This blog post is about Earth Day Jeopardy questions with fun facts about our Earth!

Earth Day Background

Earth Day is on April 22 each year! According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gaylord Nelson is the founder of Earth Day. At the time Gaylord Nelson was a Wisconsin Senator. The first Earth Day had twenty million Americans participate (source). If you’re looking for a great way to talk about Earth Day with your students, check out this short video about Earth Day: https://youtu.be/WbwC281uzUs. 

Water Questions

1.) Water is composed of these two elements. What is oxygen and hydrogen?

2.) The percentage of Earth that is saltwater. What is 97%?

3.) Washing clothes at this temperature will save energy. What is cold?

4.) This is the percentage of available, drinkable freshwater available on Earth right now. What is 1%

5.) This is the main source of water usage in homes accounting for nearly 30% of an average home’s water consumption. What are toilets?

Free Download on Teachers Pay Teachers

The Living World

1.) The process where plants use sunlight to make food from carbon dioxide and water generating oxygen as a byproduct. What is Photosynthesis?

2.) A very dry, barren region with little rain and vegetation and a very warm climate. What is a desert?

3.) A very dry, barren region with little rain and vegetation and a very warm climate. What is a desert?

4.) This shows the continuous movement of water with the Earth and atmosphere. What is the water cycle?

5.) An English naturalist known for his theory of natural selection which became the foundation of evolutionary studies. Who is Charles Darwin?

6.) A species that other species in an ecosystem largely depend on. If it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically, ex. Bees, turtles, elephants. What are keystone species?

Free Download on Teachers Pay Teachers

Climate Change

1.) The warming effect that takes place on Earth caused by greenhouses trapped in the atmosphere. What is the greenhouse gas effect?

2.)Two gases that are the most prominent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. What is carbon dioxide and methane?

3.) The consequence of climate change that happens because warm water expands and melting glaciers add to ocean volume. What is sea level rise?

4.) The cause for the rapid increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and global warming, according to most scientists. What are humans?

5.) The reason it can be cold and snowy during the winter, but our planet is still experiencing global warming. What is the difference between weather and climate?

Free Download on Teachers Pay Teachers

Environmental History

1.) The first Earth Day. What is April 22, 1970?

2. The agency that protects people and the environment from significant health risks, sponsors and conducts research, and develops and enforces environmental regulations. What is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

3.) The person know as the most environmental president because under his presidency the EPA was formed along with the Clean Air Act, Water Pollution Control Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Who is President Nixon?

4.) The book written in 1962 by Rachel Carson that influenced the environmental movement. What is Silent Spring?

5.)The year the EPA created the Office of Environmental Justice noting that low-income, minority communities were more likely to be exposed to lead, contaminated fish, air pollution, hazardous waste, and agricultural pesticides. What is 1992?

Free Download on Teachers Pay Teachers

Plants and Animals

1.) The elimination of all the individuals of a particular time. This is the death of a species that is a natural and common event in biological evolution. What is extinction?

2.) The nonliving things that influence an organism. What are abiotic factors?

3.) The main function of roots to a plant. What helps the plant absorb water and minerals?

4.) Animals that eat both plants and animals. What are omnivores?

5.) The animal known as ‘Farmer’s Friends’ a.) Earthworms b.) Rats c.) Snakes  What are earthworms?

I hope you loved this blog post all about Earth Day Jeopardy Questions. 

​This Earth Day, use these Earth Day Trivia questions to have a little friendly competition with your students! 

Free Download on Teachers Pay Teachers

Other Posts You May Like:

• 12 Best Eye-Opening Environmental Movies For Students to Inspire on Earth Day (with FREE discussion questions!)
• The Most Adorable Earth Day Treat Ideas and Gifts From Teachers (Easy + Fun!)
• 30 Earth Day Challenge Ideas For Busy People Who Care About the Environment

If you’re anything like me, our days thrive on routines. Depending on each day, there is a different activity or order of the day. Having a better understanding of the sequence of the days is helpful for young children who don’t understand the concept of time.

I use these days of the week activities for my kids and students as a fun way to help them name each day.

Interactive Calendar

I use this fun calendar to help introduce the students to each day of the week. I love that we can talk about the seasons, the weather, and talk about activities for the day. This helps to provide a visual reminder of the days of the week and provides a sense of structure and security.

Songs 

This was my son’s favorite! He still sings it when we’re going over our days of the week on our calendar.

Stories

We love this book!  Follow along the week of Cookie the Cat which is a timeless, short, and sweet book that is perfect for prek -1st.

Trace the Days of the Week

Trace these days of the week to incorporate writing practice as well as the days of the week vocabulary.

Days of the Week Cut and Paste Activity

These days of the week activities printable allow your little ones to cut the large circles and build the caterpillar or cut the rectangles and place them in the correct order. I’m not sure about your students, but my preschooler LOVES to cut and paste. These worksheets are perfect for that!

Days of the Week Activities to Color

The student will color the calendars according to the color key in the worksheet. This combines coloring with a bit of arts and crafts!

These digital days of the week activities also include days of the week worksheets for each day. This is perfect for independent work.

Days of the Week Circle Time Questions 

At the start of your lessons, ask your students some of these questions to start a discussion and help them understand there are different days of the week. 

• What day is today?
• What day was yesterday?
• What day will it be tomorrow?
• How many days are in a week? 
• Can you name the days of the week?
• What is the first day of the week?
• What is the last day of the week?
• What do you usually do on (insert day)?
• Which day do we have (insert activity)?
• What days do you come to school?
• What days do you stay home?

Days of the Week Journal Prompts

Journal promotes are school activities that are great for morning work, as an exit ticket, or for early finishers. These are also great discussion questions for small groups. Here are some journal prompts you can incorporate into your lesson plans:

• What is your favorite day of the week? Why?
• What is a fun activity you did last Saturday?
• What is your least favorite day of the week?
• If you could rename a day of the week, what would you call it?
• If you could pick an extra day for the week, what would you do on that day?
• What is something you look forward to on (insert day)

These fun worksheets keep my students interested and help them with the name of the day. These are some of the best ways for your students to have a better understanding of the name of each day. 

These days of the week activities are a great way to teach the concept of days. 

Whether you’re using these as half sheet printables or in your daily routine as days of the week resources, I hope these days fo the week activities are helpful for you.

Other Posts You May Like:

• Teaching With Pre K Fruits and Vegetables Activities to Spark Imagination
• Recycling Sorting Game That Will Make Waste Understandable For Kids
• Printable Earth Day Bingo for Preschoolers Guaranteed Fun

The Fruit and Veggies Bundle: Fruit and Vegetable Activities, Count and Trace is what I’ve been using to help teach my kids about healthy eating! This pre-k printable fun resource is designed with you and your students in mind—making learning fun, hands-on, and a little bit delicious!

This post is about teaching with pre k fruits and vegetables activities to spark imagination!

