The Earth Day Garden
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Page 1
LEVELS 18–24 J–L
Reader’s Theater
T E AC H E R ’ S G U I D E
SCIENCE Earth & Space Science
The Earth Day Garden Total words: 948
Summary
Objectives
LITERACY # Students will:
• Develop fluency and expression by practicing text at an appropriate reading level • Understand characters’ motives, actions, and feelings
SCIENCE # Students will learn about: • Taking care of the earth
#
CHARACTER EDUCATION Students will learn about: • Kindness—being helpful to people in need • Citizenship and cooperation— working with others to solve problems, improving your community, and protecting the environment
City kids Brandon, Mehri, and Willie help Sara, the neighborhood matriarch, tend her flowers and much-loved blueberry bushes. When Sara must leave to take care of a sick friend, the children promise to take care of her garden.They also wonder what special thing they can do to surprise Sara.They join forces with the storekeeper, Mr. Alvarado, to clean up and “green up” the vacant lot next door to Sara’s house. Soon the whole neighborhood pitches in.The junk, weeds, mice, and roaming dogs are replaced by a community garden. Sara loves the Earth Day gift her friends have given her and Mother Earth. She makes blueberry pies for the neighborhood to enjoy, using the berries her club has picked for her.
Characters
Levels
Mehri
J
18
Willie
J
18
Mr. Alvarado
K 20
Sara
K 20
Brandon
L
24
Narrator
L
24
• Responsibility—taking on a job and following through
Reader’s Theater for
Fluency and Comprehension
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2:16 PM
Page 2
BEFORE Reading 1. Build Background
• Ask students to share what they know about Earth Day. Explain that we set aside April 22 as one day to show that we care about Earth. Invite students to list some ways they could show that they care about Earth. • Show students pictures of a city park and a junkyard or polluted area. Have them point out differences between the two areas. See if students can name reasons why the junkyard or polluted area is harmful.
2. Introduce the Script
• Give students a copy of the script and explain that they are going to read a play about how a community turns an empty lot into a public garden. Ask them to turn to the list of characters, and read through it with them. Have students speculate about what these characters might be like. • Have students skim through the text, looking at the organization and illustrations and identifying the characters. If students are unfamiliar with the format of a play, explain how the text is organized and how they know when a different character is speaking. For
English Language Learners instruction on introducing the script, refer to page 6.
3. Discuss Vocabulary
• Have students locate the compound words in the story: anywhere, blueberries, mean-looking, overripe, city hall, somewhere, green space, Mother Nature. Describe three ways of making compound words (hyphenated, open, and closed) and have students write the compound words in the three categories. • Have students locate words and phrases that are capitalized, such as people’s names, Green Thumb Club, Florida, April, Earth Day, and Mother Nature. Explain that these are proper nouns and that the capital letters tell us that each one is the name of a person, organization, place, month, or holiday. For
2
English Language Learners instruction on vocabulary and phonics, refer to page 6.
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Page 3
DURING Reading 4. Read the Script
• Familiarize students with the content and vocabulary of the script by having them read along with you as you model fluent reading.
Informally assess students’ reading as you: • Note students’ level of participation.
• Note any vocabulary words that are still challenging for students to read. When finished, address questions about word pronunciation or meaning. • Read the script chorally again, noting whether students’ interpretations of the characters show an understanding of the story.
ther Reread toge the t throughou elop v week to de and ce n e confid . build fluency
3
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Page 4
AFTER Reading Building Character • How are the children kind to Sara in the play? What could you do to be kind to someone? Share your ideas. • How do Sara’s friends make their community better and protect the environment? Tell about something you and your friends could do to improve your neighborhood or help the environment.
5. Interpret the Script
Discuss Ideas and Issues • How do Brandon, Mehri, and Willie feel about Sara in the play? How can you tell? • What event causes the children to plan a surprise for Sara? How do they turn a negative situation into a positive one? • What is Sara like? How do you think she would read her lines on pages 3, 4, 8, 10, and 13? • Why is it significant that Sara returns on April 22? What does the surprise for Sara have to do with Earth Day?
6. Assign Roles & Rehearse the Script
.
• Use the reading levels provided to help you assign
Staging and Performance Suggestions • Since all the scenes take place in Sara’s garden, set potted flowers on stage. • Draw a city skyline across the top of the backdrop. On the lower left, place a drawing of Sara’s neat house, and, on the right, the junkfilled vacant lot. Tape fringed green paper and tissue paper flowers over the lot for the final scene. • Students can use gardening tools as props. • Mr. Alvarado and Sara can stand on opposite edges of the stage for their phone conversation.
