Earth Hour Teaching Resources
Promote environmental awareness in the classroom for Earth Hour 2023 with activities, printables, word walls, posters, and charts to help students learn about their carbon and ecological footprint, composting, the recycling process, and more!
This collection of Earth Hour teaching resources was created by the teachers of the Teach Starter team for elementary school teachers. It includes curriculum-aligned templates, worksheets and activities to help students think about what it means to be environmentally responsible and lead sustainable lives.
Curious about Earth Hour and how to create lesson plans for the event? Read on for a quick primer from our teacher team!
What Is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is an annual event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) where individuals, communities, and businesses are encouraged to turn off non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change and to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.
The event typically takes place on the last Saturday in March — when students are likely to be at home — and encourages people to take action to reduce their carbon footprint and conserve energy. The event began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown to become a global event. It's now celebrated all around the world with millions of people in more than 180 countries participating each year.
When Is Earth Hour 2023?
Earth Hour is held annually for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March. It will be held at 8.30 p.m. local time, Saturday, March, 25, 2023.
What Can You Do for Earth Hour in the Classroom?
Although Earth Hour is marked while students are typically at home, you can prepare for the event in the classroom! Here are a few tips from our teacher team:
- Have a "lights out" party: Flip off the lights in the classroom for an hour, and have students do activities that don't require electricity.
- Go for a walk or hike: Go for a walk or hike with your students to explore nature.
- Do a science experiment: Teach your students about how energy is produced and used by doing a simple science experiment that demonstrates the effects of energy conservation.
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Trash, Recycle, or Compost Sorting Activity
Learn about recycling, composting, and sustainable practices for waste management with a fun sorting activity.
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Natural Resource Use - Instructional Slide Deck
Explore how natural resources are used by humans in the 21st century with an instructional slide deck.
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Oil Spill Science Experiment
Investigate water pollution and discover the effects of oil spills on wildlife with a hands-on science lab!
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What are Natural Resources - Instructional Slide Deck
Explore natural resources, where they come from, and how we use them with an instructional slide deck.
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Earth Day - Acrostic Poem Template Pack
An acrostic poem template pack to use in the classroom to celebrate Earth Day and National Poetry Month.
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Natural Resources Word Search
Review the different natural resources with a word search.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Brainstorming Sheets
Brainstorm All the Ways to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle with a pack of printable brainstorming worksheets.
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Why Should We Compost? Poster
Use this poster set to explain why it is important to compost food scraps.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink Posters
Teach the concepts behind reducing, reusing, recycling, and rethinking waste with this set of 4 posters.
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Earth Day Quotes – Environmental Quote Poster Pack
Inspire sustainable practices in the classroom with a pack of printable Earth Day Quotes.
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Environmental Awareness Flip Book - Earth Day Activity
Use this flip book to build awareness of actions that are good and bad for the environment.
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Earth Day Word Scramble
Celebrate Earth Day and all things sustainable with this fun word scramble for elementary.
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Recycling Labels - Printable Bin Tags
Teach your students how to recycle in the classroom with labeled recycling bins!
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Earth Day Crafts - Writing Activity
Create a fabulous Earth Day bulletin board with a printable Earth Day craft activity.
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Save the Planet - Earth Words Vocabulary Display
Print and display Earth Day-related terms in your classroom to improve vocabulary and discussion about Earth Day.
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Earth Day Vocabulary and Writing Pack
Help your young students learn and write about Earth Day with an illustrated word wall and writing prompts.
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Trash, Recycle, and Compost Posters
Remind your students where to put their waste with these trash, recycling, and compost posters.
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Recycling Craftivity - We Recycle Because...
Write about why we recycle and create this recycling craft to display in the classroom.
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Earth Day Build a Sentence Worksheet
Build and write sentences about Earth Day with a cut-and-paste Earth Day worksheet for kindergarten and first grade.
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Reading and Writing Nonfiction Text: Earth Day Close Read Worksheets
Enhance your students' comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills with this nonfiction Earth Day passage and accompanying activities.
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Earth Day Activity Wheel
Encourage students to get involved in environmental responsibility with this collection of 8 Earth Day activities that focus on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.
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Energy-Saving Tips for the Classroom – Poster
A poster displaying some helpful tips for saving energy in the classroom.
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Earth Hour Poster
A poster highlighting the importance of Earth Hour.
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Make Every Day Earth Day Poster
A poster that encourages students to think about the Earth every day!
- Earth Hour Posters
- Earth Hour Worksheets
- Earth Hour Templates
- Earth Hour Writing Templates
- Earth Hour Flipbooks
- Earth Hour Puzzles
- Earth Hour Word Searches
- Earth Hour Projects
- Earth Hour Word Walls
- Earth Hour Instructional Slide Decks
- Earth Hour Games
- Earth Hour Card Games
- Earth Hour Sorting Activities
- Earth Hour Coloring Pages
- Earth Hour Custom Studio Resources
- Earth Hour Craft Activities
- Earth Hour Mini Book
- Earth Hour for Pre-K
- Earth Hour for Kindergarten
- Earth Hour for 1st Grade
- Earth Hour for 2nd Grade
- Earth Hour for 3rd Grade
- Earth Hour for 4th Grade
- Earth Hour for 5th Grade
- Earth Hour for 6th Grade
- Earth Hour for 7th Grade