Earth Day Video Lessons
Use these Earth Day video lessons to teach your students about environmentalists who are changing the world, and inspire them to take action!
Illustration by Edpuzzle Staff
Did you know that Earth Day is celebrated in virtually every country across the globe? It’s the largest secular holiday in the world!
Thanks to the activism of Greta Thunberg, who started advocating for the planet when she was just a 15-year-old student, young people around the world are more aware of the climate crisis than ever before and of their power to affect change.
This Earth Day, take the opportunity to dive into environmentalism with your students!
Video Lesson: Earth Day
Celebrate the work of environmentalists around the world with this Edpuzzle Original video lesson.
Video length: 5 mins. 26 secs.
It spotlights environmentalists whose actions have helped protect trees, beaches, air quality, and endangered animals. They include:
- Julia Hill, who lived in a redwood tree in California for over two years to protect it from being cut down.
- Afroz Shah, who inspired thousands of people to clean up millions of pounds of trash on the beaches of Mumbai, India.
- Maria Kolesnikova, who had over a hundred air quality sensors installed in the Kyrgyzstani capital city of Bishkek to raise awareness and reduce air pollution.
- Maria Azhunova, who works with scientists, educators, government leaders, indigenous shamans and elders to protect snow leopards in central Asia.
This flexible video lesson can be adapted to grade levels 3-12, so take a look to see how you can adapt it to your group of students.
Video Lesson: Biodiversity
In this video lesson, students will define biodiversity as the variety of different species living in an area, and will compare the biodiversity of different habitats.
Video length: 5 mins. 41 secs.
Video Lesson: Climate Change
Scientists agree that global temperatures are rising. In this video lesson, students will investigate climate variation, exploring the causes and effects of both natural and human-driven changes.
Video length: 6 mins. 31 secs.
Video Lesson: Natural Resources
Students will identify major natural resources and and their uses, differentiating between renewable, nonrenewable, and synthetic materials in this video lesson.
Video length: 6 mins. 20 secs.
Video Lesson: The Carbon Cycle
Just what is the carbon cycle? In this video lesson, students will trace the movement of carbon through organisms and the environment by observing the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion.
Video length: 6 mins. 13 secs.
Key Takeaways From the Earth Day Video Lessons
These lessons emphasize that anyone can find a unique way to address environmental issues in their community, such as clean air, clean water, and protection for endangered species.
Help inspire your students to take action and continue to fight for change.
When I’m taking action, I don’t feel like I am helpless and that things are hopeless, because then I feel like I’m doing everything I can. And that gives me very much hope, especially to see all the other people all around the world, the activists, who are taking action and who are fighting for their present and for their future. – Greta Thunberg