By PLT Staff

Lessons in Conservation
(resource for PLT’s new online Biodiversity Module)
This new online journal provides educators and students with the most up-to-date resources and thinking in biodiversity conservation. Published semi-annually by the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP), Lessons in Conservation is a collaborative project to develop capacity aimed at sustaining Earth's biological and cultural diversity.

Japan Scientists Make Paper Planes for Space
(resource for PreK-8’s “We All Need Trees” and “A Few of My Favorite Things”)
This ABC News Article explains the theory behind a spacecraft made from paper. What are the different advantages and drawbacks?  What else will we be able to do with paper in the future? 

Papermaking Video
(resource for PreK-8’s “Make Your Own Paper”)
The American Forest & Paper Association, in partnership with PLT, Sidwell Friends School, and Smurfit-Stone, produced a paper-making video for educators to use in conjunction with PLT's Activity 51, "Make Your Own Paper." Check out the roughly 5-minute video at www.paperrecycles.org/tools_for_teachers/index.html or by linking to it from the PLT website’s Resources for Activity 51 webpage. The video is a great resource for teachers; it integrates footage of a teacher doing PLT's activity (slightly modified version) and footage of the commercial paper-making process.

Environmental (In)Justice: Sources, Symptoms, and Solutions
(resource for PreK-8’s “People of the Forest” and “A Look at Lifestyles”)
Introduce the concept of Environmental Justice to students by sharing these three videos made available by the EcoRes Forum. What are the underlying causes and possible solutions to issues related to environmental justice? What can be done to raise awareness?

NSF Scenes from the South Pole Station
(resource for the PreK-8’s “The Global Climate”)
This NSF website lets visitors see the research taking place at the new U.S. South Pole Station. The research facility, located in Antarctica, allows scientists to study topics like climate change and the origins of the universe.

EPA’s Go Green! Newsletter
(resource for the Municipal Solid Waste module and the PreK-8’s “Air We Breathe”, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and more)
The EPA has launched this new monthly newsletter to help people make greener choices at home, in school, in their community, and beyond. So far, topics have included doing research into your school’s air quality, recycling cell phones, etc. Go to their website to subscribe.

National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Continues Rollout On iTunes U
(resource for the PreK-8’s “The Global Climate” and many other activities)
A complete description of NSDL's new venture on iTunes U has been posted on the NSDL site. iTunes U is a free service that gives users of Apple's iTunes access to audio and video from leading educational institutions. The Beyond Campus section of iTunes U includes museums, public radio and television stations, and other non-profit educational providers.  You can download many videos and interviews with real scientists on a wide range of topics, including causes and evidence for global climate change.  The iTunes U page on NSDL.org includes instructions on how to download a free copy of the software and get started.

LandScope America
(resource for the Places We Live secondary module and PreK-8’s “Then and Now,” “Planning the Ideal Community,” and “People, Places, Things”)
Planned for full release in Fall 2008, LandScope America is an interactive conservation Web site linking maps, data, and stories about natural places of America’s lands and waters. This online resource for the land-protection community and the public is a collaborative project of NatureServe and the National Geographic Society. Tour the site, sign-up for the newsletter, and learn more about conservation efforts and issues in the U.S.

Download “Take a Cloud Walk” Book for Free!
(resource for PreK-8’s “Water Wonders,” “Every Drop Counts,” and “The Global Climate”)
Take a Cloud Walk, a new addition to the award-winning Take a Walk book series by Jane Kirkland, is available as a free PDF download. In this full-color, 30-page book, readers learn the basic names and shapes of clouds, why they move, why they are white, how they affect climate change, the difference between weather and climate, and weather terms and conditions such as hail, lightning, and fog.  Get your copy at Jane’s new website for educators, where you can find many other free resources for educators.

Clean Sweep U.S.A.
(resource for Municipal Solid Waste secondary module and PreK-8’s “Earth Manners” and “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”)
This educational math and science classroom online resource for students (grades 4-8) now includes lessons on litter prevention and beautification and features interactive learning modules that help students, teachers, and families address real-world issues about waste.

Land of Curiousities
(resource for PreK-8’s “Loving It Too Much” and Focus on Forests’ “Who Owns America’s Forests?”)
A book by Deanna S. Neil, Land of Curiousities is the first tale in a series of adventures with the Clifton family into Yellowstone during the year that it is declared the world’s first national park.  The collection is staged around defining events and themes in the history of the environmental movement as told through the experiences of two young and courageous fictional characters who learn to protect each other and the environment. The first book, for ages eight and up, includes a real history section, and was inspired by real events and places.