Gaylord Nelson and How Earth Day Got Started

• This animated video provides information about Gaylord Nelson, the politician and environmental activist who invented Earth Day.
• Students will learn about Nelson's lifelong mission to protect the environment and spread awareness about environmental issues.

Positives

• Students will learn how environmental ideas started entering into the American consciousness and translated into legislation during the 1970s.
• The video description contains a variety of helpful links to learn more about Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the following terms: civics, government reform, social justice, conservation, and teach-in.
• This resource also includes a Google Slides presentation with audio and a lesson plan to use with the video.

Differentiation

• Social studies classes could use this video and lesson plan to discuss the role that the government plays in monitoring the environment and keeping it healthy.
• History students could expand on the timeline of significant environmental policies and link them to other historic events at each time.
• Science classes could prepare a presentation on Earth Day and present it during a school assembly in order to get the school community excited and prepared for the holiday.
• Other resources on this topic include this lesson plan on creating an environmental-awareness mural, this activity on making plantable seed paper, and this media literacy activity on the government's role in protecting natural resources.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.