# Lesson 135: Caring for our planet

🔬 SCIENCE (40 Lessons) • 🔵 B. The Earth and Sky

← Back to Level 1

## Objective

I can tell simple ways to care for our planet. I can say why we should not drop litter, why we should save water and electricity, and how reusing and recycling can help the Earth.

## Materials

- Clean, empty packages (for example, a paper box, plastic bottle, tin can)
- Pictures of nature: trees, rivers, animals, parks
- Pictures or symbols for bins and recycling
- Pencil and notebook or scrap paper

## Mini-lesson — How can we care for our planet?

We live on the Earth. Our planet has land, air, water, plants, animals, and people. We all share this home, so it is important to take care of it.

Do not drop litter

- Litter is rubbish that is left on the ground: sweet wrappers, cans, plastic, paper.
- Litter can make places look dirty and can harm animals.
- We can care for our planet by putting rubbish in a bin and not throwing it on the ground.

Save water

- We use water to drink, wash, cook, and grow plants.
- We can help by turning off the tap when brushing our teeth and not playing with running water.
- Saving water helps rivers, lakes, and all living things.

Save electricity

- We use electricity for lights, TVs, and many machines.
- We can help by turning off lights when we leave a room and switching off screens when we are not using them.
- Using only the electricity we need helps the planet.

Reuse and recycle

- Reuse means using something again, for example using a box to store toys.
- Recycle means turning old things like paper, plastic bottles, and cans into new things.
- Reusing and recycling means we make less rubbish and use fewer new materials from the Earth.

Even small everyday actions can help care for our planet. Children can be planet helpers at home and at school.

Picture strip: Litter, bin, and happy planet

Litter on the ground

Use the bin

Happy planet

## Guided Practice — Planet helper walk

You will look around your home or classroom and think about ways to care for our planet. Use simple words to say what you see and what you could do.

1. Look for litter: With an adult, look around one room or a small outdoor area. Do you see any rubbish that should go in the bin?
2. Check lights and taps: Are any lights on in empty rooms? Are any taps dripping for no reason?
3. Notice reusable things: Look for boxes, jars, or bags that could be used again instead of thrown away.
4. Talk with an adult: Ask, "What can we do to use less water?" and "How can we save electricity?"
5. Draw two pictures: On your paper, draw a messy place with litter, and then the same place clean after you tidy it. Add short labels like "before" and "after".
6. Use the tracing pad: Choose words like Earth, litter, recycle, or water from the dropdown and trace them slowly. Say the word as you write.
7. Finish with a sentence: Write one sentence such as "I put rubbish in the bin" or "I turn off the tap to save water".

Tracing Pad
Lines
Trace
Pen

## Practice 1 — Planet helper choices

Think about different actions children can take. Decide which ones help the planet and which ones hurt it.

1. Draw two headings on your paper: "Helps the planet" and "Hurts the planet".
2. Under "Helps the planet" you might write: turn off lights, put rubbish in the bin, walk or cycle for short trips, use both sides of paper.
3. Under "Hurts the planet" you might write: drop litter, leave tap on, leave lights on all day, break plants.
4. Circle one action from each list that you want to remember for today.

## Practice 2 — Water and electricity check

Think about how your family or class uses water and electricity. Look for easy ways to save both.

- Make four small boxes on your page and label them: "Lights", "Taps", "Screens", and "Other".
- With an adult, walk around your home or classroom. In each box, draw or write one thing that uses electricity or water.
- Add a small tick ✔ next to things that are already used carefully, like lights that are off in empty rooms.
- Add a small star ★ next to one thing you could change, like turning off a screen when you are finished.

## Practice 3 — Our clean planet poster

Create a simple poster to remind people to care for our planet.

1. Draw a big circle for the Earth. Add some blue for water and green for land.
2. Around the Earth, draw or write three actions that help our planet, such as "save water", "put litter in the bin", or "plant a tree".
3. Add a short title at the top like "We care for our planet".
4. Share your poster with someone and explain each action you chose.

## Quick Check — Caring for our planet

Answer each question about caring for our planet. Think about litter, water, electricity, and recycling.

1) What is litter?

Clean water in a glass. Rubbish left on the ground. A kind of tree.
Litter is rubbish that has been dropped and left on the ground.

2) Why is dropping litter not good for our planet?

It makes the sky more blue. It turns into sweet fruit. It makes places dirty and can hurt animals.
Litter can make the environment dirty and can harm animals that live there.

3) What should you do with a sweet wrapper when you finish it?

Put it in a bin. Drop it on the ground. Hide it under a rock.
Putting wrappers into a bin helps keep the Earth clean.

4) Which action helps save water?

Leaving the tap running while brushing teeth. Turning off the tap when you do not need water. Pouring clean water onto the floor for fun.
Turning off the tap when you do not need it saves water.

5) How can you help save electricity at home?

Turn on all the lights in the house. Leave the TV on when nobody is watching. Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Turning off lights when you leave a room saves electricity.

6) What does it mean to reuse something?

Use it again instead of throwing it away. Throw it in the bin as fast as possible. Break it into tiny pieces.
Reuse means using an item again for the same or a new purpose.

7) Which is an example of recycling?

Throwing bottles into a river. Putting paper and bottles into special recycling bins. Hiding cans in the garden.
Recycling bins collect things like paper and bottles so they can be made into new items.

8) Which action helps our planet?

Throwing rubbish out of the car window. Breaking branches off trees for fun. Planting a tree or caring for plants.
Growing and caring for plants is good for the environment.

9) When you use paper on both sides, you are…

Using less and helping the planet. Wasting as much as possible. Making more litter.
Using both sides of a piece of paper means you use less paper overall.

10) Which is the best way to throw away rubbish?

Drop it where you are standing. Put it in a bin or recycling bin. Hide it behind a tree.
Putting rubbish into bins keeps places clean and safe.

11) Why should we save water?

So rivers can dry up. Because nobody needs water. Because people, plants, and animals all need water.
All living things need water, so we should not waste it.

12) Which choice is a planet helper action?

Turning off your game when you finish playing. Leaving the tap running for fun. Throwing plastic in a river.
Turning off devices when you are finished saves electricity.

13) How can you help keep your school clean?

Throw food on the floor in the classroom. Put your rubbish in the bin after lunch. Draw on the walls.
Putting rubbish into bins helps keep the school clean and tidy.

14) Why do we learn about caring for our planet?

So we can help keep Earth clean and healthy. So we can make as much rubbish as possible. So we never think about nature.
Learning to care for Earth helps us protect nature and all living things.

15) Which sentence shows a child thinking about the planet?

"I will throw my rubbish anywhere." "I will leave all the lights on all night." "I will turn off the tap and put my rubbish in the bin."
Turning off taps and using bins are good ways to care for our planet.

## Assessment (parent/teacher)

Student can explain that litter is rubbish left on the ground and why it is not good for the planet. Student can name at least two ways to save water or electricity at home or school. Student can give simple examples of reusing or recycling everyday items. Student shows care for the environment by suggesting or choosing planet helper actions. Student can answer simple questions about caring for our planet with a short explanation.

## Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can explain how to care for our planet in simple ways. 🙂 I know some ways to care for our planet but still need more practice. 😅 Caring for our planet still feels a bit tricky to explain.

#### Next time I will practise…

Putting all my rubbish in the bin Turning off taps and lights I do not need Thinking of new ways to reuse or recycle things
← Lesson 134 Lesson 136 →