Pre K Fruits and Vegetables Activities Bundle:

This bundle is more than just worksheets—it’s a comprehensive set of activities that will capture your students’ imaginations while reinforcing essential early learning skills. Here’s what you can expect:

Fruit included in this Pre K Fruits and Vegetables Activities Bundle:

• Apple
• Banana
• Pineapple
• Grapes
• Peach
• Kiwi
• Orange
• Pear
• Mango
• Watermelon

This fruit activity includes:

• Coloring page of each fruit (B&W)
• Fruit poster with word tracing (graphic photo)
• Fruit poster with word tracing (real-life photo)
• Identify and color sheets for each fruit
• Fruit count activity for each fruit

Vegetables included in this Pre K Fruits and Vegetables Activities Bundle:

• Carrot
• Onion
• Lettuce
• Bell Pepper
• Broccoli
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Mushroom
• Potato
• Corn

This vegetable activity includes:

• Coloring page of each vegetable (B&W)
• Vegetable poster with word tracing (graphic photo)
• Vegetable poster with word tracing (real-life photo)
• Identify and color sheets for each vegetable
• Vegetable count activity for each vegetable

Here’s what the students will learn in this Pre K Fruits and Vegetables Activities Bundle:

1.) Counting and Number Recognition: Incorporating counting with identifying different fruits, your students will practice counting from 1 to 10 with vibrant, fruit- and vegetable-themed worksheets. Each page encourages them to count the items and trace the corresponding numbers, solidifying their understanding of both numerals and quantities.

2.) Tracing and Fine Motor Skills: Developing fine motor skills is crucial at this age, and the tracing activities in this bundle are perfect for that. Students will trace lines, numbers, and even the names of fruits and veggies, helping them build the dexterity they need for writing.

3.) Early Literacy Boost: With activities that incorporate reading and writing, your students will start recognizing and writing the names of common fruits and vegetables. It’s a wonderful way to build vocabulary and introduce early literacy concepts in a context they can relate to.

4.) Colorful, Engaging Design: The pages in this bundle are designed to be visually appealing with bright, friendly illustrations of fruits and vegetables. The cheerful colors and fun images are a great way to keep your students engaged and excited to learn.

5.) Versatile and Easy to Use: Whether you’re planning a week-long unit on healthy eating or just need a quick activity for centers or early finishers, this bundle is super versatile. You can print the pages you need or use them in a digital format—whatever works best for your classroom!

Here are some ways to incorporate the Fruit and Veggies Bundle into your classroom

Here are a few ideas on how you can use this bundle to make your lessons even more fruitful (pun intended!):

Morning Work: Start the day with a quick counting and tracing activity that gets your students’ brains warmed up.

Math Centers: Use the counting worksheets as part of a rotation where students can practice numbers while working independently.

Preschool Science Connection: Pair the bundle with a lesson on healthy eating or plant life cycles for a cross-curricular approach.

Parent Involvement: Send home some of the tracing pages for extra practice, making it easy for parents to reinforce what their children are learning in class.

Eating Fun: Allow your students to do taste tests! Head to the grocery store to pick up some of these fruits and vegetables to bring into the classroom. You’ll of course want to check to make sure your students have no allergies to the food items you’ve selected. If food allergies or bringing food into the classroom doesn’t work for your school, use plastic fruits.

Use fake fruits and vegetables: Using wooden fruits and vegetables is a fun activity to help your students to have a fun learning experience. Students have a great time with these hands-on activities because they can feel the different shape of the fruit and you don’t have to worry about picky eaters. I love using this wooden play food set for kids. I allow them to use it for independent play or if there are some extra minutes of class time before transition. 

Utilize the posters to make anchor charts. Anchor charts are perfect for young learners! They’re also helpful classroom resources that your little learners can use along with their fruit and vegetables activity pack. On each fruit and vegetable, you can invite children to use adjectives to describe the fruits and vegetables. What does it taste like? What does it feel like? What does it look like? What can you eat it with? Does it have seeds? What does it smell like? Can these fruits and vegetables grown in an outdoor garden? 

Helpful videos to enhance learning

I love using videos to introduce and reinforce lessons. These videos are a combination of songs, dances, and books to supplement these fun activities

This is a great video to talk about the differences between fruits and vegetables. You can also discuss fruits and vegetables by helping them use their 5 senses. What does it look like? What does it taste like? What does it feel like, what does it smell like? What does it sound like when you’re eating? Does the sound of the fruit or vegetable change if it is cooked?

While this video doesn’t specifically speak to only fruits and vegetables, it talks about cooking in a way that helps your students get up and move! My kids love Danny Go! I love that it helps them get the wiggles out an has a loose tie to the message I’m teaching.

Here are some simple questions I’ve asked my students related to The Very Hungry Caterpillar:

1. What did the caterpillar eat first?
2. How many apples did the caterpillar eat?
3. Can you name one of the fruits the caterpillar ate?
4. What happened to the caterpillar when it ate too much?
5. What did the caterpillar turn into at the end?
6. How did the caterpillar feel after eating so much?
7. What color was the leaf the caterpillar ate?
8. Which day of the week did the caterpillar eat a lot of different foods?
9. How many oranges did the caterpillar eat?
10. What happened to the caterpillar after it ate all that food?
11. What did the caterpillar eat on Saturday?
12. How did the caterpillar change as it ate more food?
13. What is a cocoon, and what did the caterpillar do inside it?
14. What did the caterpillar become after coming out of the cocoon?
15. Why do you think the caterpillar was so hungry?

The Fruit and Veggies Bundle helps the kids have an appreciation for healthy foods and helps them to recognize each fruit and gives an opportunity to talk about how it grows and where it comes from!

It’s a win-win for teachers, parents, and most importantly, your students!

With 100 pages of activities and practice worksheets, your students will love it, and your students will have so much fun with these activities.

If you’re looking for a resource that combines fun, education, and a bit of fruity flair, check out the Pre K Fruits and Vegetables Activities, Count and Trace.

Other Posts You May Like:

• Printable Earth Day Bingo for Preschoolers Guaranteed Fun
• 5 Easy Earth Day Activities for 2 year olds That Will Actually Keep Them Busy
• Best Science Educational Activities for 3-5 Year Olds at Home: Hands-on Ideas For Kids + Guaranteed Fun
• Here’s The Complete Supplies Checklist You Need for Homeschool Essentials

Let’s learn more about how to create a sustainable classroom with sustainable classroom ideas you’ll love for this school year! 

What is a Sustainable Classroom?

A sustainable classroom is one that actively incorporates environmentally friendly practices into its daily routine. This means reducing waste, conserving resources, and teaching students about the importance of sustainability. By making small changes, educators can create a classroom that not only benefits the environment but also serves as a model for students.

Here’s exactly how to create a sustainable classroom you’ll be obsessed with this school year!

Set Up a Recycling Bin Station

Make sure to set up a recycling station in your classroom! Place recycling bins in your classroom with clear signs about what materials are recyclable. Before you create your recycling signs, make sure to check with your local recycling center to know what is recyclable at your school. This may even be different than what you are allowed to recycle at home! Depending on the recycling hauler your school uses, only certain items may be considered recyclable materials. 

Based on what your school recycling hauler will accept, encourage students to place those items in the recycling bin. This simple step can significantly reduce waste. I’ve found that students really start to understand recycling, just by becoming familiar the habit of recycling. It also makes them think twice about the materials they choose and what happens after it goes into the bin.  

Create a Composting Station

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, compost is decomposed organic material made from food, leaves, and other materials (source). 

Set up a composting station with clear instructions on what is compostable. Use signage to show exactly what food waste can be composted. If necessary, also post signage about what cannot be composted.

Teach students about the benefits of composting and how it helps reduce landfill waste. According to data, the number of food scraps composted continues to be significantly lower than the amount of food that is sent to landfills (source).

Here are some benefits of composting (source):

• keeps food out of landfills which creates methane, a greenhouse gas
• compost can be used in a garden to recycle nutrients back into the soil
• improves soil health
• helps soil’s ability to store carbon
• reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides

Composting can also be a fun hands-on activity for students. I have a great activity where students can incorporate reusable plastic bottles to show the power of composting! 

