Earth Day Activities
Summary: The following are some quizzes that you can try with your classes around Earth Day time (April 22nd). You may use them all or choose to do one or two. The quizzes focus on individual actions that students can do to save the earth. They are fairly self-explanatory, but look below for additional information.
Level: *
Materials: Worksheets: "Can you recycle ..." Environment Quiz (below); "Do you help Mother Earth" True or False Questionnaire (below); Card to make "Earth Day Promise" Cards
Environment Quiz Bring in examples of each item in a large garbage bag to help students understand the vocabulary. As students check the answers, talk about where it is possible to recycle in your town or city.
An average day in Japan Have a short class discussion about good traditional practices in Japan. For example, bring in a furoshiki - a cloth used to wrap presents, a reusable bento box, hashi in a box, etc. What else can your class think of? Then show your class some waribashi and ask them why these aren't good for the environment. Compare them to the hashi.
Move onto the quiz. In small groups, students guess the answers.
Answers: 1. C, 2. A, 3. B, 4. B, 5. C.
Earth Day Promise Card At the end of the lesson, each student decorates and fills out a card with one promise based on an action from the "Do you help Mother Earth" Quiz. They must sign it and then show it to their teacher and ALT to sign. Display the cards outside your classroom. Go back to the promise cards a few months later and check to see if students have kept their promises!
Contributed by: Anne Thompson ALT.
Environment Quiz
Can you recycle these things? (Yes or No. If Yes, how or where?)
bottles (glass) q ___________________
aluminium cans q ___________________
milk cartoons q ___________________
drink (PET) bottles q ___________________
paper q ___________________
newspaper q ___________________
clothes q ___________________
food scraps q ___________________
styrofoam q ___________________
On an average day in Japan:
How many pairs of waribashi (disposable chopsticks) are used once and then thrown away? a. 54,931 b. 540,931,507 c. 54,931,507 |
How many kilograms (kg) of garbage do we make? a. 109,090,000 b. 109,090 c. 10,909 |
How much of this garbage is recycled? a. 25% b. 40% c. 70% |
How many aluminium cans are made? a. 680,000 b. 52,000,000 c. 320,000,000 |
How many are recycled? a. 45,000 b. 170,000,000 c. 32,000,000 |
Extra:
Do you know the Japanese for: reduce reuse recycle? ___________ ___________ ___________
Name: _______________________
Do you help Mother Earth?
(Answer True or False)
| 1. I don't use many throwaway things. | T / F |
| 2. I turn off the lights in my house. | T / F |
| 3. I don't throw garbage on the sidewalk. | T / F |
| 4. I use pretty ribbon and paper again and again. | T / F |
| 5. I put aluminum cans in the recycle bin. | T / F |
| 6. I use old things in new ways. | T / F |
| 7. I don't use traditional medicine made from endangered animals. | T / F |
| 8. I don't waste water. | T / F |
| 9. I use both sides of a piece of paper. | T / F |
| 10. I use recycled things. | T / F |
| Total: (1 mark for each "true" answer) | T / F |