Lesson 158: Protecting the environment

Objective

I can explain, in simple words, what the environment is, name actions that hurt and actions that help our planet, and plan one small thing I can do to protect the environment.

Materials

• Pictures of clean and messy places (park, beach, classroom)
• Coloured pencils or markers
• Scrap paper, old magazines, or packaging for sorting and collage
• Glue stick and safety scissors (with adult support)
• Notebook or science journal for an environment action plan

Mini-lesson — What does it mean to protect the environment?

Guided Practice — Our class plan to help the Earth

You will look at pictures, talk about what hurts and what helps the environment, and make a simple class plan.

1. Look and sort: With an adult, look at pictures of a clean place and a messy place. Point to things that are helpful (trees, bins, flowers) and things that are harmful (litter, broken plants).
2. Say the action: For each picture, say a sentence such as "Throwing litter on the ground hurts the environment." or "Planting trees helps the environment."
3. Make a class list: On a board or big paper, make two columns: "Hurts the environment" and "Helps the environment". Add ideas from the discussion.
4. Choose three actions: As a class or family, choose three actions you want to try this week, such as "Turn off lights when we leave a room" or "Use both sides of the paper".
5. Draw your promise: On a small card, draw yourself doing one of these actions and write a few words below, like "I pick up litter".
6. Use the tracing pad: Choose words such as Earth, clean, recycle, water, trees, or protect and trace them slowly.
7. Say an Earth helper sentence: After tracing, say a sentence such as "I can help the Earth by saving water."

Tracing Pad

Lines Primary lines Baseline only Grid Blank Trace (none) Earth planet environment clean litter recycle reuse reduce bin water energy trees animals air protect save nature green

Pen Clear

Tip: As you trace each word, imagine yourself as an Earth helper, making a small, kind change.

Practice 1 — Sort helping and hurting actions

Decide which actions help the environment and which ones hurt it.

1. Draw two big boxes on a page. Label one "Helps the environment" and the other "Hurts the environment".
2. Think of actions such as: picking up litter, dropping rubbish, turning off lights, wasting water, planting a tree, breaking branches.
3. Write or draw each action on a small card. Talk with an adult and decide which box it belongs in.
4. Check your boxes. Are there more helping or hurting actions? What could you change?
5. At the bottom of your page, write one sentence, such as "I will try to do more actions that help the environment."

Practice 2 — Design an Earth helper badge

Create a small badge or sticker design that shows you are an Earth helper.

1. On a new page, draw a big circle or shield shape. This is your Earth helper badge.
2. Inside the badge, draw a picture that shows one way you protect the environment, such as: recycling, saving water, turning off lights, planting trees.
3. Add a short message like "I care for Earth" or "I pick up litter".
4. Colour your badge with bright, clean colours.
5. Show your badge to a friend or family member and explain what your picture means.

Practice 3 — My environment action plan

Make a short plan of three things you can do this week to help the environment.

1. Draw three small boxes on a page and number them 1, 2, and 3.
2. In each box, draw yourself doing one Earth helper action, such as putting paper in the recycling bin, watering plants carefully, or turning off the tap while brushing teeth.
3. Under each picture, write a short sentence starting with "I will…", for example: "I will turn off lights when I leave the room."
4. Put a small tick or sticker next to each box when you do the action during the week.
5. At the end of the week, talk with an adult about which action was easiest and which one was hardest.

Quick Check — Protecting the environment

Answer each question about caring for the Earth and protecting the environment.

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)