Related Post: Making Composting Understandable For Kids

Include Live Plants in the Classroom

There is no better way to create a green classroom than actually adding some green! Live plants can improve air quality and create a calming atmosphere. Choose easy-to-care-for plants and involve students in their care. This can also be a great way to teach students about plant life cycles and photosynthesis.

Taking care of the plants is also a great task for a student job. Students can use the plants as a year-long experiment to understand the impact of natural light on plants by placing them in different classroom areas and noting their growth throughout the year!

Make a Hydroponic Garden in the Classroom

Hydroponic gardens use water instead of soil to grow plants! The nutrient-rich water provides plants with essential nutrients directly (source). 

They are a great addition to your sustainable classroom because they help to teach students about alternative farming methods and the importance of sustainable agriculture. This provides a good example of eco practices for a sustainable future. Plus, they can be set up indoors, making them perfect for classrooms.

Laminate Without Plastic

Traditional laminating uses plastic, which isn’t biodegradable. While I understand sometimes that is unavoidable, not everything needs to be laminated with plastic. Here is one of my favorite ways to laminate without the plastic! 

Make Recyclable Art Projects

Art projects often involve materials that end up in the trash. Opt for recyclable or reusable materials like paper, cardboard, and natural items. Encourage students to think creatively about how they can repurpose materials.

Choose Sustainable School Supplies

When purchasing school supplies, opt for eco-friendly options such as recycled paper, non-toxic markers, and refillable pens. Every small choice adds up to make a big difference.

Related Post: The Most Eco Friendly School Supplies For This Year

Create a Green Club

Start a green club where students can take the lead in promoting sustainability within the school!

Students can organize events, educate other students, and come up with new ideas for going green. Typically green clubs are instrumental in helping to promote new environmental initiatives within the school. You can help them find grants to help support new projects and also encourage them to find new ways to share environmental knowledge with other students. 

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Many cleaning products contain harmful chemicals. Switch to eco-friendly alternatives that are safe for both students and the environment.

Related Post: The Best Sustainable Cleaning Products To Make Your Home Smell Incredible Without The Toxins

Start an Outdoor Garden

If you have the space, start an outdoor garden where students can grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers. This hands-on activity teaches students about gardening, responsibility, and the importance of local food sources.

Replace Water Fountains with Refill Stations

Do you have water refill stations at your school? If not, you can make this a goal for the school year! Research grants for your school to get one of these refill stations installed. You can then encourage students to bring reusable water bottles and replace traditional water fountains with water refill stations. This reduces plastic waste and encourages hydration.

Have Students Calculate Their Carbon Footprint

Teach students about their carbon footprint and how they can reduce it. Many online tools can help students calculate their carbon footprint and learn about ways to minimize it.

This is a carbon footprint tracker from EPA!

Do a Waste Audit

Conduct a waste audit to see how much waste your classroom produces. This can be a great starting point for finding ways to reduce waste and increase recycling.

I’ve included a waste audit in my environmental journal packet to extend this activity and make it a home assignment as well!

Raise Butterflies

Raising butterflies can be a fascinating project that teaches students about life cycles and the importance of pollinators.

Using this butterfly garden kit was so helpful for us! We were able to bring outside inside to show my students nature up close!

I love that this kit provides a hands-on experience and allows the kids to actually take care o the caterpillars as they watch them grow. The materials for this project are all included and actually work!

Bring an Aquarium In The Classroom

Having an aquarium in your classroom is a great way to make your classroom more sustainable because it is a great way to showcase life cycles, habitats, and environmental conservation. A classroom aquarium also teaches responsibility and care as well as observational skills. An additional benefit to the aquarium in your sustainable classroom is that watching fish actually has a calming effect and increases focus!

Here is an aquarium kit I’ve used! It is large enough for baby goldfish/beta fish and gives a little room for plant decorations.

Visit Your Local Recycling Center

Organize a field trip to your local recycling center to give students a first-hand look at how recycling works. It’s an eye-opening experience that can reinforce the importance of recycling.

Host a STEM Fair

Encourage students to create projects that focus on sustainable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This can inspire innovative thinking and problem-solving.

Add Rain Barrels

Install rain barrels to collect rainwater for watering plants. This teaches students about water conservation and provides a practical application of sustainable practices.

Teach About the Importance of Pollinators

Educate students about the crucial role pollinators play in our ecosystem! Pollinaotrs are vital to flowering plants and our food crops. This is because pollinators transfer pollen from flower to flower for fertilization. 

Pollinators are also keystone species (source). Their survival is crucial to our ecosystem and the food we eat!

You can create a pollinator-friendly garden with plants that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

I love this video about pollinators to talk to kids about how important they are!

Invite Guest Speakers Who Specialize in Environmental Education

Guest speakers are a great way to show students about STEM careers and the importance of environmental educator. As an environmental educator I speak often at school events and find these guest speaker worksheets to be very helpful for students. They help the students engage in the presentation, reflect on the experience and have questions to ask. 

Related Post: Proven Guest Speaker Worksheets That Will Keep Your Students Engaged

Benefits of Creating a More Sustainable Classroom

Making your classroom more sustainable has significant positive impacts on the environment and educates students on the importance of sustainability. Here are some key benefits:

• Environmental Impact: Reduces waste, conserves resources, and promotes eco-friendly practices.
• Educational Value: Provides hands-on learning experiences and teaches students responsibility and environmental stewardship.
• Community Building: Fosters a sense of community among students, encouraging teamwork and collective action towards a common goal.
• Health Benefits: Improves air quality and creates a healthier, more inviting classroom environment.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a more sustainable classroom environment and inspire your students to adopt eco-friendly practices in their daily lives. 

Ready to take the first step towards a sustainable classroom? I hope you enjoyed this blog post about sustainable classroom ideas for the new school year!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Must Have Eco Friendly School Supplies You Need This School Year
• 20+ Genius Back To School Organization Ideas For Guaranteed Success This School Year
• 12 Best Eye-Opening Environmental Movies For Students to Inspire on Earth Day (with FREE discussion questions!)

A few months ago a friend asked me for some environmental science project ideas for her daughter for her science fair. Weeks later, another friend asked me for environmental science project ideas for her homeschool pod. I knew it was time to create a blog post with some helpful hands-on environmental project ideas that are not only fun, but can also become passion projects! These environmental project ideas will help your students identify and understand a wide variety of environmental topics from environmental challenges to water conservation to renewable energy and green spaces. 

Here are the best science educational activities for 3-5 year olds at home!

Recycle Sort Game

Even as adults, understanding which items go into which bin can be tricky! Depending on where you live, what is acceptable in your bin can vary. This game is a great way to teach kids the importance of placing the right item in the right bin! Before you start the game, have your students research what should go into the recycling bin versus the compost pile in your area. This will help them have a baseline for the recycle sort game! The game can then reinforce what they’ve learned about recycling in their local specific area.

If you don’t want to purchase the game you can always make your own! I love this game because it is already done for you and saves you time when you’re trying to reinforce a lesson. 

Milk Cartons with Soil and Plants

Save all those milk cartons and make these educational activities for your 3-5 year olds at home. Instead of just tossing the milk carton into the trash (or recycling bin!), give it a new life as a plant container! 