4
roles. • Decide whether to develop a simple reading of the script or a dramatization of it. • Discuss the staging. Use the suggestions provided here and in the Teacher’s Handbook. • Discuss rehearsal expectations. See the Teacher’s Handbook. • During the first rehearsal, offer suggestions for expression and voice. During the second rehearsal, act only as the audience. • Provide feedback at the end of the rehearsal. See the Teacher’s Handbook. For
English Language Learners instruction on modeling the play, refer to page 7.
7. Perform the Script
• Read the script as a Reader’s Theater or dramatize it as a play. For
English Language Learners instruction on performing the play, refer to page 7.
42367_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 5
Content Connections Literacy Extensions
Earth & Space Science
People share the planet with millions of kinds of living things. Each living thing has its place, and each is dependent on many others.
For hundreds of thousands of years, people used Earth’s resources freely without concern.There were few people compared to the amount of land available. Over the past 150 years, Earth’s population has grown quickly. In 1850, there were about one billion people. In 1950, there were about 2.5 billion. In 2001, there were more than 6 billion. Human activities put a strain on the environment. Human uses of land, water, and air threaten to exhaust our resources and pollute or poison our planet. Many living things are in danger of being lost forever. Try This! Make a bar graph that shows how Earth’s human population has grown since 1850. 1. Get a sheet of graph paper. Draw a vertical line on the left side. Label the line “Number of People in Billions.” Draw a horizontal line beginning at the bottom of the vertical line. Label that line “Year.” Title the graph “Earth’s Growing Population.” 2. Write the dates 1850, 1950, and 2001 one inch apart along the horizontal line. Write the numbers 1–6 one inch apart up the vertical line beginning at the bottom. 3. Draw and color vertical bars for the dates. Use the information in the paragraphs above.
Picture and Poem Draw a picture of the Ear th Day garden you would plant. Write a poem that expresses your feeling s about Ear th and why people ne ed to take care of it. Include vivid im ages or word pictures of things you like about Ear th.
Song Brainstorm a list of songs that celebrate nature and the env ironment. (Example: “This Land Is Yo ur Land”) Have a singalong in class; then perform for other classes in your school.
on Character Educati Connection
illie, and Mr. Brandon, Mehri, W e to complete a big Alvarado cooperat big project in your project.Think of a olved cooperation community that inv w le. Write about ho among many peop n he r.T he ot an d one the worker s helpe at th lts su od re write about the go ect. oj pr e th m came fro
For background information and other books of interest, refer to the back cover
5
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English Language L Vocabulary • Locate a word that may cause difficulty such as community on page 7. Write the word on the board. Explain that a community is made up of the people that live in an area, or neighborhood. • List other words that are associated with the neighborhood in the play. Write vacant lot and green space on the board. Review the pictures of each on pages 6–7 and 12, respectively. • Help students predict the meaning of unfamiliar words using the following questions: 1. Does this word look like a word I know? (cognates) 2. Is this word formed by two smaller words? (compound words) Do I know the meaning of the smaller words? If I put the meanings together, can I guess the meaning of the original word? 3. Does this word have a smaller word I already know? (base word/prefixes/ suffixes) What could the other part mean? 4. Does this phrase have some words I know? Who is using the phrase? Is this character answering a question or expressing something? What could this mean in the story?
Phonics • Write day on the board. Say it aloud. Have students repeat it after you. Directly beneath the word day, write may. Say it aloud. Ask: How are these words the same? Circle the letters ay. Say: We can put these letters together to make the long a sound. Isolate the sound and say it aloud. Invite students to repeat it. • Encourage students to continue practicing this pronunciation by adding the words ray, pay, and way to the board. Say each word aloud. Invite a student to circle the ay combination in each word. If possible, invite students to volunteer new words with the same combination.
6
1. Introduce the Script
3
• Show students the picture on page 12. Ask: Does your playground look like this? Does it have trees? Does it have grass? Say: An open space with trees or grass is called a green space. Encourage students to say green space after you.
•
Comprehension
• Then ask: Is your playground clean? Explain that all open spaces are not clean. Some are dirty, or polluted. Encourage students to share examples of pollution or polluted areas they may have seen.
