Improve Your Place

What is a habitat? Every living thing has a habitat - a place to live that suits its needs. For animals it may be the forest or wetland where they live. For humans, our habitat is the community in which we live. This month we have looked at activities that examine our natural resource use and the choices that we make for the environment. As the cumulating activity for our “green” month we are going to use Project Learning Tree’s “Improve Your Place” to guide students as they carry out a service learning project that focuses on making a positive environmental change in their community. Students will identify ways in which they can improve their local community. They will then create and carry out a plan for improving the area. Projects can be simple, such as planting flowers, shrubs or trees, or they can be elaborate, such as finding ways to reduce and eliminate litter or encourage recycling. No matter what the project encompasses, students will be left with a great sense of pride in their project and their local community!


Book List

Grades PreK-2
DeRubertis, B. and T. Sperling. 1996. Earth Day: Let’s Meet the Earth Kids. Kane Press.
Earthworks Group. 1990. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Goodings, C. 2008. Growing Green: AChild’s Guide to Taking Care of the Planet. Lion UK.

Grades 3-5
Amsel, S. and C.J. Maron. 2007. The Everything Kids’ Environment Book: Learn How You Can Help the Environment--by Getting Involved at School, at Home, or at Play. Adams Media Corporation.
Berry, J.W. 2001. Every Kid's Guide to Saving the Earth. Warehousing & Fulfillment Specialists, LLC.
Collard, S.B. 2000. Acting for Nature: What Young People around the World Have Done to Protect the Environment. Heyday Books.
Dee, C. 1991. Kid Hereos of the Environment. Bathroom Reader Press.
Earthworks Group. 1990. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Elkington, J., D. Hill, J. Hailes, and J. Mekower.1990. Going Green: A Kid's Handbook to Saving the Planet. Viking Children's Books.
Gardner, R. 1992. Celebrating Earth Day: A Source Book of Activities and Experiments. Lerner Publishing Group.
Holmes, A. 1993. I Can Save the Earth: A Kid's Handbook for Keeping Earth Healthy and Green. Silver Burdett Press.
Kurusa. 1985. The Streets are Free. Annick Press.
Landau, E. 2002. Earth Day: Keeping Our Planet Clean. Enslow Elementary.
Schwartz, L. and B. Armstrong. 1990. Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment. Creative Teaching Press, Inc.
Taylor, B. 2001. How to Save the Planet. Scholastic Library Publishing.


Grades 6-8
Clare, P. 2009. Living Green: Saving Our Earth. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Driscoll, M., D. Driscoll, and M. Hamilton. 2008. A Child’s Introduction to the Environment: The Air, Earth, and Sea Around Us--Plus Experiments, Projects, and Activities YOU Can Do to Help Our Planet. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
Earthworks Group. 1990. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Fleischman, P. 1999. Seedfolks. HarperCollins.
Gay, K. 1993. Caretakers of the Earth. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Lewis, B.A. 1992. Kids with Courage: True Stories about Young People Making a Difference. Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
Lewis, B.A. 1998. The Kid’s Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose - and Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action. Free Spirit Publishing.
McKay, K., J. Bonnin, and D. de Rothschild. 2008. True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet. Natl Geographic Soc Childrens Boks.
Orme, H. 2008. Living Green. Bearport Publishing Company, Inc.
Schwartz, L. and B. Armstrong. 1990. Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment. Creative Teaching Press, Inc.
Stetson, E. 2004. Kids' Easy-to-Create Wildlife Habitats: For Small Spaces in City-Suburbs-Countryside. Williamson Books.
Watson, S. 2003. Protecting Global Environments. Smart Apple Media.
Wines, J. and S. Horne. 2008. You Can Save the Planet: 50 Ways You Can Make a Difference. Scholastic, Inc

Grades 9-12
Collard III, S. 2000. Acting For Nature: What Young People Around the World Are Doing to Protect the Environment. Heyday Books.
Hayes, D. 2000. Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair. Island Press.
Lewis, B.A. 1992. Kids with Courage: True Stories about Young People Making a Difference. Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
Lomberg, M. 2004. Healthy Cities: Improving Urban Life. Smart Apple Media.
Morgan, S. 1998. Living for the Future: Homes and Cities. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Riley, T. 2007. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living. Alpha Books.
Sailer, J. 1993. A Vogt for the Environment. The Book Publishing Company.
Sivertsen, L. and T. Sivertsen. 2008. Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Smith, A.M. 2008. 50 Plus One Tips for Going Green. Gale Cengage Learning.