Most teachers make sure to celebrate Earth Day in one way or another. It seems like biology teachers are paying the most attention to it. On April 22, they organize exploring events and give speeches about environmental awareness and stewardship.
However, that’s not where we should stop. The goal of going green should not be limited to a single day of the year. Yes, we should celebrate Earth Day at schools, but if we really want to increase the awareness about environmental issues, then we have to invest an additional effort. Whether you teach biology, history, or language arts, there is a way to give credits to this cause with different projects.
You can easily find ways to integrate environmental issues in the curriculum. One of the most effective ways to get your students interested in going green is by assigning essays and research papers. They are easy to fit in the curriculum, and your students will be glad to conduct research and write essays when you assign the right topics.
To make things more interesting, you can turn the project into a competition. The best essay will get a reward related to green living. For example, you can provide a book. Even better: provide a tree seedling for the winner to plant in the school yard.
Green Essay Competition for All Students
If you need to inspire your students to write better, you can always get help from a UK essay writing service. When they see professional writers in action, they will understand the form and process of academic writing. As for the topics, we are here to help. We’ll suggest projects for all educational levels.
Topics for Elementary School
- The Life History of “Stuff”
Ask your students to trace the origins of everyday products. Bread, soap, butter, clothes… all this “stuff” is connected to the nature in one way or another. If we preserve the nature, we’ll have everything we need for living.
- From Farm to Table
This is a simple, but inspiring topic. Where does our food come from? Is farming green?
Topics for Elementary and Middle School
- Environmental Explorers
Ask your students to think about the changes people have made to the natural environment. How do they affect the nature?
- The Trash We Pass
We constantly ‘create’ garbage. Where does it go? Why is recycling important for our planet? Can we change our habits in a way that produces less garbage and more recycling?
- We Are What We Drink
The average body of an adult is 50-65% water. The body of an infant is made of 75-78% water. In a way, we are water. Inspire your students to think and research about water.
Topics for Middle and High School
- Fishing for the Future
Overfishing is a huge environmental issue. Still, people need fish. This is a problem that’s constantly puzzling environmentalists. Is there a way to meet people’s needs and prevent the damage we cause with overfishing?
- How Big Is Your Footprint?
Our daily lifestyle choices make a big impact on the environment. Your students can use online tools to calculate their footprint and see how much land it takes to support their lifestyle. When they see the results, they will definitely be inspired not only for writing an essay, but for changing their lifestyle as well.
Topics for High School
- Water Walk
This topic requires some field research. Ask your students to find information about the local watershed and describe its characteristics. This adventure will be an excellent introduction to the global issue of water quality. They can compare the information they find to the data from the worldwide science and education program GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment).
- Whose Resource Is It?
Do Western societies deserve to abuse the resources of poor countries? Do people have the right to put the environment of animals in danger? Whose resource is the Earth, anyway? This is a simple question that leads to deep contemplations. Ask your students to pick a focus and write an essay for the contest.
Teachers need to find ways to raise environmental issues in the classroom. Earth Day activities are cool, but they are not enough. With an essay writing contest, you can inspire students of any age to explore, think, and search for solutions.
Brenda Savoie is a content marketer, private English tutor, and desperate dreamer. Writing her first romantic novel. Seeking contentment through mindfulness. Find her on Twitter and Facebook
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