• Hold up a calendar for the entire class to see. Point to April 22. Say: This is a special day. It is Earth Day. Explain: We take care of Earth on Earth Day—we clean the Earth, and we plant more trees. Can you think of other ways we can take care of the Earth?
2. Explain the Structure of a Play •
Invite students to preview the play by looking at the illustrations. Have them identify familiar objects in the illustrations, such as the buildings and taxi. Ask: Is the setting of this play in the city or country? Then have students compare the illustrations with their neighborhoods. Ask: Do you live in a place like this?
• Point out the picture on pages 6–7. Ask: Is this a clean space? Is it a green space? Have students compare this picture to the one on page 12. Encourage them to identify the characteristics that make the area on page 12 a green space. (grass, trees)
•
• P P a P ch P d P g sp
4 •
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Page 7
e Learners 3. Model the Script
• Read the play aloud as students follow the text in their books.You may use gestures and dramatic expression to help students follow the story.
Multilevel Strategies
• Check for comprehension. Some appropriate pauses and comments for this play are:
Beginner
• Reread sections or lines as needed. Ask students to identify illustrations of characters and actions in the script.
Pages 3–4 • Ask: Who is Sara? Does Sara have a garden?
Page 5 • Say: Who takes care of Sara’s garden while she is away? Pages 6–7 • Ask: What is in the empty lot? What do the children want to do for Sara?
Pages 9–10 • Ask: What day does Sara come back? What do we celebrate on this day?
Pages 12–13 • Say: The children show Sara the lot when she gets home. Ask: How does Sara feel about the new green space?
After reading the play, encourage students to look at the illustrations again. Challenge them to name the areas shown.
Have students look at the picture on pages 6–7. Ask: Is there grass in this picture? Are there trees in this picture? Is this a green space? Turn to page 12. Point to the tree in the picture. Ask: Is this a tree or grass? Is this a green space?
Intermediate Point to the picture on page 12. Ask: What do we call a space with grass and trees? What did the children do to celebrate Earth Day?
Advanced
4. Perform the Script
• Assign roles to students depending on your assessment of their reading and speaking levels, their comprehension, and how comfortable they feel representing each character.
Ask students to describe how the children in the play took care of the Earth on Earth Day. Have them identify a picture in the play that represents the children’s final result. Then, ask students to volunteer another way in which we can take care of the Earth.
For ordering information, call Toll-Free 1-877-236-2465 or visit our Web site at www.benchmarkeducation.com. Copyright © 2005 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Canada.
7
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Page 8
Other Books of Interest
Background Information
BENCHMARK EDUCATION COMPANY
Erosion Fossils Making a Weather Station Twisters Volcanoes
Caring for the Earth The Interdependence of Life All living things must share the Earth. Every living thing has its place, and each is dependent on many others. A healthy Earth depends on the balance among these interdependent living things. To be healthy, Earth must also have clean air, land, and water. However, Earth’s human population has become so great that it is putting a strain on the environment. People are becoming aware that human activities can damage Earth and its plants and animals. They are looking for ways to halt or slow that damage and restore the environment.
Senator Gaylord Nelson and John McConnell were concerned about pollution and the harm it does. They wanted a day set aside to honor Earth and teach people about what needed changing in our environment. McConnell suggested that Earth Day be observed on the first day of spring when day and night are equal and living things are beginning to grow. On March 21, 1970, San Francisco held the first Earth Day celebration. On April 22, 1970, the first U.S. government-sponsored Earth Day took place. The idea spread quickly, and today people around the world celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day Activities On Earth Day, people plan activities to help the Earth. Many people plant trees, grass, and flowers. Plants help the earth by holding the soil in place, giving off oxygen when they make their food, and reducing greenhouse gases which can cause global warming. People also clean up streams and woods on Earth Day. They discuss and plan ways to save natural resources, such as recycling or reusing products instead of throwing them in the trash. Young people put what they have learned about ecology into action. For example, they might raise money to help endangered animals or learn about ways to save energy.
E N C H M A R K
Children of the Earth: Remember by Schim Schimmel. Northword Press
Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home by Schim Schimmel. Northword Press
Every Day Is Earth Day by Kathy Ross. Millbrook Press
The Great Trash Bash by Loreen Leedy. Holiday House
The Beginning of Earth Day
B
Trade Books
E
D U C AT I O N
C
Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum Inc.
