All EE Resources

This rendering of The Water Cycle is found on page 209 of PLT’s Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide. The water cycle is really a …

You can find PLT events happening across the U.S. every month! Check out these PLT professional development workshops, plus national and regional conferences we’ll be attending!

SFI and American Bird Conservancy joined forces to create a free booklet—Bird Friendly Forests: Opportunities for Private Forest Landowners in the Southern United States—that showcases …

Tree Tops Valley – For a Grades 3-5 variation to this activity, read aloud a fictional story told from the perspective of siblings who observe …

Every energy source has advantages and disadvantages, which may include cost, available supply in short- and long-term, and the environmental and social impacts of its …

Find the Birds is a free educational mobile game about birds and conservation. Players explore real habitats and find real birds with images, video, and …

Listening to the sounds of nature has been shown to have many health benefits. Listen remotely to sound recordings from officially protected places from around …

One of the best ways to understand data is to visualize it. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) conducts scientific research on public …

Story Maps are simple web apps that combine interactive maps, multimedia content, and user experiences to tell stories about the world. This introductory story maps …

Michigan State University Department of Forestry Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP) has produced a Tree Measurement Video Series. This collection of free educational videos …

Watch these series of PLT Canada Green Jobs Videos to meet some amazing men and women who work in and care for our forests. Find …

Download SOS Explorer® Mobile and explore Earth and space from anywhere! Researchers at NOAA developed Science On a Sphere® as an educational tool to help …

The Litterati app and web dashboard captures litter data through geo-tagged photos. Students can collect, map, & visualize data about litter and engage in impactful …

The Seek App uses image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you. Earn badges for seeing different types of birds, amphibians, …

The #NatureForAll Trivia Game tests your knowledge on parks and protected areas from around the world with this fun, interactive quiz. Topics include biodiversity, conservation …

The iBiome series of educational STEM games invites students to play while learning about environmental science. Build virtual ecosystems to study human impacts on the …

En-ROADS is a climate change solutions simulator, developed by Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, that gives everyone the chance to design their own …

Why Cities Need Trees is a 5:26-minute video that illustrates how trees are an essential part of successful cities. It tells the tale of two …

The Tree – A poem for the future of NAAEE is a 3:22-minute whimsical reflection on the power of an idea, written and narrated by …

The Minnesota Department of Education includes Indigenous-based learning benchmarks in science, language arts, and social studies. Learn how the Minnesota DNR worked with tribes to …

Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives is an interactive poster to learn about the many physical and mental health benefits trees provide in urban areas. Students can also …

Listen to the sounds of the forest with this interactive map by Timber Festival. This open-source library maps recorded sounds of woodlands and forests from all around …

This 30-minute recorded lesson Birds are my Peeps by Michigan DNR is part of the Nature at School Webinar Series developed for formal classroom teachers of grades 3-12, with …

“Keys to Being Firewise®.” Trees Are Key, Episode 28. In this 12-minute podcast, a guest speaker from Firewise.org talks about how to maintain defensible space …

“Proper Planting Is Key.” Trees Are Key, Episode 26. The first 8-minute segment of this podcast provides many practical details for how to plant a …

“Fall Color Is Key.” Trees Are Key, Episode 21. The first 6-minute segment of this podcast explains why deciduous trees drop their leaves and what …

“Keys to Forest Therapy.” Trees Are Key, Episode 263. In this 14-minute podcast, a certified nature therapist discusses the connection between trees, nature, and people …

“Water Is Key.” Trees Are Key. Episode 259. The first 13-minute segment of this podcast explores several of the ways that water is vital for …

“Equity Is Key.” Trees Are Key, Episode 309. The first 9-minute segment of this podcast explores how the number of trees in communities is not …

“Keys to Climate Change.” Trees Are Key, Episode 310. The first 8-minute segment of this podcast explores why trees are key for addressing climate change …

“Keys to Urban Forestry.” Trees Are Key, Episode 311. The first 10-minute segment of this podcast discusses how trees are key to healthier, happier, and …

“Mill Products.” This 8:37-minute video describe some of the thousands of products made from forests that we use every day and that provide a financial …

