I'd like to tell you about the first Earth Day, in 1970, and how my students and I celebrated it. I was teaching the second and third grades at an elementary school in Vandalia, Ohio. Second and third graders are sweet children, and I liked being their teacher. I taught math, science, and social studies to one grade in the morning and the other grade in the afternoon.
Another teacher taught language arts.
For the first Earth Day, I asked my students to bring in flowers from their gardens. They did, and we made them into bouquets--one for each classroom (it wasn't a very big school). At 10:00 in the morning, small groups of children took bouquets and stood outside each classroom door down the corridor of the school. I was at the end of the corridor and gave a signal for the children to knock on the doors. When each teacher opened her or his door, the children outside wished everyone inside, "Happy Earth Day!" and gave the teacher a bouquet!
Everyone was so surprised, and I like to think they were happy to receive such a nice greeting and beautiful bouquet of flowers on that special day.
Catherine Dennison is currently a member of Grace Episcopal Church, Asheville, NC.
