Summary

Educating others about the environment is important in our current society. Students may think that teaching others about how to protect the environment is the only valid topic for this action project; however, as we know, the first essential is for people to feel connected to their environment. Students develop understanding and appreciation of how organisms are interconnected within an ecosystem before they are moved to take action to protect the environment. Therefore, students could present a wide range of environmental topics for a class Eco-Fair.

Lesson 1: Introducing the Eco-Fair project

Lesson 2: Brainstorming topics for the Eco-Fair project

Lesson 3: Students create their posters for the Eco-Fair

Lesson 4: The Eco-Fair

Lesson Plans

Lesson 1: Introducing the Eco-Fair project

Guide a class discussion about taking action to protect the environment: "We have learned a lot about the environment. What are actions you think we could take to use what we know to help our environment?" Discuss and record each suggestion. (You may want to post this list and guide your students' implementation of other suggestions at a different time.) If your class does not mention teaching as a possible action, facilitate a discussion about why sharing what they know about the environment with others is a valuable way to help protect the environment.

Lesson 2: Brainstorming topics for the Eco-Fair project

Introduce the Eco-Fair project. Ask students to make a poster that explains one specific topic about the environment. Share a few topic ideas that are sufficiently narrow so that students could include all they know about this topic on one poster. In pairs or small groups, students brainstorm topics about the environment they think their peers and families should know about. (Ideas: What is a habitat?; What is a food chain?; Herbivores; Carnivores; Decomposers; Photosynthesis; Intro to a local habitat; Intro to a local food chain; Why we should recycle; How to make an Eco-Healthy Lunch; How to compost, etc.)

Lesson 3: Students create their posters for the Eco-Fair

Assign each individual or pair of students a topic. Modeling as needed, guide students in following these steps over the next several days:

1. Make a web of all the information you know about this topic.
2. Decide on the 2-3 most important main ideas.
3. Write a paragraph that clearly explains these important main ideas.
4. Revise your paragraph with a partner.
5. Design a diagram to illustrate your main ideas.
6. Make your poster:
   • Decide where to glue the final copy of your paragraph.
   • Carefully draw your diagram with labels.
   • Write a short caption to explain your diagram.
7. Decide if you want other presentation props.
8. Practice your poster presentation

Lesson 4: The Eco-Fair

Each student or pair of students should prepare a presentation station at their desks or some other designated location in the room. Assign each station a number. When your class is ready to start the Eco-Fair, have each group of visiting students or family members choose a station in the room. Allow 2-3 minutes at each station to allow your students time to make their presentation and answer questions. After each round, the visitors should move to the next station at the sound of your bell, chimes or music.