Earth Day was always one of my favorite holidays growing up. I loved being outdoors, and from the very first time I watched FernGully: The Last Rainforest, I knew I wanted to play my part in helping to protect the environment. I worked on school projects like making environmental awareness posters and volunteering for school and community clean-ups. I even got to write about my experiences for the school newspaper!
Now, it’s one of my greatest thrills as a teacher to instill that same enthusiasm for the environment in my own students each year whenever April 22nd rolls around. And, of course, one of the best ways to do that is through the power of the written word. The following are just a few nature journal prompts for kids that you can use to get your own students excited for Earth Day this spring.
Prompt #1: Taking care of the Earth is important to me because…
It’s easy to tell students that taking care of the earth is important, but for those words to carry any real weight, it’s vital that they understand why. One of the most effective ways to illustrate this point is with a journal prompt that invites them to consider it from a personal perspective. What impact does keeping the Earth healthy—or failing to do so—have on their own lives? For instance, pollution in the neighborhood might affect where, or even how, they play, including during P.E. class or recess. Reducing litter makes for cleaner, more pleasant streets and sidewalks and helps keep local wildlife safe. Encourage your students to take their time with this assignment and think deeply about how important conservation really is.
PROJECT IDEA
To accompany their responses, ask your students to draw “before and after” illustrations of an environment that has been negatively impacted by human actions (i.e. a razed rainforest or a polluted lake) and how it would look “after” if we gave it a chance to heal and regrow. Pair their illustrations and writing together to publish a classbook that will remind them (and others) every Earth day of how much we need a healthy planet—and how much our planet needs our help.
Prompt #2: What is your favorite endangered animal? How can you help save it?
Like the previous nature journal prompt, this question helps break big environmental issues down into smaller, more relatable chunks. Instead of trying to imagine saving the world as a whole (which could seem a bit overwhelming, to say the least), this prompt asks kids to focus on one specific endangered animal—one they feel strongly about—and think about what actions they can take to help prevent its extinction. It’s both personal and empowering, knowing that even at so young an age, they have the power to help an important cause.
PROJECT IDEA
To really bring this topic to life, ask your students to do a little research about where their chosen animal lives and use this information to draw a picture of their animal and its family in its natural habitat before they start writing. Having this image in their minds as they write will increase empathy and encourage them to at least consider taking action based on the ideas they come up with. Remind them that every little bit helps—even just raising awareness can make a big difference! Finally, publish their writing and drawings in a beautiful, professionally bound classbook you and your students can share with others to spread the eco-friendly spirit of Earth Day.
Prompt #3: Imagine that Mother Nature has knighted you and named you a Guardian of the Earth. What will be your first act to help protect and preserve the planet?
This imaginative writing prompt puts a fantastical spin on nature themes by asking your students to play a little game of pretend and put themselves in the shoes of someone who has magically been endowed with the power to save the world—just like their favorite video game characters and comic book superheroes. This prompt emphasizes the heroic side of fighting to protect the Earth, and encourages kids to consider which environmental issue is most important to them.
PROJECT IDEA
For a bit of additional fun, ask your students to draw and color three-panel comic strips depicting their first act in their quests to save the world. The first panel should show the issue they’re confronting, the second should show how they resolve the issue, and the third panel should show the “happily ever after” that comes once the issue has been fully overcome and the planet has healed. Finally, don’t forget to publish your students’ work in a fun, unique Earth Day inspired classbook that will remind your students they all have the potential to help save the world, one good act at a time.
Writing About Nature for Earth Day
They say that actions speak louder than words, and in many ways, that’s true. But words are often the spark that ignites an action, or even an entire movement, and talking and writing about environmental issues with your students is a vital first step in teaching them about our beautiful “blue planet” and how to protect and preserve it for future generations.
These nature journal prompts are the perfect way to celebrate both Earth Day and their own potential for making a difference. And, by publishing their work, you’ll be able to build their confidence and show them firsthand how much they are capable of. Kids don’t need to be knighted to start helping the Earth—in fact, they don’t even have to grow up first. They can start right now—and you can show them how!
Not part of a classroom but still want to let your child’s imagination run wild with one of these nature journal prompts? Check out our Author Kit, perfect for your creative child to write their own book at home.
For more journal prompts and other free creative writing resources, check out our online teacher’s lounge, and be sure to sign up for your free publishing kit!
Image sources: Lead image via Pixabay user jvalley678; Images 1, 2, 3 via OpenClipart.org