“Logging Products.” This 6:39-minute video provides an overview of the types of products that come from harvested trees, and offers an insight into the job …

“How to Make Veneer.” This 5:37-minute video shows how wood veneer is made from trees and talks about the uses of veneer. It is one …

“How to Make Paper.” This 5:55-minute video shows the industrial paper-making process from trees to the finished rolls of paper. It is one of a …

“Cool Tools that Foresters Use, Part 1 and Part 2.” Part 1 (7:47 minutes) shows how to measure tree diameter with a diameter tape, height …

“Jack Pine—Ugly but Interesting!” This 6:00-minute video explains how the jack pine of Michigan is a fire-dependent species and also an important habitat for the …

“Wildlife Habitat.” This 7:42-minute video describes how the habitat requirements for different animals are diverse and ever-changing, and how most Great Lakes States vertebrate species …

“The Carbon Cycle and the Forest!” This 7:20-minute video explains the carbon cycle’s connection to forests, and describes how managing trees and using wood products …

“Photosynthesis and Respiration in Trees.” This 5:41-minute video explains the two important chemical processes that occur in trees: photosynthesis and respiration. It is one of …

“How Does a Tree Grow? Hint: It’s Not What You Think.” This 7:06-minute video describes how a tree’s twigs, trunk, and branches grow longer and …

“Crowns, Trunks, and Roots!” This 5:36-minute video examines how the trunks, crowns, and roots of trees work together to support the tree. This video is …

“How to Identify Trees, Part 1 and Part 2.” Part 1 (9:08 minutes) introduces how to use bark, buds, and other clues to identify broadleaf …

“Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?” This 6:59-minute video explains the remarkable transition forests undergo from summer to winter, including changes in leaf …

Watch the Birds and Bugs video demonstrations (6 minutes) by Project Learning Tree. This activity is also known as Birds and Worms. 

Watch the Tree Factory video demonstration (10 minutes) by Project Learning Tree. 

Watch this Every Tree for Itself video demonstration (10 minutes) by Project Learning Tree. 

Watch the Trees as Habitats video demonstration (10 minutes), developed in partnership with Alaska PLT and PBS Kid’s Molly of Denali for a day in …

This article, “To Protect Children of Color, Leaders Must Understand and Address Environmental Racism” discusses the importance of understanding and addressing environmental racism in order …

This full-length 26:17-minute video is an episode of the series America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell, hosted by Rolling Stones keyboard player and Georgia family tree …

Use this 3:18-minute video to experience an on-the-ground view of third-party forest product certification audit in the state of Florida. Auditors visit operations to verify …

Use this 7:27-minute video to teach about how forest certification can work to protect and promote the sustainable use and management of forests on millions …

Use this 1:38-minute video to begin a discussion on connections between forests and climate change.  Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests, briefly describes …

Use this 1:09-minute video as a resource to connect species at risk to forests. Darren Sleep, Senior Director of Conservation, Science and Strategies at SFI, …

To support you in teaching remotely we have adapted this activity for the virtual environment. Download this PDF, Educator Adaptations for Remote Learning with suggestions …

To support you in teaching remotely we have adapted this activity for the virtual environment. Download this PDF, Educator Adaptations for Remote Learning with suggestions …

The Evergreens in Winter document provides outlines of common tree shapes during winter. 

Use these flash cards using American Sign Language as a quick reference to learn to sign a few environmental terms.   

Tangram Puzzle (pdf) – Math and manipulatives

Leaf Shapes (pdf) – Use these leaf outlines with the “Dance with leaves” group experience. If you are unable to collect real leaf examples from …

Google Slides and Docs are great tools for facilitating remote learning and student collaboration. They can be integrated into Google Classroom or other e-learning platforms. …

Google Slides and Docs are great tools for facilitating remote learning and student collaboration. They can be integrated into Google Classroom or other e-learning platforms. …

Google Slides and Docs are great tools for facilitating remote learning and student collaboration. They can be integrated into Google Classroom or other e-learning platforms. …

Google Slides and Docs are great tools for facilitating remote learning and student collaboration. They can be integrated into Google Classroom or other e-learning platforms. …

