Crafting a Greener Classroom: Creative Projects for Earth Month

6 projects that will promote being Earth-conscious and build awareness for scholars on how they can make a positive impact on the Earth

Earth Month is celebrated in April every year. This all leads up to Earth Day, which is on April 22. This month is a time to raise environmental awareness and take action to protect the planet, and finding ways to teach students how to do their part to keep the Earth healthy is a great theme to focus on in the month of April. These projects will help your scholars look at ways they can make a difference, as well as give them the chance to notice how beautiful and amazing the world around them really is.

1. Earth Bookmarks

A great way to introduce the idea of being responsible for Earth’s health is to have students go to the school library and select books that educate them on Earth, recycling, and protecting the planet. Have each of your scholars check out a book that focuses on how we can go green as a classroom. Once they have their book, you can give each student one of these Earth Bookmarks. The best part about these bookmarks is that kids can write down facts they learn from their reading on the bookmarks themselves. At the end of the week, students can share their facts with one another to see if they can make connections with their peers and the learning they are doing as well. To make these, simply use your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out the Bookmark-Globe Die Cut. This is a quick, simple, and meaningful way to get students talking about their responsibility to help the Earth.

2. Go Green Bulletin Board

This is a great way to add to your classroom’s learning and growth when it comes to going green. It’s something that visitors can see and instantly recognize as part of the environmental learning you’re focusing on. If you are starting to utilize recycling bins in your room, or if you are finding ways to reuse materials, you can take pictures and post them on your board. If you are going on nature walks and picking up trash as a way to protect the environment, that’s another great opportunity to capture images to post. This board is a chance to be hands-on with the learning and highlight all of the incredible work you are doing as a class. To make this board, use your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out the Go Green Die Cut using either construction paper or cardstock. Next, cut out extra arrows from the center of the word “Go.” You can use another color of paper to replace the inside arrows later. Then add the images you want to highlight to the board. Lastly, add extra recycling symbols that you made from the word “Go” around other parts of the board as a fun finishing touch.

3. The Earth is Home to All

A great way to add some writing to the learning that is happening around the idea of going green is to spend time discussing that the Earth not only provides a home for your students but also for plant and animal life. Have students think about what elements of the Earth can provide shelter for creatures that also help benefit the world. Help guide the conversation to focus on how a tree can be a safe space for so many creatures. You can also discuss how trees help provide a safe world for us. Extend the conversation to talk about deforestation and how trees are often cut down to build more for human development. Once you’ve had all of this lovely conversation, have scholars write about the importance of trees and why we, as humans, need to help take care of them, as well as plant new trees when others are being removed. To make these trees, use the MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out and create the Book-Tree Die Cuts for each student. Cut the covers from white cardstock and the back cover from green. You will need to cut inside pages from white paper. Assemble the books by lining up the pages using the binding as a guide and stapling them together. Lastly, have students color the front of the book using crayons or markers.

4. The Water Cycle Triorama

Another great way you can teach Earth consciousness is to educate students on water conservation and how the water cycle works here on Earth. Find a great book or video that walks through how the Earth creates the water cycle within our atmosphere. After the learning, have students work to create these trioramas. You’ll need to have these parts ready for scholars. First, cut out a light blue triorama and an additional green base section. Then use the MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out four white Cloud #1 Die Cuts, one yellow Sun Die Cut, and three black arrows from the Arrow Die Cut set. Next, use scissors to cut irregular dark blue shapes for the pond and grey mountain shapes for the mountains. Last, have students glue the parts all together and add details with markers or crayons.

5. The Water Cycle Display

If you would like to post or highlight the learning you are doing around the water cycle, you could also choose to do this 2-D display that can be added to your hallways, walls, or a poster board. To create these displays, you will need to utilize your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out the Mountain Die Cut using brown or gray paper. Then use the Clouds #2 Die Cut to cut out clouds in either white or light gray construction paper. Use the Border-Waves Die Cut to make waves using blue paper. Make some raindrops using the Raindrops #2 Die Cut that you will add to the picture. You will also need to cut out the Sun #9 Die Cut using yellow paper. Lastly, cut out some trees using the Trees #2 Die Cut with green paper. Have students glue the pieces to construction paper or a bulletin board to create the diagram. Have scholars write their own labels or print some out for them to glue on themselves.

6. Nature Walk Journal

One of the greatest ways to get students thinking about and caring for the world around them is to give them time to explore and take in the beauty of nature. The day before your walk, ask students to collect sticks during recess so you can use them to help prepare these books. Make them by using your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out the Tree-Cedar Die Cut that scholars will use to decorate their booklets. Start by folding the cover and inside pages in half. Then cut small crescents from the fold of each page about 2" from the top and bottom edges. Next, stack the pages and poke each end of a rubber band through the holes from the inside. After that, slip the rubber band loops over the ends of a twig or other object, being careful not to make it too tight. You can also punch holes through the front of the cover and pages just a bit to the right of the folded edge so the twig lies along the front of the book instead of the spine. Use the cedar trees that you have cut out and have students glue them to the cover of the book. They can also add more decoration to make it look how they would like. Finish by adding the title in handwriting or with sticker letters. When you go on your walk, students can bring their journal and draw pictures of what they see and take notes. After the walk, you can all discuss how important, beautiful, and special Earth is, and review ways to help keep the Earth healthy and well cared for.

All of these projects are simple and creative ways to get students thinking about the part they can play in taking care of the world around them. It gives them a chance to see that they too have a responsibility and that they can do small acts of kindness every day to benefit the Earth that does so much for us.

Written by Amy Pinegar.