Discover how to prevent pollution of the planet.

Why does the water in rivers or the air sometimes not look or smell good? This is because they are contaminated.

Pollution is a serious problem on our planet. It can come from different sources, such as factories, cars, and waste that is not disposed of properly.

Water pollution can affect the animals and plants that live in the river and also people who drink water from contaminated rivers. Air pollution can cause health problems such as asthma and allergies. Soil pollution can make plants not grow and make it difficult to grow food.

But not all is lost. We can all help reduce pollution. We can pick up trash and dispose of it in the right place. We can also use less plastic and reuse things instead of throwing them away. And we can always do small things, such as walking instead of driving or turning off the lights when we don't need them.

The planet is our home, we are all responsible for taking care of it and protecting it from pollution.

Activities to do in the classroom or at home

After reading this Eco-note, we invite you to keep learning with simple and fun activities to do in the classroom or at home. With small actions and big ideas, together we can help take care of our planet.

1. Let’s Talk

• What is pollution?
• What things pollute water, air or soil?
• Have you ever seen a polluted place? What was it like?
• How do you think pollution affects animals and plants?
• What can we do to pollute less?

2. Let’s Observe

Observe your surroundings (the classroom, home or street) and identify possible sources of pollution: trash on the ground, smoke, dirty water or noise.

3. Let’s Create

Imagine two different worlds!
Fold a sheet of paper in half and draw the same landscape on both sides: on one side, a clean environment full of life; on the other side, the same place polluted. You can include rivers, trees, animals and people, and show how the environment changes when we do not take care of nature.
Comparing both landscapes helps us reflect on the importance of our actions.

4. Let’s Color

Download the coloring page and color it.

DOWNLOAD COLORING PAGE

5. Let’s Take Action

Walk around the classroom, playground or a nearby area and collect any waste you find. Then sort it into different containers: paper, plastic or other recyclable materials. When you finish, check that the place is clean and talk about how small actions can help protect the environment every day.

6. Let’s Play

Try an EcoKids eco-game about caring for the environment.

• Let’s Clean the River
• Choose the correct option
• Recycle and Learn

EcoKids Tip

If we throw trash in the right place, recycle and keep our spaces clean, we protect water, air and soil. Together we can make the world a better place!