By Catherine Estes

PLT is excited to announce the newest addition to its environmental education secondary module collection: Exploring Environmental Issues: Biodiversity. This module uses biodiversity as a window through which secondary students investigate the environment. It permits educators and students to step back from specific issues and species and instead examine broader concepts and larger connections—not just biological, but political, cultural, ethical, and economic as well. Students will learn that decisions about growth and development, about energy use and water quality, even health, all rest to some extent on perspectives about biodiversity.

Exploring Environmental Issues: Biodiversity was developed by Project Learning Tree (PLT) in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Educators are permitted to download, print, and use any of the online materials, found at the PLT website. We currently have one activity online, “Global Invaders” focusing on invasive species, and will be adding two more very soon. Along with the “Global Invaders” activity, we also have the following support documents online: Biodiversity Background Information for Educators; Glossary; Correlation to Science and Social Studies Standards; PLT’s Conceptual Framework; and Acknowledgements. Please let us know how you use the module with your students and how you like the online format (e.g., do you like this format or do you prefer the professional development distribution model?) by sending a note to Catherine Estes at cestes@plt.org.

All other PLT secondary modules must still be obtained by going to an educator workshop. Contact your State Coordinator to find out about secondary workshops in your state.