Download this PLT Green Jobs NGSS Correlations Toolkit. The Toolkit includes guiding questions, a list of science connections, and explicit NGSS correlations for each activity. Each …

The Society of American Foresters (SAF) College Guide is a go-to resource for students interested in pursuing a career in forestry or natural resources. The …

Download “Forest in the City” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation …

Download “Environmental Justice for All” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation …

Download “Decisions, Decisions” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation Science Standards …

Download “Web of Life” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation Science …

Download “Discover Diversity” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation Science Standards …

Download “Charting Biodiversity” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation Science Standards …

Download “Adopt a Tree” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation Science …

Download “Peppermint Beetle” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation Science Standards …

Use or adapt these materials provided by PLT state programs in Wyoming, Arkansas, and Washington to include species and ecosystems found in your area. Distribute …

Download “The Closer You Look” NGSS Correlations which includes a guiding question, science connections found in the activity, and explicit NGSS correlations. The Next Generation …

57% of consumers are actively taking steps to reduce their use of plastic packaging, according to the 2020 study U.S. Packaging Preferences 2020 released by …

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has monitored the world’s forests at 5 to 10-year intervals since 1946. The State of the World’s …

The Jeffers Foundation, whose mission is to foster environmental stewardship through education, has created several instructional videos for children-at-home on various environmental topics. For example, …

Go on an adventure with Rick Crosslin, a science teacher in Indiana, to investigate forest management in this video Forests at Work: An Indiana Expeditions Special. …

The video series On the Front Lines, created by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, profiles conservation professionals working in New York’s natural …

The video series North Country Calling: Finding Home in Northern New Hampshire documents four young people in New Hampshire who have found rewarding careers in forestry and …

Explore jobs in the environment, natural resource, outdoor recreation, and renewable energy sectors with these Career Profile Cards, developed by the Pacific Education Institute.  The cards …

Make That Paper: Careers in Forestry is an online game designed to help high school students learn about the forestry industry and career employability skills. In …

Want to show your students how fun, interesting, and just downright cool being a scientist can be? Share with them this Cool Jobs video series that highlights …

Project Learning Tree has launched an interactive quiz that allows youth to answer a few simple questions online and receive recommendations for a rewarding green …

In this free short simulation created by PLT, students pretend to be birds in search of food. This simulation explores the underlying concepts of how …

In this free short simulation created by PLT, students pretend to be trees as they compete for essential resources. This simulation explores the underlying concepts …

Learn more about the wide array of jobs related to forests with PLT’s 12 Green Jobs Fact Sheets, which highlights the following green jobs: Forester, …

Watch The Closer You Look Demonstration video (11 minutes). PLT’s The Closer You Look helps students learn about trees and tree parts. This video was …

Conservation and Youth Education Specialist and Colorado PLT Coordinator, Danielle Ardrey, and forester/firefighter, Kelsey Lesniak, with the Colorado Forest Service co-hosted a “Meet a Forester” …

In PLT’s Looking at Leaves activity, students take a closer look at leaves and find out more about leaf characteristics and how leaves can be …

Watch the Shape of Things Demo 1  video (11 minutes) created by Danielle Ardrey, Colorado PLT Coordinator. This video provides questions and examples of a …

Watch the Tree Cookie Demonstration video (12 minutes). PLT’s Tree Cookies engages students in investigating the patterns of growth in trees. With only some art …

Watch the How Big Is Your Tree Demonstration video (10 minutes), developed by Matt Schnabel, South Carolina PLT Coordinator.  In PLT’s How Big Is Your …

Watch The Fallen Log Demonstration video (13 minutes). PLT’s The Fallen Log helps students develop skills in data collection and learn what’s living on rotting …

Watch the Adopt a Tree Demonstration video (13 minutes), developed by Page Hutchinson, Virginia PLT Coordinator. PLT’s Adopt a Tree allows students to explore their …

Watch the Forest for the Trees Demonstration video  (15 minutes). PLT’s Forest for The Trees engages students in learning about different forest management practices for …

