This week's LIO is all about Earth Day and a call for a reduction in plastic production. Celebrated on April 22nd, this year's theme, "Planet vs Plastics," will promote widespread awareness of the potential health risks of plastics, demand an end to fast fashion and push for strong regulations on plastics in our environment with the goal of a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040. Investing in our planet is necessary to protect it and the best way to pave a path toward a prosperous future. To learn more about why we celebrate Earth Day, check out this month's Hot Topic page! The activities below introduce students to different aspects of plastic pollution and climate action. The suggested resources share some ideas on how we can get creative when celebrating Earth Day this year!

Grades K-4 A Whale's Tale

The video "A Whale's Tale" and its companion lesson plan will teach the students that even the smallest creatures can make a difference when working together to combat plastics in the ocean. The video tells the story of how marine plastics threaten the environment and the lives of small sea creatures until a whale comes to their rescue.  Activities Watch A Whale's Tale to learn how even the smallest creatures can make a difference when working together to combat plastics in the ocean. Use the companion lesson plan for discussion questions and activities Watch Ocean Confetti to learn how microplastics end up in the ocean Read Saving Planet Earthly to learn how climate change affects people, plants and animals around you Get outside and play Earth Day Scavenger Bingo Get outside and play Maple Trees and Marmots; this activity explores the effects of climate change on animals and plants through role-playing games Host a Plastic Free Lunch Day each month to inspire school-wide change Learn about the impacts of plastics, play a movement game to discover alternatives, and create a reusable bag tag with this resource by Power Smart for Schools Try one of these Earth Day Outdoor activities with your students

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Grades 4 - 7 The Plastic Cycle Story

This interactive tool explains how plastic interacts with our environment, both above and below the water. The interactive infographic allows students to learn how plastics move through different parts of our water and carbon cycles and infiltrate our ecosystems. This resource is part of the Ripple Effect Program, which brings students together to take climate action for ocean protection. Activities Use the Plastic Cycle Story tool to begin a class discussion on how our lifestyle choices have severe impacts on our planet, now and in the future Mission Zero is a digital climate impact game that aims to help students understand the impact of their daily actions on the environment and climate The Earth Day Bingo invites students to adopt five climate-friendly habits. These climate actions are a great way to help reduce their climate impact Have students reduce their plastic usage and choose sustainable alternatives with the help of My Little Plastic Footprint app Watch this video and discuss how we can help solve climate change by reducing our carbon footprint. Write a list of small steps you can take to reduce your ecological footprint. Trace your foot and draw your footprint-reducing solutions  Host or organize a school/community clean up in your area or use this Earth Day toolkit to organize a Swap For The Earth and keep clothing out of landfills The Ocean Plastic Education Kit for Elementary and Middle Schools provides a variety of lesson plans, activities and resources to educate, equip and empower students to break the plastic pattern and restore our oceans

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Grades 6-8 Writing Letters to the Earth

This activity-based resource help students deepen their connection with the natural world and the people they share it with. The activities invite students to connect with their feelings about the Earth and the Climate and nature crisis and consider how we can make a change. Activities To What Degree is a digital learning kit that encourages students to think about climate change adaptation and mitigation through a variety of activities View the video Kids vs Global Warming, then analyze and assess the action projects initiated and carried out by the role models in the video Have students write letters to the Earth, and invite students to write and read their letters together. Share your letters with us at #LearningInsideOut This Plastics Challenge STEM resource students investigate the properties of plastics and find solutions to problems caused by plastic waste globally  The video The Cost of Convenience explores the history of plastics and how they end up in the ocean. The video is accompanied by activity suggestions to extend the learning The Eco 360 Rethink Your Plastic Waste resource challenges students to actively engage in creating a circular economy by exploring innovative solutions for reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste. Download a variety of Earth Day lesson plans Can you get bingo by adopting five climate-friendly habits? Check out this Earth Day Bingo for climate actions to help reduce your climate impact Here’s a list of indoor and outdoor Earth Day activities for middle school and high school students

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Grades 7-12 Empowering Learners in a Warming World

This guide will provide educators with a blend of quality content resources, websites, books, videos, and ideas, as well as exemplary pedagogy to guide students through an inquiry-driven approach to climate change learning. It draws upon seven key strategies that transform learning as described in LSF's Connecting the Dots. Activities Check out this student inquiry, "What is Climate Change and why care?" filled with ideas, questions and activities that inspire learning Learn more about Tackling Climate Change Together with the SDGs. Explore how climate change is connected to each of the 17 goals. List three things you can do to adapt to climate change Take your class outside on a neighbourhood walk to identify natural, human, and built systems that impact climate change. Have students document their observations through photos, sketches and notes After the walk, invite students to reflect on their observations and discuss how their everyday actions can impact climate change. Have them complete the Personal Climate Change Audit sheet Watch What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away and discuss the impacts of plastic on the environment Participate in the Earth Day Plastic Detox Challenge and reduce your plastic use Test your knowledge with quizzes from Earth Day org. see what you know about climate change and other forces changing the planet Learn about your Fashion Footprint and the harmful environmental effects of fast fashion and discover ways to increase personal responsibility and fashion sustainability Here’s a list of indoor and outdoor Earth Day activities for middle school and high school students

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About Learning Inside Out Above you will find a selection of activities, broken down by various grade levels. These guides will be released weekly and archived on our Learning Inside Out page, so you can always access the full catalogue. All activities have been modified from resources on our R4R database, simplified and adapted for both outdoor learning in the school yard or at-home as needed. The activity descriptions above should contain all the information and links that you need! If you'd like to view the full original resource on R4R, including curriculum connections for every province/territory, click the activity title. We want this guide to work for you, so your feedback is invaluable to us. Use the feedback button at the bottom of this Guide, or email us at info@LSF-LST.ca. We would also love to see photos of students engaging in the activities, please e-mail us any pictures or videos you have!

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Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) is a Canadian charity with over 25 years of experience working within the education system. Our Resources for Rethinking (R4R) database is an award-winning collection of resources that are peer-reviewed by certified teachers and connected to curriculum in all provinces and territories. R4R is recommended on many Ministry of Education websites.