Earth Day Reading: Exploring Author’s Point of View

By Rissa Hanneken, Updated March 4, 2024

With Earth Day just around the corner, why not shake things up in your classroom by blending some Earth Day reading into your lessons? It’s a golden chance for your students to soak up some cool Earth Day facts and get a sneak peek into what the author is trying to say. Guiding our students to uncover the author’s point of view in various texts transforms reading into an exciting treasure hunt through language, significantly boosting their critical thinking skills in an fun way!

Are you looking for an engaging Earth Day text that you can use to teach the author’s point of view? CLICK the image or button below!

Why the Author’s Point of View on Earth Day Matters

Earth Day stories have different views, heartfelt opinions, and some persuasive calls to action. When we guide our students to pick apart the author’s perspective, we teach them to sift through the facts and figure out what the author is trying to convey. This is a big deal in our world, flooded with information.

• It’s a chance for the kids to dive into various takes on environmental topics, showing them that books and articles often mirror what’s happening in the world around us.
• Chatting about what the author thinks opens up a space for respectful conversations in class about how we can all chip in to look after our planet.

Use these helpful anchor charts to teach and review what students need to know about finding the author's point of view in this Earth Day reading.

Mixing Earth Day Facts with Reading Strategies and Skills

Pairing up the interesting details about Earth Day with a look into the author’s point of view makes for a well-rounded literacy lesson:

• While the kids are getting the lowdown on Earth Day’s backstory and its impact worldwide, they can also practice finding the author’s point of view. Is there a hint of urgency, a nudge to do something, or maybe a glimmer of hope?
• Encourage the use of graphic organizers. They’re like treasure maps that help students chart out the main ideas, the juicy details, and where the author is coming from. It’s a visual and fun way to boost understanding and analytical skills.

Beyond the Text: Living the Earth Day Message

Digging into what the author believes about Earth Day can spark more than just great classroom discussions; it can motivate our students to think deeply and maybe even take action:

• Why not throw in some writing prompts about Earth Day? It’s a fantastic way for students to explore and share their own views, building a personal bridge to the big environmental topics.
• Dive into some vocabulary fun with activities that help unravel new or tricky words in the Earth Day readings. It’s all about making the content friendlier and more relatable.

Earth Day Reading Comes Full Circle

When we mix Earth Day facts with spotting the author’s point of view, we do more than teach about an important day. We’re helping our students become better readers who think for themselves and care about the planet. Let’s fill our classrooms with lessons that really mean something to our kids this Earth Day. Here’s to helping them become thoughtful readers and people who look out for the Earth with this Earth Day reading lesson!

Want to learn more about using reading strategies in your classroom?

• Earth Day Reading Comprehension: Main Idea
• 3 Close Reading Tips or Upper Elementary
• Reading Strategies for Social Studies