Earth Day Play #4

Apr 27, 2009 Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg At the beginning of the story Walter doesn't care about the environment. He throws his trash on the ground, he grumbles when his mother asks him to take the garbage out, and makes fun of Rose because she wanted a tree for her birthday. Then Walter has a dream and it changes him. He travels in his bed to the future. First his bed stops in a city dump. Walter sees half buried houses in the middle of the dump. READ MORE

Earth Day Play #3

Apr 27, 2009 The Great Kaypok Tree by Lynne Cherry A man comes into the rainforest to cut down a giant kaypok tree. All the animals are watching him. Shortly after he begin to cut down the tree, the heat and humidity make the man tired and he decides to take a short nap. While he sleeps a monkey, a boa, 2 butterflies, a toucan, a frog, a jaguar, porcupines, an anteater, a sloth, and a boy visit him and whisper into his ear. They beg him not to cut down this wonderful tree. READ MORE

Earth Day Play #2

Apr 26, 2009 Destroy the Earth by Brenda B. Covert Nasta is a sworn enemy of the earth. Nasta's assistant is Friggle. Airamess isthe air pollution villain. Aquariot is the water pollution villain. Litterum is the land pollution villain. All of the villains of Earth have gathered to complete their plan to destroy the planet and wipe out all living things. Airamess is late because he has been busy setting off a volcano. Aquariot has just polluted a well in a small village. READ MORE

Earth Day Play #1

Apr 26, 2009 The Awful 8 by Lois Myer Two reporters, Connie Lung and Harry Wheezer are in front of the Environmental Protection Agency to get the story on a protest headed by the pollutants, The Particulates, Carbon Monoxide, The Toxins, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Fluorcarbons, and Carbon Dioxide. The pollutants are there to protest the newest clean air legislation. Connie and Harry ask the pollutants all kinds of questions. READ MORE

Arbor Day Jokes

Apr 25, 2009 This group rehearsed a wide variety of tree jokes to celebrate Arbor Day. Here are a few jokes you will hear: How did the ecologist feel about the trees that had turned to stone? He was petrified! Why did the rotting tree start erasing all its music? It was de-composing! What kind of tree is always ready to shake hands? The palm tree! Which tree likes to eat ice cream? The pine tree because it has lots of cones! What did the tree wear to the pool party? Swimming trunks!

Arbor Day Play

Apr 25, 2009 This play was written by Virginia Ott and Sue Sneale.The setting is Arbor Lodge State Historical Park in Nebraska. A boy and girl are standing by the statue of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day, when the statue suddenly comes to life. Sterling Morton takes the children on an adventure of his life to show them how a person can "write a holiday." Listen to this delightful play and learn tons of facts about the history of Arbor Day.

Arbor Day Poems

Apr 25, 2009 Arbor Day is the last Friday in Illinois. Students rehearsed poems about trees to perform this podcast in honor of Arbor Day. One poem you will hear is: What Do We Plant? by Henry Abbey What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the ship, which will cross the sea. We plant the mast to carry the sails; We plant the planks to withstand the gales -- The keel, the keelson, and the beam and knee; We plant the ship when we plant the tree. READ MORE

Why do we celebrate Arbor Day?

Apr 25, 2009 This podcast consists of two parts. The first portion is by Phyllis Naegeli. In this short play the readers explain that Arbor Day began in Nebraska in the 1800's by J. Sterling Morton who loved trees. The second portion is a tree legend to celebrate Arbor Day. The play is about a little tree that has sharp needles and wishes to be like other trees and have beautiful leaves. The little tree is granted several wishes but no matter what it receives it is not happy. READ MORE