Watch the Name that Tree Demonstration video (5 minutes). In PLT’s Names that Tree, students will learn more about trees through these identifying features. This …

Watch the Schoolyard Safari Demonstration video (6 minutes). In PLT’s Schoolyard Safari, students go on a safari to explore a nearby habitat – the schoolyard …

Watch the Tree Lifecycle Demonstration video (10 minutes). In PLT’s Tree Lifecycle students discover that trees have a lifecycle that is similar to that of …

Watch the  Sounds Around Demonstration video (15 minutes). PLT’s Sounds Around engages students to listen and learn from sounds of nature. This video was developed …

If your students have an Apple or Android device and are interested in Earth Science, Earth Now is a free, 3D app that displays real-time …

Plan a virtual mini-lesson using Yellowstone National Park’s Kids and Youth section for students to learn more about America’s first national park. Through educational and …

Learn what makes a city park great, such as local wildlife, spaces for public enjoyment, and community activities, with this Detroit Parks Coloring Book. Use …

NASA’s Space Place website engages upper-elementary-aged children in space and Earth science through interactive games, hands-on activities, informative articles, and engaging short videos. Find material …

Developed by the Smithsonian National Zoo, the Migration Game tests students on their knowledge about bird migration. Depending on their answers, students will either help …

Learn about the connection between trees and climate change, how tree rings can tell a story about past weather events, and the methods by which …

How is a forest like a city? This 4-minute video, A City in a Forest from PBS Plum Landing, explores a child’s perspective of a …

PBS LearningMedia’s 4-minute video Food Web, from Idaho public TV’s Science Trek series for grades K-6, illustrates how energy from the sun moves through the …

Learn about tree Identification in this “BeLEAF it or Not” video How To Identify Trees. Michigan foresters, Bill Cook and Georgia Peterson explain some identification …

This printable cutout of Smokey Bear, courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, can be colored, shared on social media, and sent through the mail …

Curated and designed by an Indigenous-led team, Native Land Digital is a tool that maps Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages. Download The Land You Live On Education …

Use these Forest Carbon Cycle infographics developed by the U.S Forest Service that show how forests provide an important ecosystem service in the form of carbon sequestration—the …

Oregon Forest Resources Institute created a fun video for grades 4-6, to show them the range of careers in the forest sector and how these …

Encourage children to “adopt” a nearby tree. It could be a tree in their backyard, in a city park, on a street in their neighborhood, …

Developed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, EnergyKids provides a wide range of articles and resources about energy. Students can explore energy sources, ways to use and …

Project or print this color image of Change in Forest Area by Country, 2005-2010 from the FAO report Key Findings: Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010. …

Learn more about the current progress of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this episode from the podcast series Global GoalsCast. UN Foundation discusses how countries …

Learn more about the book “Why Forests? Why Now? The Science, Economics and Politics of Climate Change” in this episode from a podcast series created …

Read how the United States Forest Service tracks domestic and international forest sustainability goals through the Service’s Sustainability Assessment Program. Using an internationally agreed-upon set of 54 …

Read in-depth about forest health – from invasive pests and diseases to regeneration – in this Special Issue: Forest Health from Science, a magazine published by the American Association …

Check out what professional arborists look for in surveying tree health with this sample basic tree risk assessment form from the International Society of Arboriculture. By assessing …

About That Forest is a web-based role-playing simulation game that takes place in a forest where players are members of a community jointly managing their forest. Players try …

Learn more about management planning from the lens of a woodland owner in this interactive online module. With videos, maps, and audio segments, you can …

In this sample forest management document from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, view the type of information a property owner in Massachusetts must submit to their …

Read about how Australian forest professionals created a simple game using a few hundred beer bottle tops and a couple of maps to explain forest …

Learn about unique STEM stories in National Parks across the country by watching these YouTube videos created by PBS NewsHour STEM Student Reporting Labs. In 2017, …

Explore more than 250 different Forest Service scientist and engineer career opportunities with the Natural Inquirer’s downloadable career cards, made in partnership with Cradle of Forestry …

Learn more about the life of a field forester and more in this booklet Find Your Path from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute. Joe Newton, …