Directions:

• Turn the carton on the side and cut one side from the carton. 
• Place tape around the edges of the carton to help the carton continue to maintain its shape. 
• Poke holes in the bottom of the egg carton to allow water to drain from the carton
• Fill the carton with potting soil 
• Place seeds or dig a shallow hole to place a plant into the potting soil

If you have milk jugs instead of cartons, use those jugs as a vase for flowers! Have your students decorate the carton and go on a nature walk to pick flowers to fill the jug!

Soil Layers Dirt Cup

This one is fun and messy! 

Regardless of age, my students ALWAYS love an edible activity. If I can find a way to incorporate food, snacks, or treats into a lesson it is always good news! I love this dirt cup to talk about soil and worms. It is a great introduction to talking about composting with kids. We do this activity for Earth Day, but this is a great connection to soil erosion, bugs, and even the importance of dirt!

Read the full blog here for variations of this activity!

Related Posts: 5 Recipes For An Easy Edible Dirt Cup Activity To Teach Kids About The Environment

Glitter Jars

Glitter jars are educational activities for 3-5 year olds because they’re easy to do and kids can help make them! I got this idea from a Sesame Street episode. 

For this activity  

• You’ll need a jar with a lid or empty plastic bottle with a lid, water, clear glue, and glitter
• Fill the jar up about 3/4 of the way
• Add glitter the jar and stir
• Add about 1/2 cup of clear glue 
• Add some gorilla glue or hot glue to the lid and SHAKE

Find a video tutorial from Elmo himself here:

Dancing Rice

How can we get rice to dance? It’s science! If you’re looking for Educational Activities for 3-5 Year Olds at Home with things you already have, this is a great one! This activity helps students get engaged and interested in science and can help with their observation skills. Ask them questions like “what do you think will happen when?” “What will happen if…?”. 

For this activity

• You’ll need water, baking soda, vinegar, and rice. 
• Add the water and one spoonful of baking soda together and stir
• Add about one spoonful of rice to your cup
• Add about one spoonful of vinegar 
• Extension ideas: what else can you make dance? Popcorn kernels? Raisins? Have fun experimenting. 

Create An Oil Spill In the Ocean

We’re bringing environmental issues to life with this one! These educational activities for 3-5 Year olds at home will help your students understand the impact of oil spills on our water quality. 

Let’s clean up the oil! 

For this activity

• Get a pan and fill it with water (your ocean)
• Optional: add food coloring to your ocean for maximum effect
• Add some items to your ocean. I love using these sea creatures and figurines. 
• You can also add water beads
• Mix coca powder and oil
• Pour the mixture into the ocean to make a spill
• Talk about what happened and why
• Add dish soap to help with the cleanup. What happens to the oil
• Use items like cotton balls, cotton swabs, spoons, etc. to clean up the oil spill and rescue the animals.

Toilet Paper Binoculars + Nature Walk

Let’s make some homemade binoculars with toilet paper rolls. Decorate the toilet paper rolls however you’d like! Glue the binoculars together, poke a hole in the toilet paper rolls, and add a string to hang around the neck!

Pair this craft with this nature walk packet to help your students explore the natural world!

Lava Lamps

For this activity

• You’ll need vegetable oil, alka selzer tablets, food coloring, a jar
• Fill most of the jar with oil
• Add in food coloring
• Drop your alka selzer tablet
• Watch your DIY lava lamp!
• For extra fun, add an LED light to the bottom of your lava lamp 
• This lava lamp lasts for about 2 minutes. 

Jellyfish In A Bottle 

Showcase marine life with your littles with this project. You can use it to discuss the difference between fresh water and salt water as well as to do research on jellyfish on the environment!

For this activity

• You’ll need scissors, food coloring, string or floss, a plastic bag, sharpie markers, a cup a plastic bottle, water, and sea creatures.
• Cut the plastic bag into a square.
• Place the plastic bag on top of the cup and pour in a very small amount of water. This needed to fit through the top of the plastic bottle, so keep it small!
• Next, use the dental floss to tie around the water and make the head of the jellyfish. You can leave the extra dental floss string because it makes adds to the tentacles look
• Use the scissors to cut slits in the plastic bags to make the tentacles 
• Add the food coloring to the water
• Drop the jellyfish in the water and watch it flow! 

Pair this activity with a few of these fun ideas:

• Here is a Jellyfish 101 video by National Geographic
• Learn about Jellyfish stings with this video
• Teach about invertebrates to kids with this video

Aquarium In A Jar 

This is one of the educational Activities for 3-5 Year Olds that would pair perfectly with a trip to the aquarium. Let’s make an aquarium in a jar! 

​For this activity 

• You’ll need: a mason jar, aquatic animals, colorful rocks, 2 sided tape, gel stickers, aquatic plastic plants, glycerine, and you can even add glitter or food coloring if you’d like! You can even add a tea light at the bottom to make it even prettier. 
• Use the tape to stick the plants to the bottom of the jar
• Pour in the colored rocks
• Add the gel stickers inside the jar
• Add water
• Add a few drops of glycerine
• Add glitter or food coloring
• Top up the jar and shake

DIY Snowglobe

These educational activities for 3-5 Year Olds are fun and easy. I even love doing this as a fun Christmas craft or a birthday party make-and-take activity. 

For this activity 

• You’ll need: a snow globe ( I prefer plastic with my littles), you kids favorite figures, glycerine, glitter, water, hot glue or mod podge
• Glue the figure to the bottom of the snow globe
• Add glycerine (about 1 tablespoon), 
• Add glitter (or food coloring)
• Add water
• Place the bottom of the snow globe back on the top of the globe
• Shake and enjoy!

Nespresso Pods + Planters

If you use Nespresso pods, there are a few ways to make them more sustainable. One of my favorite ways is to use them to make planters! 

Empty out the coffee grounds and then add in dirt and seeds. Add a little water and watch them grow! Plants are great to help improve air quality. 

Solar-powered oven

​Your student will want to angle the solar oven to capture the most sunlight! They can use this solar oven to cook a small snack and understand the power of green energy. 

For this activity:

• You’ll need a  cardboard pizza box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, black construction paper, thermometer, and food to cook
• Cut open the box to make a square. Leave the top of the square attached like a flap
• Glue the aluminum foil to the top of the flap
• Add aluminum foil to the inside of the box
• Place black construction paper on top of the aluminum foil 
• Glue the plastic wrap over the open part of the box to create a tight window
• Glue the plastic wrap to the underside too!
• Add your food like milk chocolate or marshmallows – yes, SMORES! To the box.
• Place it in the sun

​For an extension, have your students make multiple solar ovens trying different materials. Have your student place the ovens in different areas to see what cooks the fastest. Your student can also try to cook different items in the oven and record how long each of them takes. 

Grow Your Own Butterflies

Use this kit to grow caterpillars into butterflies! This kit has everything you need. Your students will be amazing at the transformation and be able to visually see the butterfly cycle.

I hope you enjoyed this post about the best educational activities for 3-5 year olds at home!

Related Posts:

• How to Make a Nature Field Journal for Students | Playful Printable Activity For Kids
• Student Approved End of Year Activities for Environmental Students After Exams
• Making Composting Understandable For Kids

I decided to homeschool for a few reasons. For one, as an educator myself, I’m in the classroom a lot. I see firsthand how children learn in a traditional classroom setting. Although I grew up in public classrooms and I’ve always loved school, I want to provide my children a bit of a different experience where I can fill in the gaps of some of the things I think those school systems may be lacking.

For example, I love that through homeschooling I can follow the curriculums according to where my child is instead of where they should be. I also love the one on one attention I can give to my children to make sure they are understanding their lessons and school work. 

