# Lesson 237: Caring for the Earth

❤️ SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (40 Lessons) • 🟠 E. Growing Together

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## Objective

I can talk about why the Earth is special and how I can care for it in small, hopeful ways. I can notice caring actions and feel proud when I help.

## Materials

- Plain paper or a notebook page
- Crayons or colored pencils (green, blue, brown if possible)
- Optional: a small box or jar for "Earth-care ideas"

## Mini-lesson — What does it mean to care for the Earth?

The Earth is our big home. It has land, water, air, plants, animals, and people. We live here together.

Why is the Earth special?

- It gives us air to breathe.
- It gives us water to drink and wash.
- It gives us food to eat.
- It gives us beautiful places like trees, parks, and beaches.

Caring for the Earth

- Means treating our planet like a friend we want to protect.
- Means making kind choices that do not hurt nature.
- Means working as a team with family, school, and community.

Simple caring actions for children

- Putting rubbish in the bin, not on the ground.
- Using both sides of paper before recycling.
- Turning off lights when leaving a room.
- Turning off the tap while brushing teeth.
- Being gentle with plants, trees, and animals.

Feelings when we care for the Earth

- We can feel proud when we make a good choice.
- We can feel more hopeful when we know we are helping.
- We can feel more connected to nature and to other people who care.

Earth-care, not worry

- Children do not need to fix everything.
- We focus on small actions we can do.
- Grown-ups make the big plans; children can take small, kind steps.

Earth-care routines

- Green check: each day, notice one Earth-care choice you made.
- Earth-care corner: a spot for nature drawings or Earth messages.
- Earth-care jar: slips of paper with small caring ideas to try.

Adults can say: "We cannot do everything, but we can do something. Our small Earth-care choices still matter."

Picture strip: "Little Earth helpers"

## Guided Practice — Our family Earth-care promise

You and an adult will make a simple Earth-care promise with small, realistic actions.

1. Talk together about why you love the Earth (for example, trees, animals, playgrounds, the sea).
2. On a page, draw a big heart around a small Earth in the middle. Under it, write or trace the words "We care for the Earth".
3. Around the Earth, draw three small circles. In each circle, choose one child-sized action, such as:
   - "Turn off lights"
   - "Use less water"
   - "Put rubbish in bins"
4. For each action, talk about when you can do it (for example, "at bedtime", "when brushing teeth", "when we go to the park").
5. Practise a sentence together like: "We cannot do everything, but we can do these small Earth-care steps."
6. Decide how you will check in on your promise, such as asking at dinner: "Did we do one Earth-care action today?"
7. At the end of a few days, look at the page again and talk about how it felt to keep (or miss) your small actions, staying kind and hopeful.

Tracing Pad
Lines
Trace
Pen

## Practice — My "I care for the Earth" picture

Use this practice to help your child picture themselves as an Earth helper.

1. On a new page, draw a big circle and turn it into the Earth with blue water and green land.
2. Around the Earth, draw three small pictures of you caring for the planet (for example, putting rubbish in a bin, turning off a light switch, watering a plant gently).
3. Under each picture, write or trace a short sentence with an adult, such as "I turn off lights", "I use less water", or "I keep the park clean".
4. At the bottom of the page, draw yourself with a small badge or star that says "Earth helper".
5. Practise saying out loud: "I can take small steps to care for the Earth."
6. Ask an adult to hang your picture in a place you can see, as a daily reminder of your caring actions.
7. After a few days, come back to the picture and circle the actions you actually tried. Add a small heart next to any new action you want to try next.

## Quick Check — Caring for the Earth

Answer each question about Earth-care, choices, and hopeful actions.

1) What does it mean to care for the Earth?

Use as much as you want and never think about it. Make kind choices that help protect land, water, air, and living things. Only let grown-ups help and never join.
Caring means making kind choices that help our shared home.

2) Which is a good Earth-care action for kids?

Throwing rubbish on the ground at the park. Leaving taps running for fun. Putting rubbish in bins and keeping parks clean.
Keeping places clean helps nature and other people.

3) Why might you turn off lights when you leave a room?

To save energy and care for the Earth. To make it hard for everyone to see. Just to press buttons quickly.
Saving energy is one way to care for our planet.

4) When brushing your teeth, what caring choice can you make?

Leave the water on the whole time. Turn the tap off while brushing, then back on to rinse. Splash water on the floor.
Turning off the tap helps save water.

5) How might you show care for plants and trees?

Pull off leaves for no reason. Break branches to play with. Be gentle, do not damage them, and help water them with an adult.
Gentle hands and water (with adult help) show care for plants.

6) You see paper on the classroom floor. What could you do?

Pick it up and put it in the bin or recycling with permission. Kick it around and leave it there. Tear it into even smaller pieces and drop them.
Cleaning up helps keep places nice for everyone.

7) How can you remember your Earth-care promise?

Keep it secret and never talk about it. Put your picture or chart somewhere you can see it every day. Throw your promise away after one day.
Visual reminders help you remember caring choices.

8) If you forget to do your Earth-care action one day, what can you do?

Say you are bad and never try again. Decide Earth-care does not matter. Notice it kindly and say, "I can try again tomorrow."
Earth-care is about learning and trying, not being perfect.

9) Who can you talk to about caring for the Earth?

No one. You must keep it to yourself. A parent, carer, teacher, or friend who also cares. Only people you want to argue with.
Talking with others can make Earth-care feel hopeful and shared.

10) What is one big goal of this lesson?

To help you take small, caring steps to look after the Earth. To make you feel scared about the planet. To tell you that nothing you do matters.
The goal is to feel empowered and kind, not worried or helpless.

## Assessment (parent/teacher)

Student can say in simple words why the Earth is special. Student can name at least one child-sized action to care for the Earth. Student can explain how caring for the Earth can make them feel proud or hopeful. Student can join in a short Earth-care promise with adult support. Student understands that small actions help and they do not have to fix everything alone.

## Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can care for the Earth with small, kind actions. 🙂 I know some Earth-care actions, but I still need practice. 😅 Caring for the Earth still feels tricky for me.

#### Next time I will practise…

Turning off lights when I leave a room Putting rubbish in the right bin Being gentle with plants and nature
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