Explore forestry careers with Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources through five short videos. Learn how your tasks as a Minnesotan forester can differ depending on …

Learn some tips and tricks for pursuing regional opportunities working in and for the outdoors in this handy outdoor career opportunities guide. This guide provides …

Explore environmental job openings through online job boards such as the Conservation Job Board and Texas A&M’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Job Board. Filter …

Learn more about the work of a science communicator in this episode from the podcast series Her STEM Story. Dr. Sophie Arthur received her Ph.D. in stem cell …

Shared by Sandy Greene, an environmental educator in Virginia, this Woodlands Siesta activity helps connect students to the outdoors as they create a sound map and see …

Created by Debra Wagner,  a 4th grade teacher and PLT School Coordinator at St. Paul Lutheran School in Florida. Branching out in Working Forests is a game that …

Engage your students in developing their ELA skills and storytelling with this resource Creating a Forest Diorama from Debra Wagner, a 4th grade teacher and PLT School Coordinator …

Observe annual growth rings using this Tree Cookie Cross Section of a 102-year-old ponderosa pine from northwest Nebraska to learn about the many changes in a tree’s …

Learn more about the work of a tree conservation ecologist in this episode from the podcast series Planted: Finding your roots in STEM Careers. Dr. Silvia Alvarez-Clare works …

Foldscope is a foldable microscope made mostly of paper that achieves the goal of being less than one U.S. dollar in parts to produce. These origami …

Animals at Risk from Climate Change is an educational poster developed by the Global Education Project. The poster presents a succinct overview of the fundamental impacts …

A study 20 years ago found that British kids were better at identifying Pokemon than real wildlife. So a Canadian professor of teaching has crowdsourced ideas and …

Watch this 13-minute video to learn about what the U.S. Forest Service is doing to help our forests as we deal with a changing climate. …

BillerudKorsnäs, a renewable packaging material organization that specializes in creating sustainable packaging solutions, created this interactive resource titled Challenge your eco-footprint. It helps people understand the …

This supplement is specific to Indiana tree for the Activity 27-Every Tree for Itself. 

Games4Sustainability can help you incorporate a sustainability-themed game in your activities to improve your understanding of important global issues today. Narrow your search from among …

Download the Fresh Air – Hyperlocal Weather & NOAA Radar Map app to explore the weather around you using data from the U.S. NOAA Weather radar …

Agents of Discovery gets students moving with an augmented reality, geo-triggered app. Students play the role of a top-secret Agent to help solve mysteries of science, …

Covering 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, clouds can provide clues about the weather and climate. Using NOVA’s Cloud Lab tool, students will learn about cloud typing …

National Geographic’s Reading a Resource Map helps students in grades 2-4 investigate the origins of goods that people use. Use it to engage students on the topic …

Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide uses video, photos, and hands-on experiences for educators and students to learn about how food and climate systems …

Conservation Connect is an online video series developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center designed to encourage students, ages 8-16, …

Dirt on Dirt, an episode of Sid the Science Kid produced by PBS Kids, explores what makes dirt, dirt! In this episode, Sid and his friends …

NestWatch is a nest-monitoring project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and funded by the National Science …

This Interactive Climate Change Model, developed by the New York Times, asks: How much hotter is your hometown than when you were born? Global temperatures continue to …

The science of tree rings is called dendrochronology. Tree rings help scientists learn about past climates by decoding tree ring patterns. Climate scientists use clues from …

We all know Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for pioneering research on radioactivity. But there are many more women scientists, …

We all know Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for pioneering research on radioactivity. But there are many more women scientists, …

We all know Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for pioneering research on radioactivity. But there are many more women scientists, …

Discover ways to help make our outdoor spaces, state and national parks more inclusive with these five ideas and action steps from outdoors experts and activists. According …

In PLT’s Forest of the World Activity 7-Exploring the World Marketplace, students can participate in a simulation trading forest products world wide. View the World …

Imagine If is a podcast on climate resilience. Developed by the National Association for Environmental Education and National Geographic, Imagine If interviews change-makers affecting positive change on the world. Imagine …

