Idea by Sofia, a 3rd Grade Teacher, from Riverside, CA. I make a habit of incorporating ecological practices into the way I plan my classroom management strategies. I include practices aimed at energy conservation as well as waste reduction and present these as part of our daily routine. We only turn on one set of
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Idea by Katie, a 1st Grade Teacher, in Chalmette, LA. To help children understand that natural resources are limited, I explain that energy eventually will run out and we need to use what we have wisely. To demonstrate this concept, I buy a big bag of M&M candies and bring them to the class on
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Idea by Katie, a 3rd Grade Teacher, from McLean, VA. To help kids learn about the importance of energy conservation, I use a unit from Project Clarion (William & Mary College, School of Education) called “Dig It.” The unit helps kids learn about the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. It is a problem-based
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Idea by Mary, a 2nd Grade Teacher, in Benton, AR. This year, after we read the classic book, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Random House Books for Young Readers, 1971), I’ll have students read the new book, How to Help the Earth by the Lorax by Tish Rabe (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2012).
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Idea by Meaghan, a 9-12th Grade Teacher, from Montague, PEI, Canada. One of my favorite current event topics to incorporate into my oceanography and chemistry classes is a study of Ocean Acidification that results in climate change. I generally start with some general discussion around climate change. I have students make a list of what
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Idea by Patrice, a 3rd Grade Teacher, in New Milford, CT. To begin a unit on water awareness, I have students toss an inflatable globe to one another. After each catch, we notice whether our thumbs grasped the land or the water; we tally each catch accordingly. (Water always wins because it covers more surface
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Idea by April, a 2nd-6th Grade Teacher, in Skiatook, OK. To spark interest in ecology, I made a podcast of a science experiment. The theme of my podcast was “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” The podcast begins with me drinking the last drop of a canned beverage. I tell students that I can’t crush the can because
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Idea by Jodi, a 5th/6th Grade Special Education Teacher, in Sanford, ME. To begin our Planet Protection environmental awareness unit, we study Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax (Random House Books for Young Readers, 1971). To build an understanding of cause and effect in relation to environmental issues, I hold a discussion in which I have my
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Idea by Bea, a K-3 EBD Teacher, in Dade, FL. The best way to teach children to care for the Earth is by example. I make a point of letting the kids know that we all need to do our part, no matter how small, to conserve energy. I make a habit of turning off
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This idea was submitted by Alicia, a 3rd Grade Teacher, in Hammond, Indiana. To discover what we needed to do to help our school “Go Green!” we conducted a building-wide audit designed to expose areas that could benefit from our attention. We examined our lighting system, our water system, the appliances we have in place,
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