The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss. Random House
The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden. Macmillan
Web Sites www.earthday.net/Footprint/index.asp www.epa.gov/kids/ www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/learn .html
O M PA N Y
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 1
LEVELS 18–24 J–L
Reader’s Theater
T E AC H E R ’ S G U I D E
SCIENCE Earth & Space Science
The Earth Day Garden Total words: 948
Summary
Objectives
LITERACY # Students will:
• Develop fluency and expression by practicing text at an appropriate reading level • Understand characters’ motives, actions, and feelings
SCIENCE # Students will learn about: • Taking care of the earth
#
CHARACTER EDUCATION Students will learn about: • Kindness—being helpful to people in need • Citizenship and cooperation— working with others to solve problems, improving your community, and protecting the environment
City kids Brandon, Mehri, and Willie help Sara, the neighborhood matriarch, tend her flowers and much-loved blueberry bushes. When Sara must leave to take care of a sick friend, the children promise to take care of her garden.They also wonder what special thing they can do to surprise Sara.They join forces with the storekeeper, Mr. Alvarado, to clean up and “green up” the vacant lot next door to Sara’s house. Soon the whole neighborhood pitches in.The junk, weeds, mice, and roaming dogs are replaced by a community garden. Sara loves the Earth Day gift her friends have given her and Mother Earth. She makes blueberry pies for the neighborhood to enjoy, using the berries her club has picked for her.
Characters
Levels
Mehri
J
18
Willie
J
18
Mr. Alvarado
K 20
Sara
K 20
Brandon
L
24
Narrator
L
24
• Responsibility—taking on a job and following through
Reader’s Theater for
Fluency and Comprehension
42367_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 2
BEFORE Reading 1. Build Background
• Ask students to share what they know about Earth Day. Explain that we set aside April 22 as one day to show that we care about Earth. Invite students to list some ways they could show that they care about Earth. • Show students pictures of a city park and a junkyard or polluted area. Have them point out differences between the two areas. See if students can name reasons why the junkyard or polluted area is harmful.
2. Introduce the Script
• Give students a copy of the script and explain that they are going to read a play about how a community turns an empty lot into a public garden. Ask them to turn to the list of characters, and read through it with them. Have students speculate about what these characters might be like. • Have students skim through the text, looking at the organization and illustrations and identifying the characters. If students are unfamiliar with the format of a play, explain how the text is organized and how they know when a different character is speaking. For
English Language Learners instruction on introducing the script, refer to page 6.
3. Discuss Vocabulary
• Have students locate the compound words in the story: anywhere, blueberries, mean-looking, overripe, city hall, somewhere, green space, Mother Nature. Describe three ways of making compound words (hyphenated, open, and closed) and have students write the compound words in the three categories. • Have students locate words and phrases that are capitalized, such as people’s names, Green Thumb Club, Florida, April, Earth Day, and Mother Nature. Explain that these are proper nouns and that the capital letters tell us that each one is the name of a person, organization, place, month, or holiday. For
2
English Language Learners instruction on vocabulary and phonics, refer to page 6.
42367_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 3
DURING Reading 4. Read the Script
• Familiarize students with the content and vocabulary of the script by having them read along with you as you model fluent reading.
Informally assess students’ reading as you: • Note students’ level of participation.
• Note any vocabulary words that are still challenging for students to read. When finished, address questions about word pronunciation or meaning. • Read the script chorally again, noting whether students’ interpretations of the characters show an understanding of the story.
ther Reread toge the t throughou elop v week to de and ce n e confid . build fluency
3
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11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 4
AFTER Reading Building Character • How are the children kind to Sara in the play? What could you do to be kind to someone? Share your ideas. • How do Sara’s friends make their community better and protect the environment? Tell about something you and your friends could do to improve your neighborhood or help the environment.
5. Interpret the Script
Discuss Ideas and Issues • How do Brandon, Mehri, and Willie feel about Sara in the play? How can you tell? • What event causes the children to plan a surprise for Sara? How do they turn a negative situation into a positive one? • What is Sara like? How do you think she would read her lines on pages 3, 4, 8, 10, and 13? • Why is it significant that Sara returns on April 22? What does the surprise for Sara have to do with Earth Day?
6. Assign Roles & Rehearse the Script
.
• Use the reading levels provided to help you assign
Staging and Performance Suggestions • Since all the scenes take place in Sara’s garden, set potted flowers on stage. • Draw a city skyline across the top of the backdrop. On the lower left, place a drawing of Sara’s neat house, and, on the right, the junkfilled vacant lot. Tape fringed green paper and tissue paper flowers over the lot for the final scene. • Students can use gardening tools as props. • Mr. Alvarado and Sara can stand on opposite edges of the stage for their phone conversation.
