Our wish for this Earth Day project was to get our Kindergarten students outside and enjoying nature. We wanted to teach students how they can care for the Earth while improving our school and surrounding community with the natural beauty of flowers and greenery. Not only did we want to instill a respect for nature, but also show students they can have fun while doing it.
Kindergarten students celebrated Earth Day by discussing ways that they can preserve the environment and improve the planet for everyone and everything living on it. We started the day by reading The Earth Book, by Todd Par, and 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World, by Melanie Walsh. These books prompted an engaging conversation about why we celebrate Earth Day and the importance of conservation. We put our discussion into action by planting Nasturtium seeds in pods. Once mature, we will transplant to our Lower School Kindergarten Sensory Garden to add to the natural beauty of students’ surroundings. Each year the Kindergarten students plant tulip and daffodil bulbs in the fall and the Nasturtiums in the spring. l After the planting project, the girls completed a recycling worksheet where they sorted items like cans, milk jugs, banana peels, newspaper and cereal boxes to understand what should and should not be recycled. We ended the day by talking about the importance of caring for the earth and their seeds, with respect and love.
