Earth Hour School Activities

Earth Hour is an international organization devoted to helping people reduce their impact on the environment and make a public statement about the effects of man-caused global warming. During each annual Earth Hour, companies, schools and individuals agree to turn off lights, electronics and all other power-draining items for an hour. Students at school can still use this time productively and in environmentally conscious ways.

Discussion

• Group discussions can help students teach and learn from one another.

  One easy thing for students to do during Earth Hour is to break down into small discussion groups to talk about environmental issues facing their generation. Older students can discuss legal ramifications of environmental policy and the economic impact of the green movements, while younger students can think of ways to preserve the rainforests and save the animals and ecosystems there. Small group discussion can be a very productive activity during Earth Hour.

Writing

• Writing letters can have a major impact.

  According to the World Wildlife Foundation's Earth Hour website, some schools spend Earth Hour writing letters to businesses, local councils and other organizations to help bring attention to Earth Hour and to encourage them to participate and engage in other environmentally conscious activities. Writing to companies that use large amounts of energy and oil can encourage students to examine their own energy use as well, which helps carry Earth Hour into everyday life.

Art Projects

• Some students draw environment-themed posters during Earth Hour.

  Some schools engage in age-appropriate art projects, ranging from coloring pictures to designing recycling graphs and posters, dealing with environmental issues. Working on art projects about environmental changes, issues and other aspects of Earth Hour during the time the lights are off or throughout a set part of the day can help students create classroom artwork. Displaying the artwork throughout the school helps to remind students and visitors of the importance of Earth Hour.