Perform to Help the Earth

What You Need:

• Biography of Wangari Maathai worksheet
• Who Is Autumn Peltier? Reader
• Who Is Greta Thunberg? Reader
• Access to a computer to conduct research (Website suggestions include Climate Kids, Ducksters, and Footprints)
• Blank paper
• Pencils

What You Do:

1. First, tell your child the goal of this activity. Explain that they are going to create their very own Reader’s Theater about ways to care for the planet.
2. Brainstorm the parts of a script with your child before they begin to research. For example, your child's script should include characters, a setting, a problem, and a solution. 
3. Before your child begins scriptwriting, have them research different ways to be environmentally conscious. Find a few kid-friendly websites, and monitor your child as they research. (You can find suggestions for websites in the What You Need section, above.) Support your child in taking notes as they read. Encourage your child to research something that inspires them and that they are passionate about.
   • Alternatively, have your child read about environmental activists such as Wangari Maathai, Greta Thunberg, or Autumn Peltier. Use the suggested worksheets above to support your child’s learning. Ask your child to think about some of the environmental issues these change-makers were (or are) interested in, and why. 
4. After your child has finished researching, invite them to choose a few different ways that they can care for the planet. They are going to act these out in their skit.  
5. Have your child begin writing a script for their Reader’s Theater. Tell them that they can include you or other family members in their skit if they’d like. They can also act it out alone.
6. Allow your child to use their creativity to make their script however they’d like. The only requirement is that they incorporate a few different ways to take care of the earth within the skit.
7. After your child has finished writing the skit, have them perform it for their loved ones. Encourage your child to reflect on their research by asking them to specify the different ways that they are taking care of the planet, and why these steps are important.

This scriptwriting project will support your child as they increase their environmental awareness and as they become more invested in making sure that their actions align with the way they want the environment to be treated.