Here’s the Dirt on Earth Day

Seize the teachable moment on April 22 with these resources

By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2006

<p><!--<table id="infobox" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="260" align="right" bgcolor="#eeeeee" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><div class="infohead"><strong>Also in this article:</strong></div><a href="#Animals and Plants">Animals and Plants</a><span class="link-end-image"><img src="/contents/images/06_article_r6_c14.gif" alt=""/></span><br/><a href="#Kids">Kids</a><span class="link-end-image"><img src="/contents/images/06_article_r6_c14.gif" alt=""/></span><br/><a href="#Environmental Kids Club">Environmental Kids Club</a><span class="link-end-image"><img src="/contents/images/06_article_r6_c14.gif" alt=""/></span><br/><a href="#HogBusters Training Camp">HogBusters Training Camp</a><span class="link-end-image"><img src="/contents/images/06_article_r6_c14.gif" alt=""/></span><br/><a href="#Recycle City">Recycle City</a><span class="link-end-image"><img src="/contents/images/06_article_r6_c14.gif" alt=""/></span><br/></td></tr></tbody></table>--><span></span></p><span>
<p><strong>Animals and Plants</strong> <br/><a href="http://www.kids.gov/k_plants.htm" target="new">www.kids.gov/k_plants.htm</a> </p>
<p>This Earth Day where can you find related online resources for kids of all ages and their teachers? This portion of the fabulous “First Gov for Kids” Web site is an ideal starting point. You’ll find tons of links to federal and state resources that cover ecology, the environment, and endangered species. <i>Created by:</i> The Federal Citizen Information Center, Pueblo, CO.</p>
<p><strong>Kids</strong> <br/><a href="http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/index.cfm" target="new">www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/index.cfm</a> </p>
<p>This great Web site from Canada—where they also celebrate Earth Day—offers related information and activities for kids, as well as classroom materials. In the “Play &#38; Learn” section, check out the animal coloring sheets, word games, and other activities. Here, too, are four interactive “Storybooks” suitable for upper elementary kids—“The Great Garbage Caper” is especially cool!. <i>Created by:</i> Earth Day Canada, Toronto, ON. <i>Don’t Miss:</i> The “Eco-Calendars,” which you can print and post in your library.</p>
<p><strong>Environmental Kids Club</strong> <br/><a href="http://www.epa.gov/kids" target="new">www.epa.gov/kids</a> </p>
<p>This site is huge, but well worth taking the time to explore. In the “Games” section, try your hand at “The Environauts Mission to Earth” (appropriate for upper elementary kids) and help save the planet Ergon from being buried under trash. Teachers will appreciate learning about the free U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publications they can download or print from the “Teachers” section, including some great posters and coloring books. <i>Created by:</i> EPA, Washington, DC. <i>Don’t Miss:</i> The attractive 11-page booklet for elementary school kids, “Happy Earth Day Activity Book,” accessible through the “You and Your Environment” link.</p>
<p><strong>HogBusters Training Camp</strong> <br/><a href="http://www.energyhog.org/childrens.htm" target="new">www.energyhog.org/childrens.htm</a> </p>
<p>Getting middle school kids excited about energy conservation is easy if you take them to this super-cool site full of interactive fun. Here, kids can train as “hogbusters” by playing five different games or getting to know the hogs themselves. My favorite: “Ivanna Hamm.” <i>Created by:</i> The Ad Council and The Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, DC. <i>Don’t Miss:</i> The printable 12-page student workbook for grades 3–8.</p>
<p><strong>Recycle City</strong> <br/><a href="http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/mainmap.htm" target="new">www.epa.gov/recyclecity/mainmap.htm</a> </p>
<p>Older kids and teens will enjoy taking a virtual excursion to Recycle City, where they’ll learn how to save and recycle our resources. <i>Created by:</i> U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, San Francisco, CA. <i>Don’t Miss:</i> In the game “Dumptown,” kids assume the role of city manager, in which they must inspire citizens to start recycling in order to clean up the mess, while taking into account the cost of various recycling programs. This game is challenging even for jaded older teens.</p></span>