This blog post is all about homeschool essentials to help you have the best homeschool experience with your kids!

Registration

You’ll want to make sure you have officially registered as a homeschooler in your state. Each state has different requirements so I can’t give specific steps on how best to meet those requirements. You’ll need to know about record-keeping, standardized testing, and making sure you are on track. 

Curriculum and Educational Materials

There are so many curriculum to choose from. I like using curriculums because they help me to stay on track and provides a basis for me to follow along to ensure my kids are staying on track. For me, a curriculum is an essential item. You can purchase a pre-packaged curriculum, find an online program, or create your own!

We are currently using a combination of ABCmouse and The Good and the Beautiful as our homeschool essentials for the curriculum.

No matter which curriculum you choose, you’ll need textbooks and workbooks. Before you go filling up the bookshelves with every workbook you find at Target or Barnes and Noble, remember that you don’t want to overcrowd your homeschool space with too many resources. Remember it is important to have books in different subjects such as math, science, language arts, and social studies.

Supplementary Materials

I love to use educational games, flashcards, art supplies, and science kits. They enhance and supplement learning and they’re so much fun. Incorporating these types of games gives me an opportunity to make learning fun, something that I often see missing in traditional classroom settings. Here are some of my favorite supplementary materials to add to your homeschool essentials:

Educational Games 

Flash Cards

Art Supplies

• Popsicle sticks
• Glue
• Googly eyes
• Pipe cleaners
• Construction paper

Science Kits for hands on experiments

This kit has 75 experiments for ages 8+!

This kit is great for preschoolers and above (with parent supervision of course!):

Computer or iPad with internet access

Printer 

If you don’t already have HP Instant Ink, I would highly recommend it. This program guarantees you never run out of ink or paper which is a great resource for homeschool life. 

Use my code here for one free month of service which includes 1 month of ink and 1 month of paper. This plan have been so beneficial because it takes off the mental load of having to remember to have enough paper and ink. We get a lot of use of out it because it removes the barrier of not having what you need to go along with your lesson plans that day.

Along with the printer, don’t forget the laminator!

Organization

Organization is probably one of my favorite things, ever! Although we do not have an entire homeschool room, we do have a set, dedicated space for homeschooling. Establishing this space as a homeschool space has been very important to me. This is because once we are in this space, there is no association with homeschooling. My kids know, it is officially time for lessons. This may not work for everyone. 

Some homeschool families use their living room, or even the kitchen table for their homeschool classroom. That is okay too! The most important part is that kids are able to receive their instruction during their school time and gain the knowledge they need from their homeschooling parents. 

In addition to an organized space, you’ll want to have items to keep your materials organized. I use these zippy bags as well as 3-ring binders and folders. I received a second-hand Ikea dresser where I can store all their supplies. 

We have a handheld whiteboard to reinforce lessons as well as a large calendar. This calendar is a great way for us to practice our days of the week, months of the year, emotions, and scheduling. 

Planning Tools

If you’re really looking to get super-duper organized, check out this insane planner called the Dailee. There are a few versions of them including college planners, teacher planners, and blogging planners. My favorite, however, is the mom planner. It has everything and is one of my homeschool essentials!

it has everything you need, from weekly trackers and grocery lists to school information and daily breakdowns. This helps keep me on track each week.

For specific lesson planning and planning out my homeschool year, my favorite planner is my undated homeschool digital resource. It has over 90 pages of planning sheets, completely done for you! It not only helps you plan out your year, but gives you several guides and logs to keep you on track with homeschool requirements, expenses, and activities. This is the perfect homeschool planner to help you be the most organized homeschool parent and not miss any of the important details required with homeschooling!

​Assessments

You’ll also want to make sure you are keeping track of your child’s work and progress. You’ll need to track what books were read, what lessons were done, what papers were written, etc. 

You can use apps like the SchoolHours app or track with old-fashioned pen and paper. 

Community

One of the criticisms I often hear about homeschooling is the lack of interaction. I make sure this is not the case for my kids. Here are some of the ways I keep them engaged socially

• Facebook mom groups for playdates and meet ups
• Neighborhood playdates
• 3-day per week homeschool co-op program
• Library card membership and classes
• Extracurriculars such as karate, swimming, baseball, dance, etc.

Physical Education

​Physical education is crucial! I have this philosophy that if we teach our kids the importance of physical activities when they’re young, they will already understand the value when they grow up. Physical activities for us include field trips, park/outdoor play, nature walks, sports, and extracurriculars, but also exercise videos. On rainy days or days when we do not have sports, I have no problem using a YouTube video with fun exercises to accomplish their need for physical education.

Checklist

Supplies

• Pencils (I love these pre-sharpened ones!)
• Pens (I love these pens!)
• Highlighters (they’re aesthetically pleasing, but also fast drying and amazing!)
• Markers
• Dot Markers (bingo dabbers)
• Dry erase markers
• Dry-erase board (I love these because they kids can use them to practice their letters or write out concepts for better understanding)
• Erasers
• Notebook paper
• Notebooks
• Composition notebook (these are great for interactive notebooks)
• Construction paper
• Binders
• File folders
• Laminator
• Laminator sheets
• Electric sharpener
• Index cards
• Ruler
• Protractor
• Sticky Notes
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape
• Crayons
• Colored Pencils
• Paints and Brushes
• Craft Supplies
• Art Smock
• Magnifying Glass
• Binoculars for nature finds
• Label Maker
• Calendar
• Map
• Good and Beautiful Curriculum
• ABC Mouse
• iPad
• Printer
• Headphones
• Organization Bags
• Organization Cart
• Rolling Cart
• Science Kits for science lessons

This list should help you get organized and ensure you have everything you need for a successful year of homeschooling.

I hope you enjoyed this post about homeschool essentials to help you have the best homeschool experience with your kids!

Related Posts:

• How to Make a Nature Field Journal for Students | Playful Printable Activity For Kids
• Recycling Sorting Game That Will Make Waste Understandable For Kids
• The 25 Best Eco Friendly School Supplies For 2023

This environmental history timeline not only goes over important dates in the United States, but also environmental issues, laws in the federal government, and important milestones in our environmental history.

While we have made a lot of progress in our modern environmental movement, we have to remember that this is an ongoing global movement. This research was done using environmental groups, environmental historians, and environmental activists. 

This blog post is about an environmental history timeline you need to know!

Late 1700s – 1800s

The Industrial Revolution included the invention of new technologies, increased use of factories/machinery, burning coal, and creating environmental harm (source). 

1804

 The human population reaches 1 billion (source).

1824 

Mathematician and physicist Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier first describes the greenhouse effect. He showed how atmospheric gases might increase the Earth’s surface temperature (source).

1836 

Ralph Waldo Emerson published “Nature,” an essay that reflects on the beauty and power of nature (source).

1856

Eunice Newton Foote demonstrated the greenhouse effect by placing a glass cylinder full of carbon dioxide in sunlight. She found that it heated up more than a cylinder of regular air. She concluded that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere results in a warmer planet (source).

1872 

Yellowstone was designated the first national park in the United States by President Ulysses S. Grant (source).

1892

John Muir founded the Sierra Club to “do something for wildness and make the mountains glad” (source).

1895 

Svante Arrhenius presented a paper that argued that variations in trace elements, like carbon dioxide, could greatly influence the heat of the Earth (source).

Late 1800s

Industrialization led to polluted waterways and air, particularly in urban areas.

