Earth Day

Characters: 2 Students at beginning

Student with idling car
2 smog makers (tattered sheets)
Video Game Student
Student with Trash
3 Tree Children
Sound Effects

Items: Posterboard Car with bike on opposite side

Tattered black, gray or brown sheets for smog
Posterboard Vampire charger with unplugged charger on other side
Trash with recycle bin or trash can
Tree Signs

Scene opens to two friends talk together.

1st Student: Hi, [Name} How are you doing? Did you know that this is Earth Week and
Friday is Earth Day?

2nd Student: No, I didn’t know. I’ve heard of Earth Day. What is it?

1st Student: Earth Day was created to celebrate awareness and appreciation for the
Earth’s natural environment. During the 1960s, a US senator became concerned about
the environment and wanted to increase awareness of the problem. He spoke on
environmental issues around the country, but found the greatest forum was a grassroots
protest over what was happening to our environment. The first Earth Day occurred in
1970.

2nd Student: Wow, it sounds so cool, but what can I do? I’m just a kid.

1st Student: Well, see that car over there. It’s just idling, and look at all of the gross
smoke that comes out of the exhaust pipe. Let’s go talk to that person. Hi [Name],
what’s going on?

Car idling with smoke (students with tattered rags waving them around)

3rd Student: I’m waiting for my Mom. She forgot her keys. She’s going to take me to
school.
2nd Student: Your car is running. Doesn’t that mean the keys are in the ignition?

3rd Student: Oh, yeah. woo! I think I may be getting a little goofy from all the fumes.

1st Student: It’s Earth Week, [Name! Did you know that if you walk or ride your bike to
school for a week, you’ll save 20 lbs of carbon or pollution from getting into the
environment? If you did it every week, you would keep over 1000 lbs of carbon from
being released into the environment. I know you have a bike. Think of how heart
healthy you’ll be too. Riding a bike or walking is good for you.

3rd Student (Takes keys from car) Mom! I’m going to ride my bike to school this week.
Here’s your keys. (Smog children run away. Turn around car to bike side.) (Takes off
on bike)

2nd Student: Hey [Name of 1st student]! I remember reading that there are some
electronic devices that are called vampire electronics. A microwave with a clock that
runs even when the machine is not in use or a DVD player with a display that always
shows uses electricity to light the displays even when you’re not using it.

1st Student: Speaking of vampire electronics, there’s [Name]. He loves video games
and is the perfect kid to illustrate this point.

The two walk up to a child feverishly playing a video game next to the school.

1st Student: Hi, [Name of 4th Student]! What are you doing?

4th Student: Mmmm..........wha? (still playing video games) vid.....e........o games.

1st Student: Are you charging your DSi?

4th Student: Mmmm. er? No, it’s done.

1st Student: Well, it’s still plugged into the outlet. Even though it’s not charging your
game system, it’s still sucking up energy from the outlet.

2nd Student: (yells out horrified, points and covers mouth) VAMPIRE!

4th Student: (finally looks away from his game) Whoa! I didn’t know that. I always
leave the charger plugged in. (unplugs charger [turns around outlet to empty one])
Thanks. (back to video game)

Two students continue walking. 2nd Student gets hit with a piece of trash.
2nd Student: Hey! Where did that come from?

1st Student: I see another example of something easy that kids can do to make a
difference for the environment. See that pile of trash over there.

2nd Student: Yes, I do. (rubbing her face where it was hit by the trash)

1st Student: Let’s go. Hi, [Name of 5th Student]! What’s up with all of this trash?

5th Student: Oh, I just am flying my beautiful new kite. See how pretty?

1st Student: You’ve got a pile of trash there. It’s gonna blow away.

5th Student: Oh, I’m sorry. (picking up trash) I wasn’t thinking. (throws it away in the
waste basket)

1st Student: That looks like paper and plastic items. They could be recycled which
helps our planet even more.

5th Student: I know the cafeteria has started recycling and separating the paper, food
and plastic items. They’re helping the environment too.

2nd Student: If everybody threw away their trash, think of how beautiful the world would
be... and safe. (touches cheek)

5th Student: Thanks guys. I’ll remember. (Waves goodbye)

2nd Student. Wow [Name of Student 1], I never realized how much us kids can do to
help out the environment.

1st Student: Did you know that another way to help the environment is to plant trees?
Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Additionally, they provide a
home for birds and other wildlife. CO2 causes the greenhouse effect. Trees trap CO2
from the atmosphere and use it for plant growth. They give us oxygen in return.

2nd Student: Hey, look over there at all. Those trees are getting rid of that smog. (Two
tree children waving their branches make the smog children run away.) The Grounds
and Safety Committee has planted a lot of trees around campus. PTA is celebrating
Earth Day by working on the grounds this Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. They will be here
even though its a school holiday. My family is coming ready to dig in.
1st Student: I’m going to talk to my Mom about it. and you need to find your bike
helmet.

All: Let’s help the Earth (Or say something else appropriate at this time.)