Ag Across America is an online geography game for grades 3-5. With this game, students will learn more about how farms provide our food, fiber, and …

Generate: The Game of Energy Choices is a board game from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that teaches students about the costs and benefits of the …

Based on the PBS animated digital series The Ruff Ruffman Show, this app helps students discover the “stuff ” their world is made of. The Photo …

For a quick estimate of how trees in your area offset carbon emissions, reduce flood risks, and improve air quality, check out this Power of Trees tool …

Take your students on an upcoming Virtual Field Trip. Hosted by Discover Education, virtual field trips allow your students to immerse themselves in unique learning experiences. …

These three 2-minute videos highlight elements of an urban forest, how they’re managed, and the community benefits. More than 80% of all Americans live in …

Read Tree Dreams, an eco-literacy coming of age novel for grades 8-12, written by award-winning Kristen Kaye. The story emerged from a campaign to bring tree …

Did you know that nature works to power the things you depend on every day such as your smartphone, refrigerator, and more! Thanks to energy …

The Encyclopedia of Life is a biodiversity resource that collects and shares information about living things on earth from microorganisms, invertebrates, and trees. When you share …

Success Stories is an interactive map of the United States that documents the 40-year impact the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has had on preventing species extinction. …

Water is one of our most important resources! Earth’s rivers form watersheds to carry freshwater to communities and all living species around the globe. These …

For a variation on PLT’s popular activity “Forest Consequences,” have your students engage in a mock debate using this role-playing activity Abandoned Mine Drainage in …

Learn more about how clouds form and the important role they play in determining the climate. Create clouds and use lasers to study a cloud …

Soil is more than dirt under our feet. Students ages 7-9 can use this Starting with Soil app to learn about the organic materials that …

For honey bees to produce honey, they consume pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers. Honey bees are attracted to gardens and fields that …

Composting is easy, especially if you are already working with your students on a school garden. A Guide to Setting up a Simple Backyard Compost System explains …

Designed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Kids’ Crossing engages students in grades 5-9 in learning about atmospheric and …

In this Encyclopedia of Life podcast called Starlings, most appropriate for grades 8-12, students will learn how humans have inadvertently put out the welcome mat for …

This activity from Scientific American called Can Plants Help Slow Soil Erosion? helps students learn how soil erosion causes ecological problems, pollutes waterways, and increases the risk of natural …

For a twist on PLT’s PreK-8 Guide Activity 27—Every Tree for Itself, check out Every Bee for Itself. Developed by a Texas PLT educator, Allen Smith, …

A National PLT Outstanding Educator from Minnesota, Karen Christenson, created a student page for PLT’s PreK-8 Guide: Activity 3—Peppermint Beetle for use with students in …

Go on an adventure to learn more about innovations being made to protect and manage clean water! Produced by EarthEcho International, the video Water By …

Want to help cut back on carbon emissions and slow the pace of global climate change? Check out this NASA produced educational game called OFFSET, …

Be Zero inspires, educates, and activates others to reduce their plastic and trash footprint for a sustainable future. Join the challenge with your students too! …

Energy makes everything we do possible. In this TEDxMileHighWomen event, energy journalist Joran Wifs-Brock talks about Our Relationship with Energy, or as she explains, the …

This Sea Otter Savvy music video, created by Wild Lens Inc. Eyes on Conservation, uses song to share the story of sea otters and how …

Did you know that 1/3 of the food you eat from the United States depends on pollinators? Pollinators, such as bees, play a vital role …

Many classroom teachers use the monarch butterfly to teach about life cycles. Unfortunately, in recent years North American monarch populations have been in decline. To …

This first-hand account of nature and environmental issues in the middle east is great for ages 7 and up. Written by award-winning author Michael Caduto …

Imagine you and your friends are citizens, policymakers, business leaders, and nonprofit leaders of a coastal city. As a decision maker, your job is to …

This 86-minute documentary film, Evolution of Organic: The Story of the Organic Movement Documentary, tells the story of the growing organic agriculture movement. It shares …

Into the Outdoors empowers students and inspires critical thinking with over 150 videos! This video on Physical Science called “Ice Caves of Lake Superior” offers …

