Each year in April, we celebrate Earth Day. Teaching sustainability to young children in pre-k classrooms is not always the easiest, but we do our best to instill the importance of taking care of the earth at a young age. So we’ve created this Pre-K Earth Day Science Unit to give our students a head start.
Throughout the month of April we learn all about ways we can take care of our planet. We read Earth Day books and work on our literacy skills with this Earth Day emergent reader.
We find exciting activities to make learning fun. One of my students’ favorite games is Earth Day bingo, where the laughter is contagious. Our little learners play with these editable puzzles and complete this Earth Day print and craft activity.
We know that teaching environmental awareness to pre-k students through hands-on activities will be the most successful strategy, just like with anything that we teach. This is exactly why I use this Pre-K Earth Day Science Unit with my students! Our youngest learners have so much fun while learning through these sustainability lessons for pre-k on Earth Day.
Pre-K Earth Day Science Unit
Incorporating the 3 R’s into pre-k Earth Day activities has never been easier than with this science unit!
This unit is full of teacher materials that will help you plan a successful unit, including hands-on, engaging resources for you to use with your students. With lesson plans, crafts, games, emergent readers, and experiments, your pre-k students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they’re learning.
Inside You’ll Find
This Pre-K Earth Day science unit is jam-packed with enriching materials and ideas for teaching reduce, reuse, and recycle to pre-k students.
- Unit Overview, showing all that is included in the unit
- Science Lesson Plans for the week
- Home Letter to send to families
- Teacher Guide, to help with background knowledge
- Science Center Ideas
- Science Questions
- Book, Video, and Song Lists
- Posters and PowerPoints
- Recycling Sort
- Earth Day Craft
- Happy/Sad Earth Sort
- Earth Day Hat
- Scavenger Hunt
Plus all of these Bonus Materials:
- Writing Center Materials
- Definition Posters
- Can I Recycle? Emergent Reader
- Can I Reuse? Emergent Reader
- Word Wall
- Earth Day Pledge Anchor Chart
- Bingo
- Fingerplays
- Circle Maps
- Sensory Bin Ideas
- Recycling STEM Activity
- Compost Cups Recipe
Materials Needed
We know you’re busy, so we always try to make our science units easy to prep and plan. Check out this list of suggested materials for the unit:
- Copy Paper
- Construction Paper
- Cardstock
- Laminator and Laminating Sheets
- Coloring Tools
- Scissors
- Glue
- Clipboards
Using the Pre-K Earth Day Science Unit
Once you have purchased and downloaded the Pre-K Earth Day unit, we suggest checking out the unit overview to see what you need to print, laminate, copy, and cut. We always recommend printing any posters, sorts, and reusable materials on cardstock and then laminating them so that you can store them and use them year after year.
Preparation for the rest of the unit will look different for everyone depending on what activities you choose to use with your students. Let’s take a closer look at all that is included.
Unit Overview
Our units can be overwhelming due to all that is packed inside! Have no fear, our unit overview will walk you through all of the eco-friendly activities for young children that are included in the unit and give you suggestions on how to use them.
Lesson Plans
These week-long pre-k Earth Day lesson plans will help you map out your unit. You can follow the provided plans or use them as a guide for fitting the materials into your own schedule.
At-Home Letter
Parents love to know what’s going on in the classroom! Send home this letter at the start of the unit to get families involved in teaching sustainability to their young learners.
Teacher Guide
It’s impossible to know everything about every science topic we teach our students. That’s why we always include a teacher guide in every science unit, so that you can be prepared with background knowledge before teaching the subject to your students.
Science Center Ideas
This guide provides suggestions on creating an intriguing Earth Day science center for your pre-k students to explore.
Science Questions
Use these lists of questions with your students during the pre-k Earth Day unit to peak their curiosity and lead them to do some critical thinking.
Earth Day Book, Song, and Video Lists
These three curated lists were made and linked for you to be able to quickly and easily find videos, books, and songs about Earth Day to use with your students throughout the unit. With direct links for listening, watching, and purchasing, finding the right resources has never been easier.
Earth Day PowerPoint and Posters
With real-life pictures, this Earth Day PowerPoint comes with a set of matching printable posters for you to use when introducing the concept of Earth Day to your pre-k students.
