Caring For Our Earth & Ourselves
Connecting the Environment and Health
Our 2022-23 theme is Caring for Our Earth and Ourselves, with an emphasis on climate change. Our reporters will consider the environmental and health benefits of such activities as walking instead of riding in a vehicle, drinking water from reusable bottles, and disposing of electronics appropriately. They also will explore their own feelings about the impact of climate change on the planet and neighborhoods, and discover solutions that people are testing and implementing.
This page will be updated as Heathy NewsWorks student journalists explore our 2022-23 theme, so check back frequently for new articles, blog posts, and classroom activities!
What is Climate Change?
“Climate change describes a change in the average conditions—such as temperature and rainfall—in a region over a long period of time,” according to NASA scientists. The scientists say they have “observed Earth’s surface is warming, and many of the warmest years on record have happened in the past 20 years.”1
Classroom Activities
NASA: ClimateKids
Time for Kids: City of Trees
Read the article “City of Trees” from Time for Kids, and consider why planting trees is good for people and the planet. Use a fact from the article to write a short opinion piece about what you want others to know about trees and how they can help lower temperatures.
National Geographic Kids: Cimate Change
Read the article “Climate Change“ from National Geographic Kids, and brainstorm a list of five to 10 things you can do in your own home to help combat climate change.
Walkability Checklist
Walking has many health benefits, and is a way to get somewhere without contributing to climate change. But there can be obstacles: crime, cracked sidewalks, poor lighting. Evaluate how walker-friendly your school neighborhood is. Click to download the handout called “Walkability Checklist” to survey how it could be improved.
1. What is climate change? NASA ClimateKids. climatekids.nasa.gov/climate-change-meaning. Accessed August 28, 2022.
2. Image for Walkability Checklist by Mary Taylor, Pexels
