Are you looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day without losing precious classroom time for curriculum? I have a solution for you – a free set of Earth Day reading activities!
The month of April is usually a hectic time of the school year where testing season is approaching, but there is a still a lot of content to cover. With a lot going on it is easy to overlook holidays like Earth Day. One way I like to honor Earth Day in my classroom is by incorporating it into my important everyday curriculum – like reading.
This post will share free Earth Day reading activities that will help you and your students celebrate Earth Day and focus on reading instruction and skill practice at the same time.
About the Free Earth Day Reading Activities
This free 4th and 5th grade Earth Day reading activity resource includes two Earth Day related reading passages (1 fiction and 1 nonfiction) and related activities for each – comprehension questions, activities and a writing prompt. This way you can honor Earth Day and focus on your reading instruction and practice at the same time!
Nonfiction Passage – Earth Day History
The nonfiction passage covers the history of earth day – how it came to be, why we celebrate it and how it has evolved over the years.
After reading the passage, students can respond to what they read by completing any or all of the included activities.
- Comprehension Questions – students will answer four short answer comprehension questions
- Using Context Clues – students will define key words using context clues
- Sequencing Events – students will arrange the events from the text to put them in sequential order
- Main Idea – students will identify the main idea of each paragraph and the passage
- Wring Prompt – students will write a letter to their principal to share how the school could celebrate earth day using informational details from the text
Fiction Passage – Earth Day Festival
The fiction passage is called Earth Day Festival. Just like the nonfiction passage, there are several activities related to the text that are included.
Here are the activities included with this passage:
- Comprehension Questions – students will answer four short answer comprehension questions
- Identifying Theme – students will identify the theme of the passage using evidence from the text
- Defining Unknown Phrases – students will use the text to define unknown phrases
- Evaluating Summaries – students will complete an error analysis by identifying inaccuracies in text summaries
- Writing Prompt – students will write a response about how they can help take care of the planet like the character in the story did
About the Digital Earth Day Activities
The free Earth Day activities are included in both print and digital. There are a few different digital options so you can choose which option is most beneficial for you and your students.
Each of the following links are included in the free download:
- Both sets of reading passages & activities included in 1 set of Google Slides. This is a great option for students to complete both of the reading passages and the activities digitally
- Reading passages only (each on its own slide). You could use this option to project the passage on the board, so you can read the text together as a class. Then you can print out the activities and have the students complete them and put them in their reading folder or notebook
- Separate fiction and nonfiction sets (1 reading passage and related activities in its own set). Only want to focus on the fiction passage or the nonfiction passage? This will be a great option for you.
Ways to Use the Activity
While there are a variety of ways this could be used in your classroom, this set is great for reading centers, small group instruction, reading homework and skill practice/review.
Get the FREE Earth Day Reading Activities!
To get these free Earth Day reading activities, on the gif below. In the download, you will find a PDF containing the printable version. Digital access links are on pages 4-5 of the PDF.
Want More Earth Day resources?
This resource includes 16 Earth Day-themed math activities and centers.
Are You Looking for More Holiday & Seasonal Reading Comprehension Activities?
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Thank you for sharing such great resources! I have been teaching for quite some time but am new to 5th grade this year, and you have made my life so much easier. 🙂 I use your resources as individual and partner activities to review standards. They enjoy the topics and passages, so it is a win-win for us all!
Thank you so much for sharing your Earth Day Comprehension activities. Looking forward to having students work in pairs and use your resource.
Happy Earth Day,
Julie