Interdependence
Ecology
Systems
Needs and wants
Consumer culture
Economy
Resources
Energy
Use & waste
Footprint
Decision-making
Spirituality/Reverence
Wonder & Awe

Interdependence
Ecology
Systems
Guiding question:
How do we find and understand that everything is connected to everything else?
Suggesting these resources on the laws of ecology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Commoner http://www3.niu.edu/~td0raf1/history261/nov1910.htm
About food webs – a good app to try: http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Food_web
Needing some group development:
• to generate a meaningful student experience through an activity, lesson, or project
• at the junior, middle, and/or senior school level (groups to please work toward 2 of those levels)

The nature of Nature Lesson Plans
Name of Experience
Your River is What you Eat
Objectives:
To appreciate that dietary decisions have an impact on the health of the “river.”
Resources:
Student materials:
Activity guide:
Mind map – draw a mind map outlining the direct and indirect impacts of a dietary decision – for example, eating a local organic apple vs. an non-organic apple from California. Look for connections beyond linear connections – examine the interconnectedness of the web.
Assessment:
Extension: River Clean-Up, Water Testing

The nature of Nature Lesson Plans cont’d.
Name of Experience
You are What You Eat
Objectives:
Students critically examine the planning and preparation of a healthy meal/diet.
Resources:
Student materials:
Activity guide:
Put together a healthy/organic meal plan that is nutritionally balanced.
Assessment:
Extension: Grow food

Needs and wants, Consumer culture
Economy, Resources
Energy, Use & waste
Guiding Questions:
What is the difference between nature and natural resources?
What are the sources of our stuff and our energy?
Where do our goods and our energy go when we have used what we want?
Suggested resources:
The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/
A bit from Cradle to Cradle: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/cradle-to-cradle/
From David Suzuki: http://testtube.nfb.ca/#/testtube
Good sources of data: http://www.worldometers.info/ http://www.gapminder.org/ http://www.breathingearth.net/
Needing some group development:
•
to generate a meaningful student experience through an activity, lesson, or project
• at the junior, middle, and/or senior school level (groups to please work toward 2 of those levels)

The Material Cycles Lesson Plans
Name of Experience
Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse Art Project
Objectives:
Students complete an art portfolio that is made entirely out of reused materials.
Resources:
Any reused materials that relate to and align with the vision of the artist
Student materials:
Same as above
Activity guide:
Students will be asked to complete a portfolio using a number of different reused media. They will be asked to create a proposal that will involve the reused materials, plan out the portfolio's elements, and then create the products with a direct link back to the original proposal.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their proposal, process, and product.
The product should directly relate to the original proposal that was put forward.

The Material Cycles Lesson Plans cont’d
Name of Experience
Tracking Solar Usage
Objectives:
To track the amount of megawatt hours produced by a school's solar panels and follow where that power is going and being used.
Resources:
Solar panels and tracking software/hardware
Student materials:
Math workbooks, and any other math resources relevant to tracking, recording, and analyzing data
Activity guide:
Students will track the amount of mw/h produced by the school's solar array. They will then be tasked with seeing where that power is being used in the school and will be challenged to come up with some solutions to ensure that the power is being used more efficiently.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the creativity of their solutions and the accuracy of their data tacking and management.

Footprint
Decision-making
Guiding questions:
Are there basic guidelines to keep in mind when deciding how to live?
what to eat?
where to live?
how to travel?
How can we understand right and wrong?
Is there a right and wrong way to do things?
Suggested resources:
These are good footprint calculators. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2009/oct/20/guardianquick-carbon-calculator http://myfootprint.org/en/ http://www.bestfootforward.com/resources/ecological-footprint/ http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ http://calc.zerofootprint.net/youth/ http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/footprint_mx_2005.s
wf
Needing some group development:
•
to generate a meaningful student experience through an activity, lesson, or project
• at the junior, middle, and/or senior school level (groups to please work toward 2 of those levels)

From Thought to Action Lesson Plans
Name of Experience
From Food to Flowers - Junior Level
Objectives:
To constantly remind students about their daily carbon footprint using the snacks/lunch they eat and a strategically located compost container.
Resources:
Large compost container
Student materials:
Daily snacks and lunch
Activity guide:
During snack time or after lunch, boys place their organic wastes into a composter located in a clearly visible location in the classroom. As compost accumulates and biodegrades, the organic material is then used to plant flowers in a garden on school property.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their ability to understand the principles of organic and inorganic wastes, and specifically how the former has a positive impact on their bodies and the environment.

