predictions, and offer explanations

I Promise to Help the Earth by (Art)

Materials:

Blue paper that has a circle on it

Green paint
Paper that says I promise to help the Earth by with lines for them to write answer
Other color construction paper
Scissors
Glue

Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Students will receive blue paper that has a circle on it.

Students will receive green paint to color their hand with.
Students will then place their hand on the blue paper. (inside the circle)
Students will then also be able to add more green on their earth to add more land
Students will then write on a separate sheet of paper what they promise to help the Earth
by.
6. Once the Earth is dry, students will cut out and glue on another sheet of paper.
7. Students will then get to share to the rest of the class.

Art Standards:

D.4.6. Use problem solving strategies that promote fluency, flexibility, elaboration and
originality
G.4.2. Know that artwork has meaning
G.4.3. Talk and write about the meanings of artwork and design

Freddie the Fish- Water Pollution Exploration (Science)

Materials:

Lindsey Lambert
*items are needed for each group

Small plastic container (such as a Glad)

Fishing line
Plastic solo cups with lids
Water
Food coloring
Soil
Pancake syrup
Coffee grounds
Holes from paper punch
Dish soap
Salt
Raisins
Plastic Spoon

Procedure:
Before:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Cut sponges into a fish size

Run the fishing line through the sponge horizontally
Poke a small hole in both ends of the plastic contained near the top
Run the fishing line through the container and tie a few knots on the end outside
the holes
5. Gather materials and place in each Solo cup with the lid
During:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Read the story Freddie the Fish to the class.

Ask the class while reading How do you think Freddie feels?
Explain that they are now get to see Freddie going downstream
Split the class into different groups to do science experiment
Give the groups all the materials
Start reading the story again or give each group a copy of the story. At each spot
students can take turns dumping something in the water.
a. Order of things dumped in
1.Soil
2.Raisins
3.Green liquid (food coloring & water)
4.Salt
5.Paper punches

Lindsey Lambert
6.Dish soap
7.Coffee
8.Syrup
7. After each student will fill on an eight square chart that lists each of the
containments. With a partner they will brainstorm ways that those activities could
be done without impacting Freddies environment.

Science Standards:

A.4.5 When studying a science-related problem, decide what changes over time are
occurring or have occurred
C.4.8 Ask additional questions that might help focus or further and investigation
F.4.2 Investigate how organisms respond to both internal cues (need for water) and
external cues (changes in environment)

Taking Care of the Earth (Writing)

Materials:

Notebook Paper
Earth Day Paper
Earth Picture (optional)
Pencils
Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils
Construction Paper

Procedure:
1. Talk with the class why taking care of the Earth is so important and what might happen if
we do not take care of it.
a. Make a list up on the SMART Board
2. Send students back to their seats to write a rough draft on a separate piece of notebook
paper.
3. Once finished student will get it looked over by teacher to check for spelling mistakes.
4. Students will then do their final draft on the Earth Day or Earth Care piece of paper.
5. If time allows students can color the Earth and glue earth and writing on a sheet of
construction paper.

Writing Standards:

Lindsey Lambert

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic

or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion,
use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a
concluding statement or section

The Lorax (Literature)

Materials:

The Lorax Book

Discussion Questions
1. Why wouldnt the Once-ler listen to the Lorax?
2. Why does the Lorax speak for the trees?
3. How does the Once-lers Thneed business hurt the land of the Lorax?
4. What happens to all the other animals in the story?
5. If you were the little boy in the story what would you do?
6. Do you think the Lorax and his friends will come back if the new Truffula Trees
grow?
7. What does the Once-ler mean when he says, Unless someone like you cares a
whole awful lot, nothing I going to get better. Its not.
8. How does the Once-ler feel about what his Thneed business did to the Lorax and
his friends?

Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Ask if anybody has read the book The Lorax By: Dr. Seuss
Read the book aloud to the class
Ask the students how this connects to Earth Day
Have a group discussion about The Lorax

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where,

when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major
events and challenges.