This video, The Chemistry of Clean Water, from the American Chemistry Council demonstrates some of the ways chemistry keeps the water supply clean. Chemistry helps …

As the demand for energy increases throughout the globe it is sourced through a variety of cycles connecting the sun to our food chain to …

Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska is a great place to learn about many different types of landscapes and climates, but it may not …

The free Disneynature Explore application for iPads and iPhones combines an augmented reality experience with animal behavior gameplay to encourage young students (grades PreK-3) and …

This poster captures the complex interaction of biological traits and environmental conditions that cause a species to be susceptible to climate change. Thoroughly documented to …

Developed as part of Energy.gov’s informational “Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About…” online series, Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Wind Power presents …

This web toolkit is designed to help middle, high school, and college educators and students – as well as citizens, conservationists, municipal decision-makers, and researchers …

Teachers and students can use SeedSmart to find answers to basic questions about a site you might be wanting to restore. Some of these questions …

The Skype a Scientist program matches more than 500 scientists with classrooms worldwide. Available for any level along the K-12 spectrum, a typical Q&A-style video …

Use Florida PLT’s Paper Plate Habitat template as the basis for learners to create their own microhabitats.

Print out pages containing many examples of everyday products from trees! 

Inspire children to express their appreciation of trees through PLT’s collection of 21 Tree Art Projects for Young Learners.

Get children playing, learning, and growing plants through garden-based activities and lesson plans from KidsGardening.org.

Educator Olivia Griset, who lives in snowy Maine, offers tips and rationale for teaching outdoors in winter with preschoolers: Why Teach Outside in Winter? See …

Check out Tips, Tricks and Lesson Ideas for Winter Outdoor Learning for a bunch more suggestions for teaching outdoors in the deepest of winter.

These videos of beloved children’s books about winter help bring the stories to life: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats features a boy who …

Try these 6 Smelly (and Really Fun!) Activities for Kids to further explore the sense of smell.

Some kids are highly sensitive to tastes and smells. Check out these 7 Ways to Help Kids Who Are Sensitive to Taste and Smell.

Are you worried about children being more familiar with touch screens than with soil, plants, and bugs? It might be time to get the kiddos …

The US Forest Service created a complete Forest Atlas of the United States. It covers everything from tree pollen count to owl habitats to agroforestry practices, …

Consumers love – and live on – their smartphones, tablets and laptops. However, even the tiniest devices have deadly environmental and health costs. From the …

It can be difficult to visually represent climate change. This illustrated timeline of the Earth’s average temperature since the last Ice Age glaciation demonstrates the …

A STEM education simulation game from the California Academy of Sciences called Cornucopia is a free online resource. The game teaches students in grades 5-12 …

Desmos creates digital math tools, such as this online graphing calculator that students can use for free. They also create activities and their Activity Builder …

Did you know that indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than outside air due to the accumulation of volatile organic compound …

There are over 7,000 school gardens across the nation and you can have one at your own school! This fact sheet from USDA’s Farm to …

Have a Netflix account? Bill Nye (The Science Guy) is staring in a new Netflix original series, Bill Nye Saves the World. The first episode …

The Teaching in Nature’s Classroom: Core Principles of Garden-Based Education e-book highlights 15 principles and best practices for successful garden-based education programs. Use this guide …

Forest management in the eastern United States is faced with many modern challenges. To address the changes, researchers designed a long-term, large-scale experimental study of …

Videos from California Academy of Sciences explore today’s environmental issues related to water use, from water shortage to waste water recycling. Intended for middle school …

Check out the Science of Seasons page from the Forest Service Northern Research Station. This extensive resource includes podcasts, research stories, and publications related to …

Simply print out and then fold this 3-Dimensional fire triangle model to help teach the 3 elements of the fire triangle, as well as to …

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) celebrated a milestone birthday, 100 years! In celebration of its centennial, NPS created the Centennial Junior Ranger Activity …

Have your students learn alongside Alyssa, a young girl who gets to see firsthand how scientific research can help protect endangered and vulnerable species. This …

