Earth day skit

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EARTH DAY SKIT: “How Earth Day Began”

This skit can be performed at an Earth Day assembly
for an entire school or a single class



Scene 1: At Home__________________________________ ______________

A student returns home from school. While eating dinner, she discusses her day
with her parents. The end of April is approaching and her school [insert your
school name] is preparing for its Earth Week festivities. Teachers and students
have been talking about the week’s event and she can’t wait – excitement is in
the air! She tells her parents that Earth Week events begin tomorrow and that
she will participate in a day of tree planting; bring a litterless lunch, and even
wear something green! After helping her parents clean up after dinner, she heads
off to bed. As she falls asleep she thinks of all that she has learned about Earth
Day so far.

Student:
Hi Dad!

Dad:
You’re home a bit later than usual,
how was your day?

Student:
Oh Dad, today was sooo exciting.
Mrs. Ali taught us all about the history
of Earth Day and she spoke about
all the fun activities that we’re going
to do for Earth Day.

Dad:
Really?

Student:
Yep! Our school is planning to
have a week of festivities to celebrate
how much we care about our earth.
I’m so excited I can hardly wait!
Dad:
Let’s sit down and have some dinner.
Your Mom and I prepared your favourite dish!
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Mom:
And while we eat you can tell us
all about the activities.

They sit around the dinner table.

Mom:
So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Are you going around the community
and picking up garbage?

Student:
Nope, that’s Friday, along with an assembly
and guest speaker. Tomorrow we are planting
trees, bringing in litterless lunches and wearing green.
Does anyone know wear my green overalls are?

Dad:
We’ll have a look for them; we’ll make sure that
you are as ‘green’ as can be.

Student:
I’m so eager to plant trees; I’ve never done that
before. This is my first Earth Day celebration…all my
friends are so thrilled. The class that plants the most
trees wins a prize, we’re going to win for sure!

Mom:
I bet you will, now help us clean up the dinner table
and off to bed you go!

Student: (pleadingly)
Do I have to?

Mom:
Yes, dear.

They clean up the table.

Student: (She heads to her
bed, already laid out in the middle of the
stage)
Good night!

Parents (in unison):
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Sweet dreams!

Parents exit.

Narrator:
As she falls asleep, she thinks only of tomorrow’s
festivities.

Curtains Close

Scene 2: Her Dream__________________________________________ _____

The purpose of this scene is to provide students with a background of the history
of Earth Day, to make them aware of the environmental degradation occurring
then and now, and finally, ways in which students can act to help make our Earth
healthier.

Wisconsin Governor Gaylord Nelson (speaking to the history of Earth Day) will
be in the middle of the stage, surrounded by the three groups (each representing
a type of environmental degradation). Each group will be on stage at the same
time as the governor. He will stand behind a podium di scussing the
creation/development/successes of Earth Day. As the governor speaks about
each type of environmental degradation, the corresponding group will act out
their part accordingly.

Curtains Open

Narrator:
It’s 2005 and Wisconsin Governor Gaylord Nelson
is making a speech about Earth Day.


Governor: (in 1970s attire)
Good afternoon and thank you for attending today’s
event. How many of you are aware of the history of
Earth Day? [Pause] Well, here’s a bit of history that
you might be interested in. In 1963, I began to worry
about our planet, it was becoming more and more
degraded, pollution was evident and plants and other
species were disappearing. I began to talk with
lawmakers in the US and to the president at the time,
President Kennedy, about going around the country
and telling people about these environmental
concerns. However, while he did go around the
country speaking of these concerns, this did not get
the attention of enough of the country and
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environmental degradation continued. I worried that
the affects would be detrimental to the health of our
environment…….

Pause…first group proceeds with their segment

First Group: Air pollution group
Without speaking, this group (wearing white and symbolizing air) will stand
together in a group of 5 or more while 2 other students dressed in red will burst
through the ‘wall’ of white representing holes in the ozone. The red will represent
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform
(option: have students in red hold or paste a sign on themselves that reads:
”CFCs”).

Move to second group

Second Group: Deforestation group
Without speaking, this group of 5 (wearing green) will have their hands in the air,
standing tall and swaying (resembling trees). After a few seconds most will
eventually fall to the ground representing trees being cut down and the spoiling of
natural wilderness.

Move to third group

Third Group: Water group
Without speaking, this group of 5 (wearing blue) will all lay on the ground
symbolizing a river, watershed. Pollution (those wearing brown) will come up
from behind and will lie down beside them representing pollutants entering the
water stream and remaining there for long periods of time.

Back to the Governor’s speech

Governor:
In 1969, I was still very concerned so I came up with
another idea. I decided to have one special day to
teach everyone about all the things that had to
change in our environment to make it healthier. That
day was EARTH DAY. The first Earth Day was held
on April 22, 1970, with the help of Harvard University
Student Denis Hayes and it was a major success.
Since then, Earth Day celebrations have spread all
over the country, and especially in Canada. Today,
more than 6 million Canadians join 500 million people
in over 180 countries in staging events and projects to
address local environmental issues. Nearly every
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school child in Canada takes part in an Earth Day
activity.

[pause]

So, you want to know how to make every day Earth
Day? Make a promise to the Earth to stop
environmental degradation by: Spreading the
message to your family and friends that idling their
vehicles causes air pollution. Try taking public
transportation!

First group (Air pollution group) walks of the stage….

You can adopt a "zero waste" frame of mind at
school, home, in your everyday-lives. All you have to
do is remember the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle.
Also, how about planting some trees?

Second Group (Deforestation group) walks of the stage…

Also, let everyone know that dumping garbage,
household cleaners, pesticides, or oil down a storm
sewer drain is harmful to the watercourse. Paint a
yellow fish on storm drains in your area to remind
your community that what goes down the drains ends
up in our water systems…

Third Group (Water) walks of the stage…

That’s not all you can do! I challenge you and your
class to think of more ways to help our planet. It only
takes a small group of people to make big changes in
the world. I wish you all a wonderful Earth Day!

Curtains Close

Scene 3: Back in students room ____________________________________


Mum:
Wake up, its time for school. How did you sleep?

Student:
I had a great sleep mom, I dreamt all about
Earth Day. Thanks for getting my clothes ready, Dad!
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I have to run, I don’t want to be late for tree planting!

All:
Bye!


Student exits off stage with her litterless lunch, dressed in green with a big smile
on her face!

THE END



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