1It was the first warm day of spring, and Ms. Belen's class was restless. "Why do we have to be inside," complained Anna. "It's so warm and pretty outdoors."
"You're right," said Ms. Belen. "Follow me, everyone." The pupils looked at each other in shock. "Wow! We get to have class outside!"
"Under this big oak tree," said Ms. Belen. "This is the perfect place to talk about our plans."
"Plans for what?" asked Tommy.
"Wednesday is April 22, Earth Day! On that day, we celebrate our beautiful planet." said Ms. Belen.
"You mean we get to have a party?" asked Annika.
"Yes, but Earth Day means more than that," said Ms. Belen. "It reminds us to do what we can to take care of the earth. We need to help keep the water, air, and land clean."
"How can we take care of a whole planet? I can't even keep my room clean," said Willie.
"We can't do it by ourselves, but if we do our part, while people in other lands do their part, the earth will be a better place!"
The Next dat, Tommy asked, "How do we start caring for the earth?"
"I'm glad toy asked," said Ms. Belen as she gave everyone a pair of rubber gloves. "We start by cleaning up the bike path."
"Yuck! Look at all the junk. This is worse than my room," said Annika.
"Litter is not only ugly. It can be dangerous," said Ms. Belen. "Animals sometimes get stuck in the plastic rings that hold packs of soda. And broken glass can cut people and animals. So let's get ready for Earth Day by cleaning up the litter. Put any cans and paper you find in bags. Use the box for bottles. But leave the broken glass for me to clean up."
Soon Ms. Belen's class had picked up every piece of trash. "The path looks beautiful again," said Anna.
"Look at all the garbage we collected!" said Annika.
Soon, Ms. Belen's class had picked up every piece of trash. "The path looks beautful again," said Anna.
"Look at all garbage we collected!" said Annika.
"The cans and bottles are not really garbage. They can be recycled!" said Ms. Belen. "That means they can be used again and again. The metal and glass will be melted down to make new cans and bottles. Some paper can be recycled too. So can some kinds of plastic."
"What about the other stuff?" asked Tommy.
"That's a good question," said Ms. Belen. "Most people throw away their garbage and never think about it again. But we should think about it. It doesn't just disappear. The garbage truck picks up your garbage and takes it to a huge hole in the ground. The hole is called a landfill. The problem is people keep making more garbage, and landfills keep filling up! We need to find ways to make less garbage"
"Are we going to have to clean up litter at our party?" asked Annika.
Ms. Belen laughed. "No, Annika. Don't worry. Well have fun. In fact, tomorrow we will take a field trip to the supermarket to get ready for the party."
The next day, Ms. Belen's class went to Miller's Food Store. Annika was headed for the snack section when Ms. Belen said, "Wait! As we shop today, remember what we have learned about landfills. Let's think carefully about what we buy."
"We need Cruncho Chips!" said Annika. "Let's buy the Picnic Pac. Then we'll each get our own bag."
"Wait a minute" said Tommy. "If we buy one big bag, well have less garbage to throw out, and just as many Cruncho Chips."
"Now that's the Earth Day way to shop!" said Ms. Belen. "Try to buy things that make less garbage. And let's stay away from things we use once and then throw away, like paper cups. We can drink from pop cans or glasses instead!"
When they got back to school, Ms. Belen's class made more plans for their party.
"Let's make posters showing how to help the earth," said Anna. "We can make one about recycling and one about shopping the Earth Day way."
"Splendid!" said Ms, Belen. "And we will also need a poster about saving water. That is very important.'
"Saving water? Why do we need to do that? On the globe it looks as if there is lots of water," said Tommy.
"Yes, but those are oceans," said Ms. Belen. "They are filled with salt water. It's not good for drinking.
"Fresh water is found in rain, rivers, and lake. We can't live without it. Neither can animals or plants. That's why it's very important that we don't use water."
"Great!" said Willie. "The Next time my mom wants me to wash dishes, I'll tell her I can't. I Have to save water!"
"That's going a little too far." said Ms. Belen. "But there are easy ways to save water. For example, if you can take a short shower instead of a bath, that will use much less water. And you should not let the water run while you brush your teeth."
Ms. Belen's class thought of other ways to save water. Then FTommy went to work on a poster. It said: "DON'T BE A DRIP. SAVE WATER!"
"Water isn't the only thing that people, plants, and animals can't live without. We all need air, too," said Ms. Belen. "We don't have to worry about running out of air. But we do need to keep it clean. Factories can make the air dirty. Cars, trucks, and buses make the air dirty too. You can't always see the dirty air, but sometimes you can smell it."
"What can we do to keep the air clean?" asked Anna.
"Well, sometimes you and your parents can ride bikes instead of driving. Or if you know somebody who wants to go where you're going, you can share a car ride. When you use one car instead of two, that makes less air pollution."
Said Anna. "We live on the same block. One day his mom drives, and the next day my mom drives."
"I have an idea," said Ms. Belen. "Let's invite all of your parents to school for our Earth Day party! We can show them what we have learned about taking care of the earth. And maybe we will learn that more of you can share rides to school."
The class got busy, making invitations. Then they made decorations from recycled garbage. They used cardboard tubes and empty egg and milk cartons. At last they were ready for Earth Day.
The party was a big success. First they played games, such as pin the trash on the garbage can. Then they had a picnic. Next the children taught their parents what they had learned about taking care of the earth. Then Ms. Belen had a surprise. "Follow me," she said.
Everyone followed her to the playground. There was a little tree. Its roots were wrapped in a bundle. "One of the best things we can do for the earth is to plant a tree. Trees give animals a place to live and hide. They give us shade. And they even help clean the air."
Tommy's dad dug a hole for the tree, and Tommy gave it water.
Soon it was time for the party to end. "Well, Annika, did you have fun?" asked Ms. Belen.
"Sure," said Annika. "But I was just thinking. If you're supposed to celebrate Earth Day by taking care of the earth, then I think we had Earth Day all week."