Recycling Sort
This recycling for kids sort will help students differentiate what items are made of – paper, metal, plastic, or glass. Students can make real-world connections that will help them learn how to recycle. This sort can be done as a whole group activity or in a pocket chart center.
Earth Day Craft
This Earth Day art project for pre-k students will not only help to increase their awareness about taking care of the earth, but it also doubles as a fine motor activity. This ripped-paper craft makes for a great bulletin board or class book project!
Happy or Sad Earth Sort
Teaching waste reduction in pre-k classrooms can be tricky, but this simple and interactive sort can help! With this Happy/Sad Earth Sort, students will gain a better understanding of real-world actions that help, or don’t help, the earth. This sort can be done as a whole group activity or put in a pocket chart center.
Earth Day Hat
Students can show off the different ways they can help the earth with this Earth Day Hat. With options for differentiation, you can make this Earth Day project meet your students’ needs.
Scavenger Hunt
I love to do scavenger hunts both in and outside of the classroom! This Earth Day scavenger hunt is a fun way to get your students outside and actively involved in their environmental education. Grab some clipboards and take a nature walk with this handout trying to find as many things as possible.
Writing Center Materials
Use these word cards, pictures, and writing papers to engage your students in writing and drawing about Earth Day. Place in a writing center and let your students use their own creativity and ideas to produce a finished product. The differentiated options will ensure you have something for every learner!
Earth Day Pledge Anchor Chart
This Earth Day activity includes a “We Care” earth for you to put on the center of an anchor chart. Then, you can have your students “pledge” to help take care of our earth! They can trace or stamp their hands, or simply write their names. This activity can help boost environmental awareness and give students a sense of personal responsibility for helping the earth.
Definition Posters
When introducing the 3R’s and the different concepts relating to taking care of the earth, there will be a lot of new vocabulary words being used. Print and laminate these definition posters to have on hand for defining vocab and increasing understanding and comprehension throughout the unit.
Can I Recycle? Emergent Reader
Recycling for kids doesn’t have to be difficult, and this emergent reader uses real-life pictures and age-appropriate words to help students understand what can and can’t be recycled. This reader is great for small groups, to send home, or to put in your reading center.
Word Wall
The unit comes with a set of vocabulary cards for your word wall. Don’t have a wall? Add them to a pocket chart during the unit. These cards can help your students remember vocabulary words, and you’ll love having them to refer to all week long.
Can I Reuse It? Emergent Reader
Use this easy reader with your students to discuss what can and can’t be reused. Print out this reader and share with students as a whole class, or make copies and use in small groups or in your reading center. This reader is a great tool for teaching sustainability to your young learners!
Earth Day Bingo
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with a fun game of bingo? On the big day, or when you finish the unit, use the color or black & white bingo cards to play a fun class game together. The best part is, not only will students be having fun while playing, but they’ll also be practicing their Earth Day vocabulary!
Earth Day Fingerplays
We enjoy using fingerplays and songs to transition from activity to activity in the classroom. Plus, they’re a great way to fill a few minutes of downtime. The Earth Day fingerplays in this Earth Day science unit for pre-k will have your students begging you to say/sing them again!
Circle Maps
Circle maps are a type of graphic organizer. You can have students write or draw on them. You can use them when introducing the unit to see what they already know about Earth Day and the 3R’s, or you can use them throughout and at the end of the unit for students to show what they’ve learned.
Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are great for piquing your students’ interest in the topic being studied and for engaging them in their learning while having sensory experiences. Teaching environmental awareness to prek students through hands-on activities is a surefire way to make sure your students are grasping the material, and this sensory bin is the perfect activity to use!
Recycling STEM Activity
Need ideas for teaching reduce, reuse, and recycle to pre-k students? This STEM activity will have your students practicing reusing recyclable materials while completing a fun challenge.
Compost Cups Recipe
Celebrate Earth Day and all that your students have learned about helping the earth with these delicious “Compost Cup” snacks! Use our recipe to make ahead of time as a surprise or have your students help put them together, discussing the importance of composting at the same time.
Download the Earth Day Science Unit for Pre-K now!
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These pre-k Earth Day lesson plans will surely help you teach your students about the importance of taking care of the earth!
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Inspire young learners with this Pre-K Earth Day Science Unit. Teach sustainability early and create a meaningful impact on the environment!
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