Earth Day

Pre-reading Discussion Questions

• When is Earth Day celebrated?

• Why do you think it’s important to

celebrate Earth Day?

• Do you celebrate Earth Day at school or

in your local community? If so, what
activities do you do?

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd to raise awareness about the environment
and the commitment of all citizens to make our planet a better place to live, both now and
in the future. There really is no planet B, so looking after our home is extremely important
because it’s where future generations will live, too. Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970
when a senator from the USA organised an event to show fellow politicians the importance of
environmental issues. Since then, millions of activities have been done, and celebrations have
taken place in so many countries across the globe - let’s take a look at some of them!

Great Britain
In London, you can find a
whole host of different events
to choose from. For example, if
you’re feeling green-thumbed,
you can take part in a
workshop on how to make a Switzerland
miniature garden. Earth Day is a big
deal in Switzerland,
as this country is a
champion when it comes
to sustainability! To
celebrate the day, schools
nationwide raise money
to plant trees and play
recycling games.

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 Earth Day

Japan
Here, Earth Day is centred in Tokyo’s
Yoyogi Park. The park becomes home Philippines
to a two-day festival with food to If you’re a keen runner, you
encourage eco-friendly eating and even can participate in marathons
workshops for the younger members of here! There are plenty of
the community. different options to choose
from, with 5K, 10K and even
42K options available. These
races are some of the most
anticipated in the whole
Australia country, so get your trainers
In Sydney, there are plenty of on and off you go!
activities to celebrate the day
- take storytelling, giveaways
and even nature walks, for
example! If you embark on a
nature walk, you’ll be sure to
learn a lot about the different
plants and animals in the
local areas.

So, if you’re looking for an activity to celebrate Earth Day, there are plenty on offer! And
if nothing inspires you, why not get together with a group of friends and classmates and
do an eco-friendly activity in your city, such as rubbish collection or a nature walk?

This resource has been made for the purpose of teaching English language learners. We know that students can be learning English in many different places, in many different ways and at age, so we try to
keep these resources as general as possible.
There are many acronyms associated with English language teaching. These include (but are not limited to) ELT, TEFL, EFL, ELL, EAL and ESOL. While the term ESL may not fully represent the linguistic
backgrounds of all students, it is the most widely recognised term for English language teaching globally. Therefore, we use the term ‘ESL’ in the names of our resources to make them easy to find but they are
suitable for any student learning to speak English.

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 Earth Day

Questions
Reading Comprehension Questions

1. When is Earth Day celebrated, and why?

2. What do schools in Switzerland do to celebrate Earth Day?

3. “If you’re feeling green-thumbed”... What does “green-thumbed” mean?

4. What happens over two days in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park?

5. The text says that the marathons in the Philippines are “some of the most anticipated”.
What does this mean?

Writing Questions

1. Which of the five events described in the text would you like to attend and why?

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 Earth Day

2. What Earth Day events will take place this year in your country?

3. What do you do at home to protect the environment?

4. Do you think we should do more to protect our planet? Why or why not?

5. Draw a picture of you participating in an Earth Day activity in the box below.

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 Earth Day

Answers
Reading Comprehension Questions

1. When is Earth Day celebrated, and why?

It is celebrated on April 22nd to raise awareness about the environment.

2. What do schools in Switzerland do to celebrate Earth Day?

They raise money to plant trees and play recycling games.

3. “If you’re feeling green-thumbed”... What does “green-thumbed” mean?

It means “to be a good gardener” or “to have the ability to make plants grow”.

4. What happens over two days in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park?

The park is home to a festival to celebrate Earth Day.

5. The text says that the marathons in the Philippines are “some of the most anticipated”.
What does this mean?

It means they are the most expected or looked forward to.

Writing Questions

Students' own answers.

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