A few years ago I posted a question on Facebook asking teachers to tell me their favorite book to read aloud for Earth Day, and Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg was the top recommendation. I had not read it before, so I immediately ordered it. Just a Dream is a beautiful picture book about a boy named Walter who imagines an exciting future on Earth – until he has a dream that takes him on an unforgettable adventure. In this dream, Walter sees what will happen to the Earth if we don’t take better care of our planet.
What a great introduction to environmental issues and problems! Thanks to everyone who recommended it. It was written in 1990 so I’m not quite sure how I missed this treasure! By the way, if you don’t have a copy of Just a Dream, you can listen to a teacher read the story aloud in this YouTube video.
I loved the story so much that I decided to create a set of activities based on the book. Â Just a Dream to Save Our Planet starts with a quick Think-Pair-Share for students to discuss their visions of the future and is followed by a read-aloud session. After that, you can choose from several cooperative learning and writing activities.
New Google Classroom Resources
A few days ago when I realized that Earth Day was just around the corner, I decided to update the original freebie. Teachers need digital resources right now, so I decided to create Google Slides versions of the printable activities. The updated version now include a Virtual Group Chat with the discussion cards, a Google Slides sorting activity, a Virtual Journal, and a collection of Google Slides Environmental Issues note-taking pages.
Where to Find this Earth Day Resource
- 8 prepared discussion cards
- 4 blank discussion cards
- 9 cards describing the events in the story
- 1 graphic organizer for sorting the event cards into categories
- 4 problem-Solution graphic organizers for the environmental issues
- 4 Google Slides versions of the activity pages
Now more than ever, it’s important for kids to explore environmental issues and discuss ways to protect our Earth. I hope you’ll find these resources helpful as you guide your classroom discussions on this topic!
