Earth Hour 2024 Teaching Resources
Promote environmental awareness in the classroom for Earth Hour 2024 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 primary school teachers. It includes curriculum-aligned templates, worksheets and activities to help students think about what it means to be environmentally responsible and to ensure our planet Earth is taken care of.
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 to conserve energy.
Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007 and has since grown beyond Australia's borders 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 the 30th of March 2024.
What Can You Do for Earth Hour in the Classroom This Year?
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 — Take advantage of the darkness and go for a walk or hike with your students to explore nature.
- Experiment with energy — Teach your students about how energy is produced and used by doing a simple science experiment that demonstrates the effects of energy conservation.
- Free Plan
Sustainability Activity - Caring for the Environment
Promote sustainable living with a sustainability sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
How Can We Help Our Planet Mini Book
Help your students learn about how to keep our planet clean with a printable Earth Day book.
- Free Plan
National Tree Day – Environment Word Search
Print a word search to use on National Tree Day or Earth Day to help your students learn about conservation.
- Plus Plan
Ecological Footprint Draw and Write
Help your students be more eco-conscious by having them complete a carbon footprint worksheet.
- Free Plan
Save Planet Earth - Science Word Wall Vocabulary
Print and display Earth Day-related terms in your classroom to improve vocabulary and discussion about Earth Day.
- Plus Plan
My Ecological Footprint Worksheet
A worksheet which will have the students evaluate their ecological footprint and compare it with the class.
- Free Plan
Where Do Natural Resources Come From? Worksheet
Discover where Earth's natural resources are located with a pair of differentiated Natural Resource Worksheets.
- Plus Plan
How to Save Water Poster and Worksheet Pack
Teach your students ways to save water with a printable poster and worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink and Repair Posters
Explain the concepts behind reducing, reusing, recycling, rethinking and repairing waste with a set of printable sustainability posters.
- Plus Plan
Garbage Bin Posters - Rubbish, Recycling and Compost
Posters outlining what can be put in the different types of bins.
- Plus Plan
The Recycling Process Poster
Show your students the process materials go through when they are recycled with printable recycling posters.
- Plus Plan
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink and Repair - Brainstorming Sheets
Brainstorm All the Ways to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle with a pack of printable brainstorming worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Environmental Word Wall
Help your students learn about recycling and conservation with an illustrated word wall.
- Plus Plan
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Flipbooks
Display different ways to conserve resources with a set of handy recycling–based foldable interactive notebook templates.
- Plus Plan
Write About It! Recycling Writing Prompt Worksheets
Differentiate writing instruction in primary grades with informational writing prompts about recycling and conservation.
- Plus Plan
Save the Planet - Kids Mini Book
Teach your students to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a printable Save the Planet kid's book.
- Plus Plan
Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Poster
Display this poster when learning about sustainability.
- Plus Plan
What Can Be Recycled? Poster
A poster showing the products that can be recycled.
- Plus Plan
Helping the Earth Flipbook
Use this printable recycling flipbook with your students to teach them about ways to help Earth.
- Plus Plan
Being Water Wise - Saving Water Poster Project
Learn and demonstrate knowledge about water conservation with a "Being Water Wise" poster project.
- Plus Plan
Earth Day - Acrostic Poem Template Pack
An acrostic poem template to use in the classroom to celebrate Earth Day and National Poetry Month.
- Plus Plan
Earth Day Word Scramble
A word scramble of sustainability vocabulary to use on Earth Day.
- Plus Plan
Earth Day Mobile - Craft Template
Inspire your students to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a fun Earth Day craft project.
- Plus Plan
Why Should We Compost? Poster
Use this poster set to explain why it is important to compost food scraps.