Day One
Motivational Activity:  As a way to introduce Earth Day, read the story, The Paper Bag Prince.  Discuss what the Paper Bag Prince does to help clean up our Earth, and what we can do.

Activity #2:  Pass out used paper grocery bags to each student and some tape.  Have each student decorate the front of the bag with the title, "Recycle Paper!"  Have each student tape the bag on the side of their desk.  Explain that for one week, students are to throw away any paper they have as waste into their bags--not into the class trash can.

Materials: The Paper Bag Prince, used grocery bags (one for each student), tape

Assessment: The main form of assessment today is simply observation to make sure every student followed directions clearly.  Complete checklist.

Day two
Motivational Activity:  Click on the web site, Groceries Project, to find out how to begin this activity.  Every year, grocery stores everywhere participate in an activity with the local schools.  Prior to this day, you need to contact your local grocery store and go pick up a stack of blank grocery bags.  Students will decorate the blank side of the bag with Earth Day messages.  See the web site for a list of messages to use.  Bring them back to the store, and they will use those bags for their customers on Earth Day.  The students really enjoy going to the store with their parents that day and getting one of those bags for their groceries!

Materials: bags from your local grocery store, markers, crayons

Assessment: Every student should complete one bag placing an Earth Day message on the bag, their school's name, and ONLY their first names.  Complete checklist.

Day three
Motivational Activity:  Gather the recycled items the students have already brought in to school.  Explain that the task for today is to create a usable item out of the already used items.  For instance, using a cereal box, and make a new school tools box for markers, crayons, etc.  Another example is to take a raisins can, decorate the cover with scraps of construction paper, put a hole in the top, and create a piggy bank.  The students usually come up with great ideas!  This activity works best in partners so they can work together and have two usable items to work with.  At the end of the day, students should share their newly created items with the class.

Materials: used items that were brought into school from kids, school supplies

Assessment: Each student should have successfully completed the task today with their partner.  Complete checklist.

Day four
Motivational Activity:  As a class, brainstorm a list of nouns that relate to our environment.  Then brainstorm verbs that can go with the nouns.  (Examples:  clouds floating, rivers flowing, lions roaring, sun shining, etc.)  To write an eight line poem, the students will simply list one noun-verb combination for eight lines.  The last line should read, "SAVE THE EARTH!"  Students may then illustrate and share their poems with the class.  These would be wonderful examples of student work to display in the hallway.

Materials: Chart paper or Overhead projector in which to use as a brainstorming tool, writing
                    paper

Assessment: Complete checklist.

Day five
Motivational Activity:  Before you begin, ask students to predict how much paper the class together has thrown away in their bags.  Weigh a cardboard box using a scale and then fill up the box with all the paper from the students.  Weigh it again, and then subtract the weight of the box to find out how much paper the class will be able to recycle in one week.  Have the students work in pairs to figure out how much the class could save in a month and in a year.  Be sure to bring the box of paper to a local recycling company.

Materials: scale, paper from students' desks, box for paper

Assessment: Check students' answers.  Complete checklist.

Day six
Motivational Activity:  Begin today by reading the poem provided on the WebQuest, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out.  Discuss poem together, and using the students page, explain task together.  Students should be split into groups of four and given a job:  paper, plastic, metal, or glass.  Using today, students should begin their research finding their tips for Sarah and facts about recycling their material.

Materials: computers for kids

Assessment: At the end of class, have students share one thing they learned today.  Complete checklist.

Day seven
Motivational Activity:  Today, students should continue their research finding their tips for Sarah and facts about recycling their material.  Their individual research should be finished today, and ready for the group project.

Materials: computers for kids

Assessment: At the end of class, have students share one thing they learned today.  Complete checklist.

Day eight
Motivational Activity:  To begin, show an example Power Point presentation you have created.  Students should begin their group tasks today.  As a group, today should be dedicated to their Power Point presentations.  There should be at least six slides: one as an introduction, one for each material, and one for the conclusion.

Materials: computers for kids, Power Point software

Assessment: Each group should show their slides to their teacher at the end of class.  The class will see them on the last day of the unit.  Complete checklist.

Day nine
Motivational Activity:  Sarah really needed those tips to keep her recycling program going.  Today, students will create their posters for Sarah to see every day.  They can create them on whatever kind of publishing program the school has for the children to use.

Materials: computers for kids, publishing software

Assessment: Each group should show their final poster to their teacher at the end of class.  The class will see them on the last day of the unit.  Complete checklist.

Day ten
Motivational Activity:  Finally, using a spreadsheet program, the students will create Sarah's daily schedule to follow.  They should work on their final draft using paper and pencil, and when they are all in agreement, transfer it on a spreadsheet.  Depending on your students technological abilities, you may want to create a template for them to use beforehand.

Materials: computers for kids, spreadsheet software

Assessment: Each group should show their final schedule to their teacher at the end of class.  The class will see them on the last day of the unit.  Complete checklist.

Days eleven and twelve
Activities: These days can be used for presentation days.  Students can have a chance to shine and show their Power Point presentation, their posters, and their schedules.

Materials: Computers for kids, anything else they need for presentations

Assessment: Use rubric for final grade.