Celebrate May “Clean Air Month” With DNR’s “Air, Air Everywhere” Poetry Contest!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Air, Air Everywhere poetry contest. Parents and teachers can lead students through an activity (or more than one) from the Air, Air Everywhere Teacher’s Activity Guide, which aims to teach third, fourth and fifth grade students about air quality and the importance of clean air.

“Winning the contest served as a catalyst to the confidence and drive that I now possess as a twenty-two-year-old college student, all the while helping me to realize that I could be that change in the world regarding aspects that are bigger than myself,” said Jake LaFleur, the DNR’s first-ever Air, Air Everywhere poetry contest winner.

Teachers and parents can submit original poems and riddles created by their student(s) to DNR. Three winning poems will have their work featured on the DNR website and social media.

Requirements:

Open to all third, fourth and fifth grade students in Wisconsin.

Any form of original poetry or riddle is acceptable. Entry must be 200 words or less and describe air or the importance of clean air.

Writing must be the original work of the student.

Each entry must include the name of the author, the name of the parent and teacher and the parent and teacher’s e-mail and phone number.

E-mail entries to: [email protected]

Submit entries by Friday, May 7, 2021 to be eligible. Contest entries will not be returned and will become the property of the contest sponsor.

The Air, Air Everywhere Teacher’s Guide includes ten activities to get students thinking about the air in Wisconsin.

As part of the Where’s the Air? activity, students will complete simple sensory experiments to discover the characteristics of air, and then write a poem or riddle describing air.  

And be sure to check out the Wisconsin air quality facts and information document to help students complete their riddles and poems. This resource is filled with facts on Wisconsin’s air quality history and current status to help students understand the state’s continually improving air quality.

For more information about air education contact Lindsay Haas, DNR Air Quality Outreach Specialist, at [email protected].