1900

The Lacey Act is enacted. The Act combats trafficking in illegally taken wildlife, fish, or plants (source).

1903 

President Theodore Roosevelt established the National Bird Preserve (source).

1905 

The U.S. Forest Service is established. 

1916

The National Park Service is established to manage and protect national parks and monuments

1930s 

​The Dust Bowl devastates agricultural lands in the Great Plains because of soil erosion and poor land management practices (source).

1940s – 1970s 

The modern environmental movement has gained momentum.

1962 

Rachel Carson published Silent Spring which focused on the the environmental impact of the use of pesticides (source).

1969 

A slick caught fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleaveland, Ohio  (source).

April 22, 1970

The first Earth Day had about 20 million people nationwide (source).

President Richard Nixon established the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health and the environment (source).

1972 

The Clean Water Act is enacted to regulate pollutant discharges into waterways (source).

​1973 

​The Endangered Species Act was passed to protect species threatened with extinction (source).

1973

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement, signed by 184 parties in 1973, designed to ensure that international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild (source).

1974

Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina warn that human-generated CFCs are harming the ozone layer (source).

1974

Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act to set the standards for drinking water quality and monitor states, local authorities, and water suppliers who enforce those standards.

1976

The Resources Conservation and Recovery Act was passed. This is the primary federal law about the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste which sets standards, mandates, and permitting procedures, and requires hazardous waste to be tracked from “cradle to grave” as it is generated, transported, and disposed of (source).

Toxic Substances Control Act was passed which directs the EPA to monitor thousands of industrial chemicals manufactured or imported into the United States and gives the EPA power to ban them if they are found to pose too much risk. However, the number of chemicals is increasing too fast for adequate testing (source).

1977 

Tbilisi Declaration noted the unanimous accord in the important role of environmental education in the preservation and improvement of the world’s environment (source). 

EPA began investigating the groundwater, air, and sump water contamination in nearby homes adjacent to the Love Canal landfill where drums of hazardous chemicals were disposed of between 1940 and 1950s (source).

​The Soil and Water Conservation Act was passed which directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to survey and assess soil and water conditions across the nation periodically and prepare national conservation plans (source).

1979

Three Miles Island Unit 2 reactor partially melted. It was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history (source).

1980

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, is enacted to address abandoned hazardous waste sites (source).

1987

The Montreal Protocol, finalized in 1987, is a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). ODS are substances that were commonly used in products such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers, and aerosols (source).

1988

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is established to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change (source).

1989 

The Oil Tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska causing oil spills; spilling 11 million gallons of oil. One of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history (source).

1990

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 aim to reduce air pollution and address acid rain, urban air quality, and ozone depletion (source). 

The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 requires EPA to provide national leadership to increase environmental literacy (source).

1992

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking the beginning of international efforts to combat climate change (source).

1997

An international treaty in Kyoto Japan which mandated signatory nations, by the period 2008-2012 to reduce the emission of six greenhouse gases to levels below those of 1990. The U.S. was the only developed nation not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol (source).

2004

Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan politician and environmental activist who was the first Black African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize (source).

2005 

Hurricane Katrina exposes issues in infrastructure and the impacts of climate change on coastal areas.

2009

The American Clean Energy and Security Act passes the House of Representatives but fails to pass the Senate, making a significant attempt at federal climate legislation (source).

Late 2000s – 2010s

The techniques of horizontal drilling, microseismic mapping, and slickwater fracking began to combine signaling the beginning of the 21st century fracking that we know today – raises concerns about its environmental impacts (source).

2015

The Paris Agreement was adopted. This is a legally binding international treaty, committing countries to take action to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (source).

2018

The Trump administration rolls back numerous environmental regulations (source).

2019

The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations of its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement (source).

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic led to drastic reductions in greenhouse gases emissions due to decreased economic activity and travel (source).

2021

The Biden administration rejoins the Paris Agreement (source).

2023

IPCC finds there is more than a 50% chance that global temperature rise will reach or surpass 1.5 degrees (2.7 degrees F) between 2021 and 2040, or sooner (source).

Activity Extension:

• Have students add to the timeline! Are there any significant events not included in this environment timeline they would like to include? This can include significant occurrences that impacted the natural environment as well as any personal contributions they may want to add. 
• Critical thinking: how can we make this current year different than previous years? 
• Critical thinking: how do scientific research and regulations impact the environment? 
• Consider the environmental laws throughout this timeline. Choose a law and create further research on it.
  • What is the background of the law (history, issues, or concerns that promoted the law, etc.)
  • What are the objectives of the law?
  • When was the law created? 
  • Who spearheaded the law?
  • How will the law be implemented? 
  • Does the law work? Is it achieving what it is supposed to? Give evidence.
  • What are some of the drawbacks/complications of the law
  • Include a case study or a real-world scenario involving the law.

I hope this environmental history timeline was helpful for you and included the major environmental milestones you needed. 

From greenhouse gas emissions and laws created by President Nixon to toxic waste and the history of our natural world, we have a complicated and substantial relationship with our environment. Be sure to click on the source links for official websites, gov website, and more information. 

Related Posts:

• Student Approved End of Year Activities for Environmental Students After Exams
• Here’s How To Make An Awesome Nature Walk Journal Printable
• Making Composting Understandable For Kids
• 12 Intriguing Lorax Discussion Questions That Will Kickstart Conversation

I hope you enjoy this blog post about engaging end of year activities for environmental students!

Environmental Debate: 

Organize a debate on a controversial environmental topic. First, divide the class into teams. Next, assign each team different viewpoints. Give the teams time to collaborate and discuss together to narrow down their stance on the topic. They may need time to research and prepare their arguments.  Make sure students have an introduction, clear claims, and evidence to support the claims. The students may even want to present rebuttals of the other team and provide evidence to deny those rebuttals. 

Topics to consider: 

• Is nuclear power sustainable?
• Should fracking be illegal?
• Renewable energy vs. Fossil Fuels for energy
• Electric cars vs. gas-powered cars
• Should pesticides be banned?
• Organic farming vs. traditional farming
• Humans have a positive (or negative) impact on the environment
• We should (or should not) ban single-use plastics
• Is the impact of climate change irreversible? 
• Does recycling really benefit the environment?
• Who is responsible for climate change?
• Should animals have rights?
• Landfills vs. Incineration
• Can someone really live a zero-waste lifestyle? 
• Should people be fined for littering?
• Climate change is natural and is not impacted by humans
• Purpose of National Parks
• Carbon emission trading
• Should we prioritize the environment or economic growth?
• Are windmills harmful for the environment?
• Should the United States be in the Kyoto Protocol
• Is access to clean, safe drinking water a right or a privilege?
• Overconsumption does (or does not) have an impact on the environment

Environmental Movie with Discussion Questions

I’ve created an entire blog post with a list of movies and discussion questions that would be perfect for end of the year science class activities. The questions listed with each movie help to facilitate class discussions and make connections to the environmental problems we are currently facing. Check out the blog post here: 12 Best Eye-Opening Environmental Movies For Students to Inspire on Earth Day (with FREE discussion questions!)

Field Trip

If you have time and permission, take the students on a field trip! Check out these field trip ideas for your students below. 