From Thought to Action Lesson Plans cont’d
Name of Experience
Keep Your Brain in Touch with Nature - Senior Level
Objectives:
Teach students to improve their mental health by reducing the amount of time they spend in front of an electronic screen and increasing their physical exercise in a natural environment.
Resources:
No electronics, natural, reality-based experiences
Student materials:
Pencils, paper, self-discipline, self-regulation
Activity guide:
Have students log the number of hours they spend in a virtual or artificial environment (video games/TV/internet) vs. the number of hours they spend in a real or natural environment for a week.
Compare individual results within the classroom and to the national average.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their ability to recognize their lifestyle habits and how these decisions will affect their personal health. More specifically, students will be assessed on their ability to communicate an understanding that the real world and environment needs to be managed more critically than their virtual world.

Spirituality/Reverence
Wonder & Awe
Guiding questions:
How can we understand and communicate some humility for our own place in the world?
How can we know and show respect for the natural world?
Suggested resources:
These 2 scales of the very large and very small: http://www.nikon.com/about/feelnikon/universcale/index.htm
http://htwins.net/scale2/
A thought-provoking video, and book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ra9lwKn75s&feature=related http://everythingforever.com/
About current environmental troubles http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/information.html
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Environmental_Problems:_Landfills http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Do_Humans_Affect_the_Environm ent
Needing some group development:
• to generate a meaningful student experience through an activity, lesson, or project
• at the junior, middle, and/or senior school level (groups to please work toward 2 of those levels)

Presence & Respect Lesson Plans
We thought we’d like to build up, or build onto a project for junior and intermediate level students. Isn’t it possible, if framed deliberately, that a study of dramatic natural forces, and disappointing man-made situations can bring about some personal reflection and reverence for our home planet? Although basically a research project, we thought the basis for this experience should couple the student’s inquiry into natural forces with human’s forces bringing an impact. Relevant music and art examples should be suggested, as an accessible way to express personal feelings – to reflect on times and places in the natural world that have brought profound reactions.
Name of Experience:
Powerful Study – Junior/Intermediate
Objectives :
That we can know our ability to quickly cause environmental trouble, and that natural forces are often beyond our control. Humans then must operate carefully with some understanding of the power of nature, and our own technological ability to have lasting effects.
Resources :
Need a collection of good sites for both natural, and human-made forces
Student materials: See below
Activity guide:
- to find causes, effects? solutions? precautions? contribution
- to research into the details of great “natural” forces, like hurricanes and earthquakes, but also plate tectonics and glaciations
- to research into the details of “un-natural” forces like pollution, deforestation, and climate change
- to find a piece of music, art, film, that brings an inspiration…
- mindful minutes outdoors
Assessment:

Presence & Respect Lesson Plans cont’d
Name of Experience:
Powerful Study – Junior/Intermediate
“catchy name”
Objectives :
That we can know our ability to quickly cause environmental trouble, and natural forces are often beyond our control.
Resources:
- scale stuff
- natural disaster whatnot…
Student materials:
Activity guide:
- to find causes, effects? solutions? precautions? contributions?
- to research into the details of great “natural” forces, like hurricanes and earthquakes, but also plate tectonics and glaciation
- to research into the details of “un-natural” forces like pollution, deforestation, and climate change
- to find a piece of music, art, film, that brings an inspiration…
- mindful minutes outdoors
Assessment:
There are things happening on our planet all the time.
Some very quickly and dramatically; some things happen slowly.
For some we know the causes, while others are mysterious.
We know that humans are responsible for many things going on here on Earth, and we see also things happening that we would say are more “natural.”
The goal here is to compile some research material into two powerful processes, and contrast the human-made with the natural.
How do you feel?