The first Earth Day was celebrated in April 1970. Since then, global awareness of human impact on the earth has increased, and citizens around the world are taking actions to protect the earth. In this inquiry, students will explore the compelling question, “How do we protect the earth?”
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
How do we protect the Earth?
Standards
D4.7.9-12. Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.
Instructional Snapshot
Class begins with students generating a list of questions about “Earthrise”, the first color photo of the Earth taken in 1968. Intending to generate curiosity, students’ questions can center around scientific and geological questions, or the impact of this new discovery on society, for example. Students record their questions on the graphic organizer. The teacher may transition to the next step by asking students, ”How do you think this photo increased curiosity or interest in the Earth?” After hearing student responses, share that the first Earth Day was celebrated two years later.
Students then collaborate to figure out why the first Earth Day was celebrated. They then analyze a series of quotes from people who organized the first Earth Day celebration and document the ideas. Finally, students choose a topic from the official Earth Day Hub and analyze the fact sheet to produce a list of actions citizens can take to protect the Earth.
Formative Tasks
DELIBERATE: Generate a list of questions about the “Earthrise” photo.
COLLABORATE: Analyze quotes to determine why the first Earth Day was celebrated.
PRODUCE: Choose a topic to dig into further. Create a list of actions citizens can take to protect the Earth.
Sources
Source A: “Apollo 8: Earthrise - NASA”, 1968, NASA.
Source B: Jack Lewis, “The Spirit of the First Earth Day”, 1990, Environmental Protection Agency accessed via Library of Congress
Source C: Gaylord Nelson, “Earth Day '70: What It Meant”, 1980, Environmental Protection Agency accessed via Library of Congress
Source D: “Take Action”, 2026, Earthday.org accessed via Library of Congress
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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