All Posts

A Lesson Plan book centered around Climate Change in different disciplines from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Literacy is a big part of teaching sciences, specifically Climate Change. Teaching with literature that helps with that teaching is crucial to begin to have an understanding of our role in fighting Climate Change.

Learn about real world threats to marine mammals and the ocean as well as the urgent need to address them. Using problem solving and critical thinking skills, participants will collaborate to design a solution to alleviate one of the threats. This program raises the awareness of participants to the interconnection between people and the ocean and empowers them to help restore it. In the process they discover how science and engineering are important to ocean related careers.

This is a two-part distance learning event with an assignment in between.

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, The 13 Pathways to Greening Your School are designed for you to use September – June (1-10) serving as year-round learning tools, and you can put them in any order that aligns with your program in school, after school, or out of school!
Within each Pathway you will find links to curriculum, games, apps, videos, Days to Celebrate and more!

The Nature of Teaching includes formal standards-based curricula and informal activity-based curricula all centered around getting youth outside. The three program areas of the formal curricula include: Wildlife, Health and Wellness, and Food Waste. Each program area provides standards-based lesson plans free as a downloadable PDF. Lesson plans are classroom ready for grades K-12. The Nature of Teaching also offers professional development workshops for teachers focused on science, the environment, and getting students connected with nature. Find the free downloadable lesson plans and assessments at www.purdue.edu/nature

Bat Week is Oct 24-Oct 31! Use this annual celebration timed with Halloween to teach kids about the important role bats play in nature. As insect eaters, pollinators, and seed spreaders, bats provide critical services for our ecosystem. Share facts and activities about bats and bat conservation with your students.

These fun recycling lesson plans will not only teach students about the importance of stewardship and conservation they also connect to standards in science, math, and reading for grades 1–8. They use the popular 5E lesson plan model, so you know they’re hands on and easy to adapt for your classroom!

Every lesson plan was created in collaboration with teachers, and they all include free worksheets to use, too.

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are responsible for much of the food and beauty we enjoy each day. Learn how you can help create a pollinator habitat in your garden, backyard or balcony. It’s simple, provide the essentials – food, shelter, and water in an eco-friendly landscape.

In the wake of this summer’s record-breaking heat – hottest June on record, the hottest month ever in July – students and teachers have returned to their classrooms. But in what classes should the diverse causes and consequences of climate change be covered? If meeting the challenge of climate change will affect, in some way, nearly every aspect of contemporary life, should it be covered, in some way, in every course? This month’s bookshelf features books about climate change education. The first part covered books that address the general theory and practice of teaching climate change. This second part highlights books that focus on specific subtopics.

As always, the descriptions are drawn and/or adapted from copy provided by the publishers. When two dates of publication are provided, the second is the date for the paperback edition.

New Lesson Plan book from NSTA - Units and lessons to use in the classroom with teacher resources. Understanding Climate Change grades 7-12.

Tree Campus K–12 inspires the next generation of tree stewards through experiences that bring the benefits of trees to life both inside and outside the classroom.

Follow a simple framework and access free tree-centric resources to connect your students to nature through trees and earn recognition for your school.

FREE to teachers, the Redford Center's 50-minute documentary "HAPPENING: A Clean Energy Revolution" explores the factors driving the transition to clean energy. An interdisciplinary curriculum aligned with national standards for grades 6-12 accompanies the film and is also free to teachers.

Thursday, May 16th, 2019 at 9am, 10am, 11am and 1pm Mountain Time.

Turn your plastic waste into useful products! By reusing plastic, upcycling reduces the amount that can end up in the environment and helps us avoid purchasing new plastic products. The Upcycling Guidebook contains information about the issue of plastic pollution along with step-by-step instructions and photos on how to create each upcycled piece. Join the World Oceans Day Youth Council and others in producing incredible upcycled products!

The Plog for the Ocean Toolkit contains everything you need to host your own plog event as an energetic way to raise awareness and take action against plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution can seem like a problem too large for us to tackle on our own, but together we can solve the problem! The Guide to Talking about Ocean Plastic Pollution helps you effectively communicate the urgency and scope of the issue while providing ways for people to be part of the solution. It also emphasizes the importance of engaging youth and empowering them to lead the world towards a better future.

A special youth edition of WWF's Living Planet Report 2018, which revealed just how much human activity is devastating the natural world.
This report is accompanied by an educator's guide and visual resources to help cover biodiversity and sustainability topics in an engaging way.

Our Planet is a nature documentary series now streaming on Netflix, created in partnership between WWF, Netflix and Silverback Films.
The series is the focus of a global campaign by WWF to build understanding of the importance of biodiversity, and build support for the global changes urgently needed to reverse the decline of wildlife populations and save our planet - and our species.
The website is packed with free high quality videos, educational resources and interactive tools to help you explain biodiversity and sustainability topics in a truly clear and exciting way.

"Encouraging Young Scientists" from the National Science Teachers Association has recently published a wonderful piece describing how to talk about climate change with elementary school and middle school youngsters. Check out the full article here.

The Cathedral District, located in the urban core of Jacksonville, Florida is adjacent to the downtown business district. It offers a unique energy and atmosphere. Currently the residential population is less than 2,000 and there are few businesses. The thirty-six square block area is anchored by five historic Christian churches whose leaders are as committed to the city’s needs as they are to their worshiping members. Over the past 30 years the churches have served disadvantaged populations and created nonprofit organizations to serve children, women, families, and the homeless. Cathedral District-Jacksonville, Inc. became a Florida nonprofit organization in 2016 to address community needs.

There are three distinct challenges related to development of the Cathedral District. Each challenge requires creative thinking. Prioritizing how to take the best steps forward is the primary objective for bringing people together for dialogue. To the degree Cathedral District Jacksonville, Inc. can make progress on each of the challenges, those who, live, work, worship and visit the area will benefit.

Challenge 1 Focus on Alternative Parking Strategies
Challenge 2 Create a Walkable Environment
Challenge 3 Rally Community Willpower

This issue guide was written for Bradford County, Florida residents interested in deliberating choices regarding involvement in community planning and enhancement. The guide presents three areas to which residents can be actively engaged: relationship building, workforce development, and comprehensive planning.

The overarching questions for deliberation:
• What will it take for Starke and Bradford County residents to actively participate in local and regional democratic activity?
• How can all residents feel welcome in community decision-making?
• What will the impact of the new bypass be on the community?
• What should we do? What actions should be taken?

We are happy to be translating Volume 3 from Travels in Brazil, the Martius-Spix expedition 1817-20 . Our Eco education program, Remember the Rainforest 1, is based on the work of the rainforest explorers of the 1800s, the Age of Collectors. Volume 3, the part about the Amazon was lost in a fire in London in 1824. Soon all of the italicized words will have links to their images, just as they do in Volumes 1 and 2.
http://remembertherainforest.com/shop2/rtr1/tvolumes/tv2p159p.html

As the climate changes, increased temperatures and extreme events are predicted in the southwestern United States, which could impact crop productivity and food security. The USDA Southwest Climate Hub partnered with the Asombro Institute for Science Education to design an engaging, fun, and scientifically rigorous education unit aligned with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

For educators interesting in adding a pollinator habitat / outdoor lab to their curriculum: a new resource is available to make it easier to offer your students a natural area for learning.