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Environmental Education Activities & Resources

Lesson Plans, Activities, Professional Development, and More
 

  • 366 Community Service Ideas
    Here are fourteen categories of community service ideas from the 4-H Club. A PDF version is available.
  • Cool the Earth
    Resources designed to engage kids and their families in climate change by motivating them to take simple actions to conserve energy.
  • Freecycle
    People from all over the world post books, CDs, electronics, and toys they're giving away. All you have to do is arrange to pick up the items.
  • Facing the Future
    Standards-based resources related to global issues and sustainable solutions. Designed by teachers for teachers.
  • 100 Ways to Save the Environment
    The site suggests ways everyone can help the community and the planet. A PDF version can be downloaded.
  • The Dynamic Earth
    This website offers interactive information about the dynamic forces that formed and continue to form the Earth and the solar system.
  • Butterfiles - Free Learning Resources
    Butterfiles really are free in this rich respository of lessons, media, tools, exhibits and many other free things for learning about butterfiles.
  • "Unplug Me" Reminder Cards
    Students create original reminder cards to unplug appliances for their schools and homes.
  • Urban Bird Sounds Project
    Created BY students FOR students, this audio guide is a way to help others learn about and study birds in their own communities. Listen, download materials, and learn how to make your own.
  • Recycling Fact Sheet/Posters
    Show your students the benefits of thinking green. Print these materials and hang them in your school. Materials also for sale on this site.
  • Welcome to the USGS - U.S. Geological Survey
    A huge repository for earth and life science resources, USGS features educational materials and many multimedia resources.
  • Teaching Students About Carbon Emissions
    Helping students understand "carbon footprints" and how to reduce environmental impact.
  • The Greens: Energy Vampires
    In the web episode, students learn how to identify energy vampires, electronic devices that continue to drain energy even when you’re not using them.
  • Public Alert Radios for Schools
    NOAA is distributing these radios to schools to help safeguard children.
  • Terracycle
    Released three times a year, the TerraCycle Curriculum Lesson Sets each focus on a particular topic and its relationship to the materials cycle.
  • YES! Magazine
    YES! Magazine is offering classroom teachers and school librarians a free one-year introductory subscription to the magazine. The independent, ad-free magazine covers sustainability, peace and social justice, happiness, climate change, and more.
  • Light It Right!
    In this game, students earn points by turning lights on and off when someone enters or exits a room.
  • EELink Compiles Environmental Education Lesson Plans
    We review a website offering free compilation of preK-12 lessons, activities and other curriculum resources that focus on environmental education.
  • The Roof is Growing!
    A classroom program developed by the American Society of Landscape Architecture to engage and educate middle school students about green roofs and their environmental benefits.
  • Peace Corps Coverdell Word Wise Schools
    This site offers lesson plans on arts and music, cross-cultural understanding, mathematics and more, stories, multimedia (ed videos, slide shows, posters, podcasts) and information on service learning.
  • Nature Rocks
    Get your family back to nature! This site offers easy tools and tips for planning a family nature adventure. Enter the age of your kids, how much time you have, and the location and the website gives you ideas for activities and events.
  • Kratt’s Creatures
    Choose a creature adventure or visit the clubhouse and learn about creatures from around the world. Make a creature movie and submit it to the Kratt’s Brothers website or just watch those in the library. PBS requires registration.
  • Think Green Resources Guide
    Looking for ideas and resources to inspire environmental awareness and action in your classroom? This guide from Edutopia is full of succinct and practical ways to prepare students for 21st-century success.
  • Vampire Energy - Poster
    Download and print this poster that shows the yearly cost of common electronic devices in passive and active standby modes.
  • National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Photo Library
    The NOAA Photo Library was built to capture the studies of the world’s oceans and atmosphere —throughout centuries of scientific thought and observations—from the surface of the sun to the bottom of the sea.
  • The Rainforest Alliance
    Curricula and resources to help students understand how rainforests contribute to our collective well-being.
  • National Geographic Kids
    Read kids’ stories and interviews with scientists, watch videos, look at facts and photos of animals, try activities and games. Find out what everyone’s reading about on the site.
  • It's a Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue World
    Using Jonathan Bird's Blue World in the classroom is easy with amazing study guides and resources for educators.
  • Eekoworld
    Students can build their own creature with EekoCreature. They'll learn how even the smallest plants and animals in their neighborhood are important. They'll also explore other aspects of ecosystems. PBS requires registration.
  • Vampire Energy - Video
    This brief (2:17min) and engaging video explains the dollar and environmental costs of wasting energy and suggests how everyone can help reduce wasted energy
  • Wildlife Gardens
    Learn how to build your own wildlife gardens: pond, rotting log, and three more.
  • Recycling: NEA Works4MeTips
    A trove of practical classrooom recycling tips from teachers like you.
  • Weather: Extreme Weather 101 Teaching Resources
    A collection of lesson plans, videos, podcasts, interactives, and supporting reading and websites for educators.
  • Green Foundation Curriculum
    Environmental education lessons that provide step-by-step instructions and assessment strategies.
  • Clorox: Clean Up the Classroom
    This website offers lesson plans, games, and a classroom poster.
  • Eco-Tips from GEF - Poster
    Download and print this poster, in color or in blackline for students to color. From Green Education Foundation.
  • Endangered Species Program
    Search for information about and photographs of endangered species by state or species. Listen to an audio interview with experts.
  • Climate Classroom Kids
    Access climate change lesson plans, fun volunteer activities, guidelines, and tips for discussing climate change with children.
  • Energy vampires: Is it worth it to unplug your electronics?
    Read this blog: Unplugging isn’t the only way to save energy. Follow these simple tips and save energy and money.
  • Energy Vampires 101
    Read this blog: Highlights on this energy saving site include a table summarizing average, minimum, and maximum power levels observed on common devices while in standby mode.
  • EELink Compiles Environmental Education Lesson Plans
    We review a website offering free compilation of preK-12 lessons, activities and other curriculum resources that focus on environmental education.

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