4
roles. • Decide whether to develop a simple reading of the script or a dramatization of it. • Discuss the staging. Use the suggestions provided here and in the Teacher’s Handbook. • Discuss rehearsal expectations. See the Teacher’s Handbook. • During the first rehearsal, offer suggestions for expression and voice. During the second rehearsal, act only as the audience. • Provide feedback at the end of the rehearsal. See the Teacher’s Handbook. For
English Language Learners instruction on modeling the play, refer to page 7.
7. Perform the Script
• Read the script as a Reader’s Theater or dramatize it as a play. For
English Language Learners instruction on performing the play, refer to page 7.
42367_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 5
Content Connections Literacy Extensions
Earth & Space Science
People share the planet with millions of kinds of living things. Each living thing has its place, and each is dependent on many others.
For hundreds of thousands of years, people used Earth’s resources freely without concern.There were few people compared to the amount of land available. Over the past 150 years, Earth’s population has grown quickly. In 1850, there were about one billion people. In 1950, there were about 2.5 billion. In 2001, there were more than 6 billion. Human activities put a strain on the environment. Human uses of land, water, and air threaten to exhaust our resources and pollute or poison our planet. Many living things are in danger of being lost forever. Try This! Make a bar graph that shows how Earth’s human population has grown since 1850. 1. Get a sheet of graph paper. Draw a vertical line on the left side. Label the line “Number of People in Billions.” Draw a horizontal line beginning at the bottom of the vertical line. Label that line “Year.” Title the graph “Earth’s Growing Population.” 2. Write the dates 1850, 1950, and 2001 one inch apart along the horizontal line. Write the numbers 1–6 one inch apart up the vertical line beginning at the bottom. 3. Draw and color vertical bars for the dates. Use the information in the paragraphs above.
Picture and Poem Draw a picture of the Ear th Day garden you would plant. Write a poem that expresses your feeling s about Ear th and why people ne ed to take care of it. Include vivid im ages or word pictures of things you like about Ear th.
Song Brainstorm a list of songs that celebrate nature and the env ironment. (Example: “This Land Is Yo ur Land”) Have a singalong in class; then perform for other classes in your school.
on Character Educati Connection
illie, and Mr. Brandon, Mehri, W e to complete a big Alvarado cooperat big project in your project.Think of a olved cooperation community that inv w le. Write about ho among many peop n he r.T he ot an d one the worker s helpe at th lts su od re write about the go ect. oj pr e th m came fro
For background information and other books of interest, refer to the back cover
5
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11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 6
English Language L Vocabulary • Locate a word that may cause difficulty such as community on page 7. Write the word on the board. Explain that a community is made up of the people that live in an area, or neighborhood. • List other words that are associated with the neighborhood in the play. Write vacant lot and green space on the board. Review the pictures of each on pages 6–7 and 12, respectively. • Help students predict the meaning of unfamiliar words using the following questions: 1. Does this word look like a word I know? (cognates) 2. Is this word formed by two smaller words? (compound words) Do I know the meaning of the smaller words? If I put the meanings together, can I guess the meaning of the original word? 3. Does this word have a smaller word I already know? (base word/prefixes/ suffixes) What could the other part mean? 4. Does this phrase have some words I know? Who is using the phrase? Is this character answering a question or expressing something? What could this mean in the story?
Phonics • Write day on the board. Say it aloud. Have students repeat it after you. Directly beneath the word day, write may. Say it aloud. Ask: How are these words the same? Circle the letters ay. Say: We can put these letters together to make the long a sound. Isolate the sound and say it aloud. Invite students to repeat it. • Encourage students to continue practicing this pronunciation by adding the words ray, pay, and way to the board. Say each word aloud. Invite a student to circle the ay combination in each word. If possible, invite students to volunteer new words with the same combination.
6
1. Introduce the Script
3
• Show students the picture on page 12. Ask: Does your playground look like this? Does it have trees? Does it have grass? Say: An open space with trees or grass is called a green space. Encourage students to say green space after you.
•
Comprehension
• Then ask: Is your playground clean? Explain that all open spaces are not clean. Some are dirty, or polluted. Encourage students to share examples of pollution or polluted areas they may have seen.
• Hold up a calendar for the entire class to see. Point to April 22. Say: This is a special day. It is Earth Day. Explain: We take care of Earth on Earth Day—we clean the Earth, and we plant more trees. Can you think of other ways we can take care of the Earth?
