If the Earth Could Speak
If the Earth had a voice what would it say? Imagine the Earth making a public service announcement to its citizens to eradicate environmental pollution, unclog our oceans of plastics, and stop the destruction of old growth forests. Perhaps the Earth would sing a song, recite a poem, paint a masterpiece, or choreograph a dance to share its message.
Getting Started
Ask your students the following questions:
If the Earth had a voice, what would it say?
How would the Earth share its message?
Why is it important that we listen?
How is the Earth “speaking” to us now?
Are we listening? Why or why not?
Group Work
Have students work in small groups with approximately three or four individuals. Provide each group with a living being or non-living thing that represents an aspect of the Earth (for the sake of simplicity, this will be referred to herein as an object). Invite the students to begin by discussing what their object would say about the state of the Earth from their perspective. This will require some research for students to learn more about their object to understand its point of view. Students need to have a sense of how particular living beings or non-living things are impacted by environmental issues such as pollution (air, water, soil and land), climate change, global warming, deforestation and logging, GMOs, natural disasters, and so forth.
Once students have acquired some knowledge about their object, they can write a poem or short story to express what they have learned and what they want to say. This will also be accompanied by movement. In other words, the students will perform their poem or short story with the aid of creative gestures and full body moves. Each group will perform for one other group or for the entire class.
The following are examples of living beings or non-living things groups can learn about: birds, bees, polar bears, trees, oceans, marine life, air, soil, food . . . the options are endless. Have students begin their poem or short story with “If the _____ could speak. For example, “If the birds could speak . . . “ or more specifically “If the bald eagle could speak . . .”
Performances
Performances need to be set up with clear expectations that audience members watch with respect and appreciation. It can feel intimidating for students to perform in front of their peers so they will need to feel a sense of safety and comfort in doing so.
Feedback is also an important part of the process. Students can be asked to provide “two stars and a wish” or a “glow and grow” for each performance so that each group receives constructive and positive feedback for their performances.
Conclusion
Invite students to reflect on the process after the full experience is complete. Here are a few possible questions you can ask them: What did you learn about the Earth and why must you take better care of it? How can you make a contribution to caring for the world around your home, school, and community? What performance resonated with you the most and why? What is one thing you loved most about working with your group?
The students can also reflect on their own performance with two stars and a wish.
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Traci L. Scheepstra, Ph.D., is the CEO/Founder of Embodied Learnings. Read here to learn more about her work in education.