Written by Rebecca Hipps
With Earth Day quickly approaching, (Friday, April 22nd!) there are many ways we can inspire conservation and sustainability in the lives of our children or students through literature. We can build on the innate love children have for nature and protecting its resources by exposing them to the powerful, action-inciting words of authors, and by encouraging kids to share their feelings about the earth through their own writing. Here are a few tips for families and schools to integrate this national celebration into literacy practices:
1. Use kid friendly search engines (www.askkids.com, www.yahooligans.com, www.ajkids.com, or www.kidsclick.com) to research an ecological cause that is important to your child. Support their enthusiasm and assist them to communicate with others about the cause, and get involved as a family or class. Talk to administrators or teachers at your child’s school to get permission to advertise for the cause and invite others to work together in protecting our earth! As children explore appropriate websites with your supervision, they are using reading comprehension and decoding skills to absorb material that is important to them. Creating posters or writing letters to political leaders regarding their cause provides great opportunities for children to apply literacy skills in a meaningful context. It is important for children to realize that written and spoken words can carry their voices for change, and that literacy is our way of communicating important ideas with each other.
2. Involve your child in planning a trip to a natural reservoir, state park, or national park. Many websites list national parks, and your family can choose a park to visit together (www.stateparks.com or use a search engine to find your state’s park website). Read about the sites and discuss how natural beauty is either being protected or is in danger. Make sure to go through the Visitor’s Center (if available) and read informational signs together throughout your visit.
3. Visit the library or bookstore to find books about keeping our earth clean! Children love nonfiction text, and there are many authors that have written exciting and interesting books for kids about the earth. The following titles are suggestions for Earth Day related literature:
- Kids Can Use Less, by Cecilia Minden
- Growing Up Green, by Jeanne Sturm
- The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps, by Jeanette Winter
- Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City, by Deborah Hodge
- Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise, by Tomie dePaola
- Gabby and Grandma Go Green, by Monica Wellington
- Arthur Turns Green, by Marc Brown
- Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants! (Gilbert Goes Green), by Diane deGroat
- Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin
- Diary of a Spider, by Doreen Cronin
- Diary of a Fly, by Doreen Cronin
- Michael Recycle, by Ellie Bethel and Alexandra Columbo
Through literature and literacy activities, you and your family can “GO GREEN” together! Using digital literature and children’s books, kids can read about the dangers encroaching upon our precious earth, and develop their own plans and goals to be more ecologically friendly! It is our responsibility, as parents, community members, and educators, to give our kids the tools to become proactive agents for change. We need to help them gather necessary resources and use various methods of communication, to effectively share their ideas, whether it is through digital, written, or spoken media.
