Middle school students can win a digital camera or other prizes by taking a photograph, April 18-29, of something changing in their local environment.
It only takes one click of a camera to capture nature in action. And with springtime here again, there are plenty of picture-worthy changes taking place all around us - in the air, on land, in the water, and among plants and animals.
Celebrate Earth Day with middle school students (grades 5-8) across the country by taking a photograph of something changing in your local environment. The photograph must be taken anytime from Monday April 18 through Friday April 29, 2011 (Earth Day itself is April 22). The picture could show a change taking place in your backyard or neighborhood, near your school or in a local park, on the ground or high in the sky, or off in the distance toward the horizon.
Then, research and write an essay about the photograph (400 words or less) that answers the following questions:
· What is the change taking place in your photograph?
· What may be causing the change?
· Was the change expected?
· How might the change impact surrounding areas, including people?
· How might this picture look different in the future?
Entries will be judged by Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) staff based on relevance to the contest theme (depiction of change in the environment), uniqueness and overall appearance of the photo, and quality of the essay.
The top three winners will receive a digital camera, digital photo frame and digital photo keychain, respectively. Each of the top 10 winners (including the top 3) will receive a photo book featuring the top 10 photos with his or her photo on the front cover. The top 10 photos and accompanying essays also will be featured on the IGES website.
Entries must be received by email or postmarked by May 13, 2011.
For submission instructions, entry form, suggestions for using this activity in the classroom, and to see winning photographs and essays from previous years, please visit:
http://www.strategies.org/EarthDayPhoto