2. Explain the Structure of a Play •
Invite students to preview the play by looking at the illustrations. Have them identify familiar objects in the illustrations, such as the buildings and taxi. Ask: Is the setting of this play in the city or country? Then have students compare the illustrations with their neighborhoods. Ask: Do you live in a place like this?
• Point out the picture on pages 6–7. Ask: Is this a clean space? Is it a green space? Have students compare this picture to the one on page 12. Encourage them to identify the characteristics that make the area on page 12 a green space. (grass, trees)
•
• P P a P ch P d P g sp
4 •
42367_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 7
e Learners 3. Model the Script
• Read the play aloud as students follow the text in their books.You may use gestures and dramatic expression to help students follow the story.
Multilevel Strategies
• Check for comprehension. Some appropriate pauses and comments for this play are:
Beginner
• Reread sections or lines as needed. Ask students to identify illustrations of characters and actions in the script.
Pages 3–4 • Ask: Who is Sara? Does Sara have a garden?
Page 5 • Say: Who takes care of Sara’s garden while she is away? Pages 6–7 • Ask: What is in the empty lot? What do the children want to do for Sara?
Pages 9–10 • Ask: What day does Sara come back? What do we celebrate on this day?
Pages 12–13 • Say: The children show Sara the lot when she gets home. Ask: How does Sara feel about the new green space?
After reading the play, encourage students to look at the illustrations again. Challenge them to name the areas shown.
Have students look at the picture on pages 6–7. Ask: Is there grass in this picture? Are there trees in this picture? Is this a green space? Turn to page 12. Point to the tree in the picture. Ask: Is this a tree or grass? Is this a green space?
Intermediate Point to the picture on page 12. Ask: What do we call a space with grass and trees? What did the children do to celebrate Earth Day?
Advanced
4. Perform the Script
• Assign roles to students depending on your assessment of their reading and speaking levels, their comprehension, and how comfortable they feel representing each character.
Ask students to describe how the children in the play took care of the Earth on Earth Day. Have them identify a picture in the play that represents the children’s final result. Then, ask students to volunteer another way in which we can take care of the Earth.
For ordering information, call Toll-Free 1-877-236-2465 or visit our Web site at www.benchmarkeducation.com. Copyright © 2005 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Canada.
7
42367_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
11/2/11
2:16 PM
Page 8
Other Books of Interest
Background Information
BENCHMARK EDUCATION COMPANY
Erosion Fossils Making a Weather Station Twisters Volcanoes
Caring for the Earth The Interdependence of Life All living things must share the Earth. Every living thing has its place, and each is dependent on many others. A healthy Earth depends on the balance among these interdependent living things. To be healthy, Earth must also have clean air, land, and water. However, Earth’s human population has become so great that it is putting a strain on the environment. People are becoming aware that human activities can damage Earth and its plants and animals. They are looking for ways to halt or slow that damage and restore the environment.
Senator Gaylord Nelson and John McConnell were concerned about pollution and the harm it does. They wanted a day set aside to honor Earth and teach people about what needed changing in our environment. McConnell suggested that Earth Day be observed on the first day of spring when day and night are equal and living things are beginning to grow. On March 21, 1970, San Francisco held the first Earth Day celebration. On April 22, 1970, the first U.S. government-sponsored Earth Day took place. The idea spread quickly, and today people around the world celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day Activities On Earth Day, people plan activities to help the Earth. Many people plant trees, grass, and flowers. Plants help the earth by holding the soil in place, giving off oxygen when they make their food, and reducing greenhouse gases which can cause global warming. People also clean up streams and woods on Earth Day. They discuss and plan ways to save natural resources, such as recycling or reusing products instead of throwing them in the trash. Young people put what they have learned about ecology into action. For example, they might raise money to help endangered animals or learn about ways to save energy.
E N C H M A R K
Children of the Earth: Remember by Schim Schimmel. Northword Press
Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home by Schim Schimmel. Northword Press
Every Day Is Earth Day by Kathy Ross. Millbrook Press
The Great Trash Bash by Loreen Leedy. Holiday House
The Beginning of Earth Day
B
Trade Books
E
D U C AT I O N
C
Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum Inc.
The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss. Random House
The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden. Macmillan
Web Sites www.earthday.net/Footprint/index.asp www.epa.gov/kids/ www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/learn .html
O M PA N Y
