support pack for schools - WWF UK

EARTH HOUR
It’s not just about an hour of darkness.
It’s about a brighter future.
Switch off your lights at 8.30pm on Saturday 31 March 2012.
GET INVOLVED. VISIT WWF.ORG.UK/EARTHHOUR
WWF’S
GLOBAL
EVENT 2012
UK OFFICIAL
PARTNER
Earth Hour
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WWF’s Earth Hour
It’s not just about an hour of darkness.
It’s about a brighter future.
Support pack for schools
It starts at 8.30pm on Saturday 31 March 2012.
23 March 2013, 8.30pm
GET INVOLVED. VISIT WWF.ORG.UK/EARTHHOUR
WWF’S
GLOBAL
EVENT

© ZIG KOCH / WWF
BE PART OF IT
Join with schools across the UK for WWF’s Earth Hour, the
world’s largest display of support for a world with a brighter
future.
Last year, hundreds of millions of people from 152 countries,
including 3,500 UK schools, took part – making it the biggest
Earth Hour yet. This year, and with your support, we hope to
involve more people than ever!
Together we have the power to make change happen. WWF’s
Earth Hour is your chance to show you support the switch to a
better energy future. You’ll join hundreds of millions of people
who care about protecting our brilliant world.

WWF’s Earth Hour 2013 – Support Pack For Schools
What is WWF’s
Earth Hour?
WWF’s Earth Hour is a unique annual
phenomenon that focuses the world’s
attention on our amazing planet, and
how we need to protect it.
At 8.30pm on 23 March hundreds of millions of people will turn off their lights for
one hour, on the same night, all across the world in a huge, symbolic show of support
for our planet. It’s always a memorable and spectacular event with places from New
York to New Delhi going dark for the hour.
Earth Hour 2013 is your chance to take action to protect our planet – not just for one
hour, but every day. As we all switch off our lights at 8.30pm, we want the focus to be
on the kind of energy we use. Because to create a better future for our planet we need
to move away from dirty fossil fuels and onto clean green renewable energy which
works with the awesome power of nature, not against it.
As the event takes place on a Saturday, most schools choose to hold their own ‘Earth
Hour’ in the days or week before the big switch off. It gives your pupils a chance to
show they care about issues such as climate change, and provides a great opportunity
to explore some of the biggest issues facing their generation.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
In the UK, we’re consuming three times our fair share of the planet’s natural
resources. And our reliance on high carbon fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas is overheating
the atmosphere and affecting the climate.
Decisions are being taken now that will shape our energy industry and climate for
decades to come. We want the government to commit to making our electricity system
virtually carbon-free by 2030. The sooner the government throws more weight behind
renewable energy the better for all of us – financially and environmentally.
We’re asking David Cameron to back the switch to renewable energy and away from
unsustainable fossil fuels. By signing up to Earth Hour and turning off your lights
for one hour, you can send a message that you support the switch to renewable energy
and show you care about the environment.
© Jeremiah Armstrong / WWF-Canada

WWF’s Earth Hour 2013 – Support Pack For Schools
How to use this
support pack
This support pack for schools contains
ideas and details of resources to excite
your pupils about WWF’s Earth Hour.
We have a range of resources which
will help you to make WWF’s Earth
Hour as successful and engaging
as possible.
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU
• Downloadable free resource which focuses on renewable energy. It contains
background information about renewable energy, activity ideas, resource sheets and
curriculum links. Download your copy from wwf.org.uk/ehschoolresources
• Film – you can download the Earth Hour 2013 global film from
vimeo.com/57364224
• Photos – we have a wide range of photos from around the world that
you could use in presentations, these can be downloaded from
earthhour.org/media-centre/images. These images capture the moment
people and iconic global landmarks switched off their lights.
• Posters, postcards and other communication materials are available to download
from wwf.org.uk/ehresources. There are also a range of graphics that you can
download for your website to show that you are taking part.
• Earth Hour map – don’t forget to check out your school on our interactive Earth
Hour map! Visit wwf.org.uk/earthhourmap – please allow five working days
after your registration for your name to appear.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE PART AT HOME!
We will be releasing an exclusive audio book of ‘Just So’ stories read by some
of our celebrity supporters to help you celebrate Earth Hour. Register at
wwf.org.uk/earthhour to make sure that you don’t miss out. Find us on
Facebook (www.facebook.com/EarthHourUK) and Twitter
(www.twitter.com/wwf_uk) too. If tweeting, please include hash tag
#earthhour
© Jamie Williams

WWF’s Earth Hour 2013 – Support Pack For Schools
CELEBRATE Earth Hour
IN YOUR SCHOOL
There are lots of ways that
you can get involved with
WWF’s Earth Hour. Here are
some ideas.
Monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
BUILDING UP TO THE BIG NIGHT!
Here’s a timetable to show how your school could build up to your very own Earth
Hour on the Friday before the big switch off!
Hold a launch assembly to explain what Earth Hour is and what you are going to be
doing at your school using the Earth Hour film and PowerPoint. You can download
both from wwf.org.uk/ehschoolresources
Pupils could create posters or graphics that can be used around the school to remind
everyone to take part in WWF’s Earth Hour. You can see our official poster on the
Earth Hour website – wwf.org.uk/ehresources
Pupils could create some jam jar candle lanterns and put messages on them to show
support for Earth Hour.
Pupils could write a letter home to parents explaining about Earth Hour and how they
could get involved. We have some fantastic family-friendly recipes on our website that
families could prepare and eat together by candlelight whilst take part in Earth Hour!
Hold a ‘Wear it Bright!’ day at your school with small prizes for the best dressed
pupil and teacher. If you don’t want to go the whole hog, you could just have a wear
your brightest sock or hat. You could ask pupils to bring in a donation to WWF or
environmental projects in your school.
Hold a whole school ‘Earth Hour’ where you turn off non-essential lights and
equipment. Perhaps you could think of some activities that you could all do within
that 60 minutes. Here are some of our ideas:
• Tidying up your growing area
• Recycling scrap paper
• Taking a walk in the local area or in your school grounds and looking out for all the
signs of Spring
following Monday
• If possible, sending a text or email to parents to remind them to take part in
Earth Hour. Every person counts…
During assembly ask for a show of hands of how many children took part in
Earth Hour on Saturday. It is a good time to remind pupils that although Earth Hour
is just one hour, they can do something every day to help our brilliant world – you
could ask what their Earth Hour 2013 resolution is.
Fundraise for WWF
Information about how to fundraise for WWF can be found on
wwf.org.uk/schoolfundraising