Field Trip Ideas:

• Zoo
• Local farm
• Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Drinking Water Plant
• Recycling Center
• Landfill
• Botanical Garden
• Nature Reserve
• State/National Parks
• Aquarium
• Science-Related Museums
• Renewable Energy Site
• Sustainable Development Project
• Local environmental non-profit visit 
• Restoration Project
• Tree Planting/Edible Garden
• Nature Walk At School

Community Service Project

Encourage students to plan and execute a community service project related to environmental conservation. This could involve organizing a beach clean-up, planting trees, or raising awareness about recycling and waste reduction in their community. My favorite community service project is partnering with local environmental community groups to execute volunteer projects that are needed in the area. Community service projects I have used to help students include Adopt A Spot, community cleanups, teaching about compost bins and what to compost, and encouraging students to come up with possible solutions to environmental issues. Another great project idea is putting storm drain medallions on storm drains to let people know that litter placed in the storm drains leads to open waterways. I love community service projects because it helps students do independent work to find solutions to real-world problems. 

Guest Speaker Series

Invite environmental professionals, scientists, or activists to speak to your class about their work and experiences. This can provide valuable insights into potential career paths and inspire students to take action in their own communities. Pair this activity with my guest speaker worksheets to give your students the best experience and create a captivating audience for the presenter.

Environmental Art Exhibition

Have students create artwork (such as paintings, sculptures, or photography) that reflects environmental themes. Host an exhibition in your school or local community center to showcase their creations and raise awareness about environmental issues.

Let’s bring the “A” in STEAM! Using art, have students create masterpieces that can help to showcase different environmental issues and the effects of climate change. My favorite way to do this is through a environmental science photo journal project. For this assignment, students will take topics from throughout the semester and create a digital notebook with photos of these concepts. The photos can be taken in person or from properly cited internet sources. 

Environmental Blog Post

Encourage students to collaborate on creating a podcast series or blog focused on environmental topics. They can conduct interviews, share research findings, and discuss current events and debates in the field of environmental science.

Obviously, I LOVE a good blog post. Blogging is an excellent way to teach others, but also to share your own experience in a relatable and helpful way. Here is a breakdown to help your students create a great environmental blog post.

Main Idea or Theme: What is the main idea of your blog post? Here are some things to consider:

• What are you teaching your readers or helping them learn? 
• What is the main point of your blog post? 
• What are you sharing with your reader?

Introduction: You’ll want to capture your readers from the beginning and introduce them to what they’ll be reading about. Here are some things to consider:

• Start your blog off with a hook. Your hook can be a story, a question, or a fact. Introduce the theme you are going to talk about. 
• Why is it important for you to be writing this blog post or talking about this topic?
• Why should anyone care? 
• How is this topic important in today’s world?

Main Points: What are the main points of this blog post? Here are some things to consider:

• Discuss the history or background of the topic
• What are the causes of the issue?
• What are the consequences or environmental impacts of the issue?
• Are there pros and cons?
• Propose or examine potential solutions

Conclusion: Time to wrap up the blog post. Don’t forget a call to action at the end! Here are some things to consider:

• Summarize the main theme you discussed
• Emphasize the main issues 
• Discuss the different ways the reader can take action/get involved (this is your call to action)

References: Be sure to include credible sources, website, articles, or organizations where you received the information 

End of Year Reflection 

Use these reflection worksheets and summer goal-setting guidelines to help your students reflect on the current school year and prepare for the summer break ahead!

These worksheets are available to print and use for your classroom or to use through Google Slides*. There is space available for your students to type their answers to the questions.

Summer Bucket List

This is an easy worksheet for your students to fill out at the end of the school year to get them ready for summer. I’ve used this with younger students and older students and it is a hit! This summer bucket list includes an already done for your list of things to do for the summer. It also includes a blank bucket list for your students to fill in their own ideas. This is a quiet exercise after a final exam or the end of another classroom activity. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about end of the year activities for environmental students after exams.

These end of year activities for environmental students offer a mix of hands-on experiences, critical thinking exercises, and opportunities for creativity and collaboration, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways while wrapping up the school year on a high note.

Other Posts You May Like:

• How to Make a Nature Field Journal for Students | Playful Printable Activity For Kids
• Here Are The Best Printable Environmental Science Worksheets (6th-12th grade!)
• 47+ Eco Friendly Summer Activities for the Best Summer Ever

This blog post is just what you need to help keep your students engaged during a guest speaker presentation! I’ve even created a 5 pack worksheet bundle with everything you need for your students to pay close attention to their guest presenters. 

Here are proven guest speaker worksheets to meet the needs of your students!

How can students prepare for a guest speaker?

Pre-Presentation 

It is important to prepare your guest speaker before they arrive. Help students understand the topic the presenter will speak on as well as some of the key points the speaker may touch on. This is important because students will not only know what to expect, but they will also already be a bit more engaged at the start of the presentation. 

As a guest speaker, it can be frustrating to walk into a classroom and the students have no idea what I’m there to talk about. Discuss with the students the subject areas that may be covered during the presentation and even ask them to start thinking about potential careers that could relate to those subjects. 

Preparing the students for the guest speaker also helps to generate interest in the students! Discover what the students may be curious to learn or what they hope to discover. 

​These guest speaker worksheets also include space to discuss classroom etiquette during guest presentations. This helps you, as the teacher, set expectations, but also be able to discuss strategies with the students. This includes how to practice active listening, how to take proper notes, how the desk space around them should look, etc.

How to keep students engaged during a guest speaker presentation?

During the Presentation

During the presentation, use the guest speaker worksheets to engage your students! These questions not only facilitate critical thinking but also help to achieve specific learning outcomes. 

​Students should be able to identify key takeaways from the presentation. The guest speaker worksheets leave space for students to answer questions and list insights and lessons learned. 

​The students will also be able to relate the guest speaker back to the classroom. They explore the question, how does the guest speaker’s presentation relate back to the current curriculum and class discussions?

​Using the guest speaker worksheets, students identify whether the speaker used storytelling skills and how the speaker’s career may have changed their own perspective or surprised them in some way. 

Guest Speaker Bio

This is a fun activity for guest visits because it is a great starting point to help set the stage for the presenter. This structured career awareness activity is a great addition to lesson plans for our guest speaker activity. 

Students explore the job title of the guest speaker as well as the skills needed for the job and the education required.

Post Presentation

​After the presentation, students can do follow-up work on what they have learned from the guest speaker! 

Students are instructed to write down something new they learned or to detail one way they can apply the information they learned to their lives. 

The guest speaker worksheets also ask the students to evaluate the guest speaker and leave a space for students to provide feedback to the speaker. This is especially helpful to share with the guest speaker.

As a guest speaker, being able to hear feedback is crucial to updating the information I share and tailoring it to the group I am presenting to. 

Worksheets can be found here! 

What questions should I ask guest speakers on Career Day?

Also in the guest speaker worksheets, I have included a page with x questions students can ask during career-related programs for guest speaking. 

Here are a few questions your students can ask guest speakers about their careers:

• What’s your favorite thing about your job?
• Does your job provide continuing education and help you improve skills for employees?
• Is your job outside or inside? Do you work at a desk or in the field?
• What kind of education or skillset does someone need to do your job?
• What is something you don’t like about your job?
• What were your favorite classes in school?
• Are there social events at your job?
• What subject(s) in school would help me be most successful at your job?

Guest speakers can bring so much fun into the classroom! Guest speakers not only help to give real-world insight and create real-world connections but also help to foster student understanding of classroom concepts. 

