This week's LIO is all about Earth Day and a call for a reduction in plastic production. Celebrated on April 22nd, this year's theme, "Our Power, our Planet" invites everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy, and to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030. Investing in our planet is necessary to protect it and the best way to pave a path toward a prosperous future. To learn more about why we celebrate Earth Day, check out this month's Hot Topic page!

The activities below introduce students to different aspects of clean energy and climate action. The suggested resources share some ideas on how we can get creative when celebrating Earth Day this year!

Grades K - 4

Sven's Search for Clean Energy

An online book about the adventures of Sven and Earthly as they learn about fossil fuels, their negative impacts on the environment, and clean energy sources such as wind, water, solar and nuclear. They are determined to become advocates for green power with young people around the world.

Activities

• Read Sven's Search for Clean Energy to learn more about clean energy sources. Discuss the different types of clean energy available in your community
• Who Has Seen the Wind teaches students how wind energy can act on objects to cause motion
• Get outside and play Earth Day Scavenger Bingo
• Get outside and play Maple Trees and Marmots; this activity explores the effects of climate change on animals and plants through role-playing games
• Host a Plastic Free Lunch Day each month to inspire school-wide change
• Try one of these Earth Day Outdoor activities with your students

Grades 4-7

Experience Energy

This resource aims to help students learn about energy, the connection between energy and the environment, how energy is used, methods of conservation and renewable energy solutions using a variety of different activities.

Activities

• Complete the What is Energy, and Why Does it Matter to Me and My Community? in the above resource
• Mission Zero is a digital climate impact game that aims to help students understand the impact of their daily actions on the environment and climate
• The Earth Day Bingo invites students to adopt five climate-friendly habits. These climate actions are a great way to help reduce their climate impact
• Watch this video and discuss how we can help solve climate change by reducing our carbon footprint. Write a list of small steps you can take to reduce your ecological footprint. Trace your foot and draw your footprint-reducing solutions 
• Host or organize a school/community clean up in your area or use this Earth Day toolkit to organize a Swap For The Earth and keep clothing out of landfills
• The Ocean Plastic Education Kit for Elementary and Middle Schools provides a variety of lesson plans, activities and resources to educate, equip and empower students to break the plastic pattern and restore our oceans 

Grades 6-9

Wind Power Challenge

This wind power resource is a hands-on STEM challenge where students learn about life without electricity before designing and making a simple wind turbine. The challenge is perfect to reinforce a lesson on renewable energy.

Activities

• Complete the wind power challenge with your students
• View the video Kids vs Global Warming, then analyze and assess the action projects initiated and carried out by the role models in the video
• Have students write letters to the Earth, and invite students to write and read their letters together.
• The Eco 360 Rethink Your Plastic Waste resource challenges students to actively engage in creating a circular economy by exploring innovative solutions for reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste.
• Download a variety of Earth Day lesson plans
• Can you get bingo by adopting five climate-friendly habits? Check out this Earth Day Bingo for climate actions to help reduce your climate impact
• Here’s a list of indoor and outdoor Earth Day activities for middle school and high school students

Grades 9-12

Energy and Climate Change

This guide will provide educators with a blend of quality content resources, websites, books, videos, and ideas, as well as exemplary pedagogy to guide students through an inquiry-driven approach to climate change learning. It draws upon seven key strategies that transform learning as described in LSF's Connecting the Dots.



Activities

• Watch Can 100% renewable energy power the world? and discuss how to activate local actions
• Learn more about Tackling Climate Change Together with the SDGs. Explore how climate change is connected to each of the 17 goals. List three things you can do to adapt to climate change
• Take your class outside on a neighbourhood walk to identify natural, human, and built systems that impact climate change. Have students document their observations through photos, sketches and notes
• After the walk, invite students to reflect on their observations and discuss how their everyday actions can impact climate change. Have them complete the Personal Climate Change Audit sheet
• Watch What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away and discuss the impacts of plastic on the environment
• Participate in the Earth Day Plastic Detox Challenge and reduce your plastic use
• Test your knowledge with quizzes from Earth Day org. see what you know about climate change and other forces changing the planet
• Learn about your Fashion Footprint and the harmful environmental effects of fast fashion and discover ways to increase personal responsibility and fashion sustainability
• Here’s a list of indoor and outdoor Earth Day activities for middle school and high school students