WWF’s Earth Hour 2013 – Support Pack For Schools
FUN ACTIVITIES AND
SPREAD THE WORD
Please help us to spread the
message of WWF’s Earth Hour as
widely as possible. Here are some
ways you can help.
Design a t-shirt competition
Challenge pupils to create a design for an Earth Hour t-shirt. You could do this as a
competition with the winning design being made into a real t-shirt for the designer!
Earth hour cakes
Ask pupils to bake some Earth Hour cupcakes and decorate them using bright colours.
The cakes could be sold at a cake sale with proceeds helping to support WWF.
Create a video
Your pupils could develop their interviewing skills asking fellow pupils what they will
be doing to celebrate Earth Hour and collate these into a film. Why not share them with
WWF through YouTube or other video sharing sites. Don’t forget to send us the link.
Create a Earth Hour board game
Many families play board games during Earth Hour. Pupils could make their own board
game to play with their families during the big switch off.
Write an Earth Hour story
To help families celebrate Earth Hour we will be releasing an exclusive audio book of
‘Just So’ stories read by some of our celebrity supporters. Your pupils could write their
own stories which they could read during Earth Hour.
Poster competition
Pupils could create their own Earth Hour poster which could be displayed around the
school. Perhaps you could have a competition to choose your favourite poster.
Spread the word
Press
Why not let the local press know what you’re doing to celebrate Earth Hour? Invite them
to take part in some of your activities. Alternatively, you could send them a letter and
some photos showing what the school did during the build-up to Earth Hour. Explain
what changes you’ll be making to help protect the natural world or tackle environmental
issues – this could be anything from switching to recycled paper throughout the school,
helping to plant more trees in the school grounds or community green space, or simply
trying to be more energy efficient. There is a press release that you can download and
adapt – wwf.org.uk/ehschoolresources
Letter/email to parents
To make Earth Hour 2013 the biggest statement yet, we need even more households to
take part on 23 March. You could help us by sending a letter or email to your parents and
carers. There’s a template letter that you can download from
wwf.org.uk/ehschoolresources.
Take photographs
Make sure you take plenty of photos of your pupils celebrating Earth Hour! You could
feature them on your website, or send them to the local newspaper to raise awareness of
how you’re helping to tackle climate change and protect the natural world. We’d also love
to see your photos, so please share them by emailing us at: schools@wwf.org.uk
Website
Visit our website – wwf.org.uk/ehresources - to download a great range of banners
and badges which you can add to your website to promote your involvement in Earth
Hour and help raise awareness.

WWF’s Earth Hour 2013 – Support Pack For Schools
WHAT NEXT?
Going beyond the hour
WWF’s Earth Hour
is so much more than
just an hour.
It’s a reminder to us all that we need to look after our planet and it is a great way to
kick-start action to make your school more sustainable. Here are some things that you
can do once the lights are back on.
I Love Amazon Week for primary schools
Every minute of every day, an area the size of three football pitches disappears from
the Amazon rainforest. But we can all do something about it. That’s why Sky and
WWF have joined together to bring your school the I Love Amazon Week initiative.
I Love Amazon Week is your opportunity to bring the Amazon to life in your school
with free resources focussing on the world’s biggest rainforest. Home to one in 10
of the world’s species, the Amazon is as rich in learning opportunities as it is in life.
To help you celebrate this incredible natural resource, Sky and WWF have created a
set of fantastic free resources for you to explore with your pupils during a dedicated
week of learning. You could hold your week at any convenient time during the school
year, perhaps linking it to Earth Hour? Register today and we will send you a range of
fantastic free resources. sky.com/amazonweek
Become a Green Ambassador School
Does your school have a school council or green team? Or are you thinking of setting
one up? If so, why not register to become part of the WWF Green Ambassador
Scheme. It’s a free programme for primary schools offering resources to inspire and
motivate pupils who are part of green teams within schools. Register your school now
by visiting wwf.org.uk/greenambassadors.
© richard stonehouse / WWF-UK

WWF’s Earth Hour in numbers
1,200
1,200 organisations and
businesses, signed up and
switched off
3,500
Over 3,500 schools got
involved
Why we are here
to stop the degradation of the plane t’s natural environment and
to build a future in which humans liv e in har mony with nature.
wwf.org.uk
7.6 MILLION
An incredible 7.6 million people
took part in the UK
152
Globally 152 countries and 6,590
towns and cities joined
• WWF”S Earth Hour 2013 – SUPPORT PACK FOR SCHOOLS wwf.org.uk/Earthhour
WWF-UK, 2013. all rights reserved. This material may be downloaded, printed and photocopied by schools taking part in WWF’s Earth Hour.
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