Guest speaker ideas for your classroom

• Mayor/City Council
• Police Officers
• Firefighters
• EMTs
• City workers in departments that relate back to the curriculum (economics, stormwater, drinking water, wastewater, etc.)
• Scientists and local museum educators
• Engineers
• Information technology specialists
• Lab workers
• Small business owners (women and minority business owners)
• Doctors or nurses
• Healthcare professionals
• Water quality professionals
• marketing professionals
• Nutritionists
• Local artists
• Local universities
• Local professionals who relate back to the curriculum (recycling educators, park rangers, et.)
• Conservationists 
• Journalists
• News reporters
• Local athletes
• Nonprofit representatives

​I hope you enjoyed this blog post about guest speaker worksheets and find this information helpful as you find guest speakers of your classroom!

Related Posts:

• What Is Photosynthesis? And 24 Other Earth Day Jeopardy Questions
• Recycling Sorting Game That Will Make Waste Understandable For Kids
• Here’s How To Make An Awesome Nature Walk Journal Printable

Let’s learn about recycling with this game to bring awareness of the importance of environmental care. 

Here’s exactly how we play the recycling sorting game!

Recycling has changed so much over the years and continues to change! This is important because recycling contamination is one of the number reasons why recycling is struggling in the United States. This is in addition to an unreliable market for recycling items. I talk all about 6 painful recycling truths in this blog post here if you’re interested in learning more about our recycling program in the United States.

Earth Day is a perfect time to present this recycling sorting game with your students! I created an activity packed with sort materials that you can use as a waste sort. Let’s chat more about this printable educational game!

Recycling

​With your students, talk about what recycling means! To talk about recycling with younger students, I typically start more broadly, talking about our Earth. I ask questions like

• What are some things we do on the Earth that are good for the Earth?
• What are some things we may see or see others do that are not good for the Earth? 

​Of course, if necessary, give some examples of things that are good or not good for the Earth. Some of my favorites to talk about are

• Turning off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth – good for the Earth
• Picking up your dog’s poop (kids always get a kick out of this one!) – good for the Earth
• Only flushing pee, poo, and toilet paper (another round of kiddie giggles!) – good for the Earth
• Picking up litter – good for the Earth
• Recycling – good for the Earth
• Leaving lights on when you leave the room – not good for the Earth
• Throwing/leaving trash on the ground – not good for the Earth
• Throwing away stuff items that you should be composting or putting in the recycling bin – not good for the Earth

I also like to bring in items to use to talk about recycling with the kids! For example, I’ll bring various items like plastic bottles, paper, aluminum cans, snack bags, food packaging, etc., and talk through each of them with the students. I use storytelling to discuss how these items are used in our everyday lives and the resource types that make these items. 

I love using this book to talk about recycling! It’s great for 1st grade – 3rd grade. Michael Recycle teaches about recycling on a level that children can understand.

For older kids (middle school and high school), consider watching the movie Wasteland. I’ve included some discussion questions for the movie here. Here’s a trailer and you can watch the full movie here.

For older kids, I use a similar narrative about each of the items in my bin, but I may add more complicated items. In addition, I go into more depth about natural resources. I talk about how glass is made from sand, plastic from oil, paper from trees, etc. 

​Next, I’ll discuss why recycling is so important to our planet and model what recycling looks like! 

You can even assign each student one of the items from your bin and ask them if is it recyclable and have the kids come up and place it in the correct bin. Remember, there are different rules of recycling depending on where you may live so double-check what is recyclable in your city before this activity.

Trash

I love talking trash! The reason the topic of garbage, or waste management is so interesting to me is because once we throw an item away, we seldom think of it again! 

Explore what happens when we throw our trash away. Where does it go? Who takes it? Where do they take it? 

For older students, I pose the question, does our trash really go away? I combine this concept with the video from The Story of Stuff Project. You can check it out on YouTube here. I also like this video from them about Where Does Your Trash End Up.

For younger kids, if you’re okay with a little Blippi, this is a great video about Garbage Trucks. This is a great way to facilitate a conversation about garbage!

Compost

I love composting! Composting is the recycling of organic material. The material breaks down or decomposes, to form rich soil. 

I have a full blog post all about Making Composting Understandable For Kids. It’s one of the most popular blog posts on my site so if you’re interested, definitely check it out! 

I even mention an extension composting activity I use as well as the special needs for good compost. Discussing compost is a great way to bring food waste into the conversation and talk about what items are appropriate to be recycled into healthy and fertile soil through decomposition.

Here are the videos I love to use to discuss composting: Peppa Pig for younger kids and One Small Step Video for older kids. 

Recycling Sort Activity

After you introduce the terms and concepts, let’s start playing this recycling sorting game!

I am one of the TPT sellers so I offer this printable game on my Teachers Pay Teachers site! While the game is focused on Pre-K – 5th grade. It can even be used with middle school students. I love using this activity as a center game, but of course, it can also be used for independent work as well. 

1. Download and print out the resource. You can even print on white cardstock for longer-lasting products! 
2. Personally, I would recommend laminating the recycling sorting game because it makes it so much easier to reuse from class to class and year to year. I am in my laminate era! We put so much work into making these resources, we might as well preserve them to cut back on the prep time later on, right?!
3. Make sure you cut out the different sorting pieces so the students will be able to sort the different objects according to the following mats. For this Earth Day sort, depending on your students’ level of understanding you can always take out certain items that may be too difficult to explain and leave in easier items.
4. I’ve included fun items as well as practical items in this sorting game to help students develop their recycling skills and understand that certain items go into certain bins. Students may also realize that a different item can go into many different categories. 
5. Depending on the age of your students and what activity you’re teaching, there are several different trash sorting maps:
   1. Compost sorting sheet: nitrogen (greens) or carbon (browns)
   2. Compost versus Trash sorting mats
   3. Compsot versus Recycling sorting mat
   4. Recycling versus Trash sorting mat
6. On the second worksheet, you’ll find 42 different icons that can be used as a sorting image. Each unique page in the bundle of sorting mats will work as a game board for the students. 
7. The icons have both digital images and real words to make it a product for many different age levels. Set a timer and have the students sort the items in the appropriate category. 
8. If your students were working in groups, go over the recycling sorting game board as a class. How did the students do? Were they able to place the right icons in the right spaces? 

Don’t forget to incorporate this recycling sorting game into your lesson plans! Your students will LOVE this composting activity for kids! With this bin sorting activity, kids will be able to complete a recycling sort, a compost sort, a trash sort, and combinations of each! To make the activity reusable, simply laminate the sheets and use velcro on the icons.

This can be used over and over again! Use this activity to reinforce the types of items that can be composted and whether they are carbon or nitrogen items. Your kids will love learning about what goes into the right bin and how to recycle right. This reycling sorting game education activity can be used for students in pre-k to 5th grade. This hands-on Earth Day activity is completely done for you! It is perfect to incorporate into center time! Just print and cut with the option to laminate for longer use. 

This recycling sorting game includes:

• Compost sorting sheet: nitrogen (greens) or carbon (browns)
• Compost versus Trash sorting sheet
• Compsot versus Recycling sorting sheet
• Recycling versus Trash sorting sheet
• 42 icons to mix and match for the sorting activity
• general answer key

I hope you loved this blog post all about this recycling sorting game!

Looking for an online version of this game? Check out this electronic recycling sorting game that your students can use on their Chromebooks!

Related Posts to Recycling Sorting Game That Will Make Waste Understandable For Kids:

• 15 Great Ways to Celebrate Dr. Seuss Week: Caring for the Earth With Lorax Activities
• Here’s How To Make An Awesome Nature Walk Journal Printable
• Unbelievably Good Earth Day Preschool Activities For Your Preschool Curriculum