EarthDay - High School
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Resources
Chemists Celebrate Earth Day
 | Grade Level: Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Classroom Lessons - Experiment - Holiday |
| Summary: The Unifying Event for Chemists Celebrate Earth Day 2005 is Kite Flying. Lessons and activities available for teachers include the chemistry of air quality, acid rain, and ozone. Each year has a different theme. |
| View more information on this link |
Earth Day Events for Families and Educators in Grayslake, Illinois
| Grade Level: Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Classroom Materials - Holiday |
| Summary: On April 13 an information-filled, free workshop for formal and non-formal educators (6 CPDU’s) will be offered., including public and private elementary and middle school teachers, as well as community leaders. A poster contest for students is being conducte... |
| View more information on this link |
Earth Day Images
| Grade Level: Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: List - Web site |
| Summary: Earth Day images (including copywrite free, clip art, and copywrited images) |
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Earth Day Kentucky
| Grade Level: Pre-K thru Kindergarten - Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: Holiday - Web site |
| Summary: Kentucky's Envirionmental and Public Protection Cabinet is offering a variety of activities across the state in conjunction with Earth Day 2005, including the Environmental Quality Commission's Earth Day Award for Kentucky communities, Earth Day activities for... |
| View more information on this link |
Earth Day Network
| Grade Level: Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: Web site |
| Summary: Learn about Earth Day 2005, register your event, join the network, check out upcoming events around the world. Locate additional events in your community or where your travels will be taking you. This site is updated throughout the year. |
| View more information on this link |
Ecological Footprint Quiz
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Checklist - Classroom Games and Activities - Language Options |
| Summary: This is an interactive quiz designed for 12-16 year olds. Students from international communities are able to take this quiz and variables will differ for each participant. |
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Gateway Area Storm Sewer Stenciling PRoject
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: Article/Report - Case Study - Checklist - School Projects |
| Summary: This project serves as a model for creating a storm sewer stenciling project. Content includes "how to conduct a stenciling program, organizing a stenciling project in your town," and an "activity guide for the classroom K-12." Organization includes stenciling... |
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Guide to Storm Drain Marking
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: Checklist - Manual/Handbook |
| Summary: This is a manual and how-to guide for municipalities interested in starting a storm drain marking program to reduce nonpoint source pollution. This is also a valuable resource for school districts and volunteer community groups who wish to implement a storm dr... |
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How to Stencil Storm Drains
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Classroom Materials - Fact sheet - List |
| Summary: A two-page PDF on how to stencil storm drains, from getting permission to the event day. |
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Illinois Sustainable Living Fair and Earth Day Celebration
| Type: Holiday |
| Summary: Two full days of exploration into sustainability, 40 workshops and 50 exhibitors will promote Earth Day celebrations. The goal of the ISLF is to help business and community members make sustainable choices that are ecologically sound, economically viable, and... |
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Pontiac Storm Sewer Stencil Program
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Case Study - Powerpoints, videos and virtual tours - School Projects |
| Summary: Teacher Paul Ritter (Pontiac High School, Pontiac, Illinois) conducts a school-based, community-wide storm sewer stencil program that can serve as a model for other communities. This 34-slide power point presentation offers suggestions for starting your own. |
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Quotations for Earth Day
| Grade Level: Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Fact sheet |
| Summary: A collection of quotes (and sources) appropriate for Earth Day. The last one should be the first (Every day is Earth day--author unknown) |
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School Ground Greening Guide, Ontario, Designing for Shade and Energy Conservation
| Type: Article/Report - Checklist - Manual/Handbook |
| Summary: This publication is the first in a series of EcoSchools greening guides that promote best practices on school grounds and in the classroom. This presents a five-step process the involves the entire school community. This 90-page resource is designed to help... |
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Storm Drain Marking Manual
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: Article/Report - Checklist - Fact sheet - Manual/Handbook |
| Summary: This 16-page PDF manual provides an introduction, marking methods, the planning process, education, day of the event (and after the event as well as sources for marking supplies and instructions on cleaning the supplies. |
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Sustainable Footprint
| Grade Level: Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: Case Study - Classroom Games and Activities - Language Options |
| Summary: This is an online quiz to calculate individual footprints. Thought provoking questions are presented through the quiz. Participants are called upon to consider their own actions and possible changes and a certificate is available at the conclusion. This is... |
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Teaching Green The Middle Years
| Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High - High School |
| Type: BiblioResources (Books) - Classroom Games and Activities - Classroom Lessons - Classroom Materials |
| Summary: Lessons
EditorsGrant, Tim and Littlejohn, Gail. ISBN0-86571-501-7 AbstractThis book of lessons is a compilation of the "best of Green Teacher" contributions from teachers who are working with middle school students and who are help... |
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Youth Education List of Resources
| Grade Level: Pre-K thru Kindergarten - Elementary - Middle School/Junior High - High School - Post-Secondary |
| Type: Classroom Lessons - Web site |
| Summary: Topic Hubs are detailed collections of resources and contact information for specific topics or industrial sectors. In this case, the topic is Youth Education. Topic Hubs include narrative sections providing background information, operations involved (if the... |
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Youth for Environmental Sanity (YES)
| Grade Level: High School |
| Type: School Projects - Web site |
| Summary: YES! is a non-profit organization that connects, inspires and empowers young changemakers to join forces for a thriving, just, and sustainable way of life for all. Founded in 1990 by 16-year-old Ocean Robbins and 19-year-old Ryan Eliason, at a time when Nancy... |
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Help Desk Questions
| Who is responsible for the pollution, the kids or the teachers? |
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View Answer |
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Pollution is a complex topic. The simple answer is everyone is responsible.
Teachers have a responsibility to help students understand the science and societal issues of pollution. Students have a responsibility to become wise stewards. You also have a responsibility to listen and learn when taught and to consider what you are learning in school. Students also have a responsibility to keep your surroundings clean and pick up or remove pollution when possible. However, as you probably know, pollution is more than tossing litter on the street. When Woodsy Owl says "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute" the message is clear. Accept personal responsibility and care for your surroundings. You need to reduce your waste, recycle what can be recycled, encourage buying of recycled products, and rethink wasteful purchases. Still pollution goes beyond all of this to industry, travel, shopping, entertainment, landscaping and simple activities like changing the oil in cars. Consider what you throw away and dispose of improperly. Consider what you buy and how it's packaged. Rethink your purchases. Everything you purchase was created using resources from somewhere else. Energy was used in making the item, as well as transporting it. When you're done with it chances are good that it will go into the trash unless you try to recycle the item. Someone else will need to deal with the waste, and someday when you're working that will be part of your tax burden.
Everyone has a responsibility to elect leaders who vote for pollution prevention and waste management legislation. Everyone is responsible for pollution because it always begins with the individual. As we approach Earth Day we each need to remember that the day is symbolic and that the true meaning is that Earth Day is everyday.
When was the last time you picked up some trash blowing around outside that you didn't drop? When was the last time you walked, rode your bike or took the bus rather than had someone drive you to school, shopping or friends' houses?
Pollution is driven by lack of care for the environment and a lack of knowledge about causes. You can't blame the teacher if the student doesn't listen and practice. You can blame the teacher if the teacher is wasteful, but you can't blame the teacher if you also are wasteful. Think honestly about your daily habits and waste. Encourage your friends to do the same. You will be inheriting the world and in many ways it's going to be what you make of it.
If this hasn't answered your question, I can recommend some additional sources. The California Integrated Waste Management Board can provide you with some excellent advice for southern California. A second source of valuable information on pollution prevention and managing waste is the US EPA teen web site. |
