K-12 Earth Day 2001 “We Can Make a Difference” Program

Earth Day Index:

Program Description 2001

School Projects 2001

Lake Superior Floor Map Paint-in

Past Earth Week Programs

News Story about the Earthweek Program.

Earth Day is April 22! The Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Michigan Technological University, the CCISD Regional Math and Science Center and the Copper Country AmeriCorps Program invite any class, school or community youth group to participate in the Earth Day 2001 “We Can Make A Difference” Program. The goal of this program is to promote the idea that everyone can make a difference by becoming more environmentally aware and taking action in their local community.

We want to encourage students and youth groups to select an environmental topic to study or develop an action project during the school year that gets students involved with the environment at their school or in their community. This program is co-sponsored by the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Michigan Technological University, the CCISD Regional Math and Science Center, the Copper Country AmeriCorps Program and the Wege Foundation.

Student Recognition

To recognize students’ activities in the Western Upper Peninsula, all groups will receive an Earth Day Recognition Certificate and be eligible to win a special Earth Day Toolbox or Experience for their class or group. All groups will be entered into a drawing and SIX lucky groups' names will be drawn: three drawings in each age group, Gr. K-5 and Gr. 6-12, for both student and community youth groups from Houghton-Baraga and Gogebic-0ntonagon Counties.

The Earth Day Gift for the lucky elementary group is a classroom environmental education toolbox!It will include a variety of items such as:children’s books, guides for fun indoor/outdoor environmental activities, bug boxes, magnifiers, and track casts and molds! The Earth Day Experience for Middle/High School participants is a one-hour Portage Lake canoe trip in the Spirit of the Voyageur on May 22 or 23.The Voyageur is a 36’ long, authentic canoe made of birch bark, spruce root and white cedar.The canoe holds up to 25 paddlers! These magnificent canoes carried goods and furs from Montreal to Lake Superior during the Fur Trade Era, which you will learn about with canoeist and storyteller, Ron Hobart.

There are lots of things you can do for the environment. Here are some Earth Day 2001 project ideas to get your class or youth group thinking of what YOU could do. Copper Country AmeriCorps members are willing to help school/community groups with their projects!

• Students could sell Earth-friendly, cloth shopping bags at area grocery stores and at school.
• Students could draw Earth Day message on each bag using permanent cloth paint or design one Earth Day message that is printed on all bags.
• Plant a school or community environmental enhancement projects that provides wildlife habitat and food, or enhances human habitat, or provides human food. Students could plan gardens for the summer and grow starter plants in the classroom.
  • Butterfly gardens
  • Vegetable gardens
  • Perennial flower gardens
• Build bird nesting boxes or bat boxes.
• Organize a tree-planting project.
• Design an environmental awareness program for your school (energy conservation, waste free lunch, etc.).
• Create an After-School Club (Ecology Club, Earth Club, Explorers’ Club, etc.).
• Develop an Earth Day Art Project using trash or other recyclable materials.
• Hold a recycling drive or set up an in-school recycling program.
• Investigate alternative energy sources.
• Write and illustrate an Endangered Species book to put in your school library.
• Conduct a frog and toad calling or deformity survey.
• Conduct a forest, schoolyard, or stream clean-up.
• Conduct a storm drain stenciling project.
• Study an environmental topic of interest to your class or group.

For more information or if you have questions, call Andrea or Joan at The Center for Science and Environmental Outreach (487-3341).