Earth Day (April 22) is a great reason to focus on themes like recycling and conservation that benefit everyone year-round. Here are some excellent examples of lessons shared by educators designed engage students in the learning.

Younger Kids

The best lessons present the information in simple, easy to understand language, with lots of visual support. Including fun songs or videos can both reinforce the learning and heighten the engagement. Good examples are:

• The Three R’s of Recycling (Book), VizZle ID Number: 11982
  Images and text w/audio about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, with a video on the last page, 16 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Recycle (Sorting), VizZle ID Number: 137372
  Image and text w/ audio sort directions and image sorts, paper OR glass, metal OR plastic, 2 sorts, custom celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

Rather than a general theme, you could have fun with a very specific theme, like “Be nice to earthworms!” or you could do a hands-on experiment, like the DIY Greenhouse.

• Earthworms (Book), VizZle ID Number: 35665
  Images and text about earthworms and their importance in the ecosystem, with popup quizzes to check comprehension, with a fun video about a boy whose goal is to find a way to recycle using worms, and an ending video of Wiggly Worm doing the compost rap, 7 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Do It Yourself Greenhouse (Book), VizZle ID Number: 122752
  Image and text w/ audio outlining the steps to making a greenhouse in a ziplock bag (e.g., “We will place the cotton balls into the ziplock bag.”), includes several popup text questions (e.g., “What is in a greenhouse?”) TO image and text label (e.g., “plants”), 16 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

‘Tweens

A good way to make it meaningful to kids that are a bit older is to make it personal. Write the lesson from their point of view, or ask how the theme relates to them and their lives. And no matter what their age, screen-based interactivity makes it more interesting to kids with ASD.

• The Environment and Me (Book), VizZle ID Number: 15069
  Images and text w/audio about the importance of recycling, 8 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Generalize: Recyclable Glass (Matching), VizZle ID Number: 33011
  Image of glass recycling sign and text directive (i.e., “Find recyclable glass.”) TO image, field of 3 choices with set distractors, 25 pairs, with custom celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Generalize: Recyclable Paper (Matching), VizZle ID Number: 32990
  Image of paper recycling sign and text directive (i.e., “Find reclyclable paper.”) TO image, field of 3 choices with set distractors, 25 pairs, with custom video celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

Older Kids

Keeping it age-appropriate is important, no matter what the cognition level. Older kids won’t relate as well to younger kids in a video or singing a song, even if they still need well supported and less complex language. Interactivity can help to engage older kids with higher cognition too:

• Earth Day: Recycle (Book), VizZle ID Number: 137315
  Images and text w/ audio about learning the recycling rules where you live, geared to teens and young adults, with video (no sound) about recycling, 15 pages, custom celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Recyclables (Sorting), VizZle ID Number: 137233
  Images and text w/ audio categories and image sorts for recycling and composting, including glass, metal, paper, plastic, mixed, non recyclables, compost and not for compost, 4 sorts
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Earth Day (Matching), VizZle ID Number: 12283
  Text w/audio of fill in the blank questions about Earth Day (e.g. “The United Nations celebrates Earth Day on the first day of___.”) TO text w/ audio, field of 3 choices with set distractors, 5 pairs
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)