Are you looking for a fun and interactive way to teach your students about seeds? Why not have your students play the Seed Racers game? …

This Carbon Cycle Song and accompanying materials can serve as a great introductory activity to the carbon cycle. The Carbon Cycle Song teaches students about …

In this short video from PBS Plum Landing, see how students work with a local arborist to plant a tree in their community. Underneath the …

What would happen to humans if there were no more trees? How are trees linked to human health and wellbeing? How can we measure the …

Discover the seasonal changes that are all around us! Follow animal migrations by observing, reporting, and tracking their travels across the hemisphere. Citizen scientists, across …

This illustrated children’s story takes students on an adventure to a rooftop garden to learn about the amazing work of pollinators. Witness the birth of …

Discover the natural world and the connections that make nature work in this 16-part video series for students in grades 3-6. Developed and produced by …

Learn about the Tree and Forest restoration process after a wildfire with this comprehensive resource from Montana State University  (MSU) Extension Forestry. In addition, MSU …

Digitally bring a professional into your classroom with Arizona State University’s Ask a Biologist.  Students can use the Ask a Biologist’s web resources to learn …

Learn how to be waste-free! EPA developed these Waste-Free Lunch activities to help students learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle items in their school …

Take a journey to Greenland’s largest ice shelf, in this Washington Post article.  Students can watch or read about a once-doubtful scientist whose first hand …

Developed over three years by experts in climate-change science and public health The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A …

If you live in an area where in-person workshops are not easily accessible or you want to do professional development when and where it’s convenient …

The NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project (PSEP) provides formal and informal educators working with elementary through university age students with sustained professional development, collaborative tools, …

The University of Washington’s Institute of Science and Math created Practice Briefs.  These free articles highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up …

Products from trees are all around us. Some items are easy to recognize as products we get from trees – lumber, plywood, and paper, for …

EJ SCREEN is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool that combines environmental and demographic indicators to provide interesting and important regional data related to …

Kea: Learn Birds Through Play is a free mobile app that turns the process of learning to recognize birds into a game. The app has …

What creatures live in the ground and how do they help make the soil healthy? A book from Dawn Publications, Mighty Mole and Super Soil …

Earth Day Network has published The Story of Climate Change, an interactive, digital textbook for middle school students. Use this iTextbook with grades 5-8 to …

To highlight the importance of paper in our lives, Domtar (a producer of pulp and paper products) created a Paper Because campaign featuring ads and a …

What is a snag? How do dead and dying trees benefit the ecosystem? Learn how dead trees can actually provide more habitats for wildlife than …

Farm Academy TV provides students with a virtual field trip to an agricultural destination. The 45-60 minute lessons are taught by a Farm Academy Live …

The U.S. Geological Survey’s interactive water cycle shows the various stages, actors, and components of the water cycle. There are three different versions of this resource …

Curious about how forest cover has changed during the past several years in your area- or beyond? This interactive online map allows you to see …

Do you know the story of the majestic vanished huia bird? It is one of the great tragedies in New Zealand conservation history. The story of …

At BioInteractive, you can find hundreds of free multimedia resources for science education targeted to a high school and undergraduate audience. Topics range from evolution …

Based on the success of 11 schools in the East End of Houston who participated in a community-wide GreenSchools project, Project Learning Tree’s Greening Communities …

Create a DIY sensory board to encourage young learners to explore a variety of textures.

Help children learn and remember tree parts with the video Mr. R’s Parts of Trees Song (to the tune of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”).

Help learners understand why it is sometimes necessary to cut trees in order to get wood, protect other trees, or reduce tree hazards. The book …

PLT educator Karen Christenson offers Ideas for Young Learners to Explore Sounds around their Neighborhood.

Leafsnap is a free app that uses visual recognition software to help identify tree species from leaf photographs you take in the field. Leafsnap currently …

Engage students in real-world applications of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education with STEM connections for this activity: STEM: Sounds Around.

PLT staff like and use these Tree ID guides: The Fandex Family Field Guides Peterson Field Guides

Check out this instructional video for home learners by the Jeffers Foundation: A Listening Walk. It shows children how to practice listening for nature sounds, …

Explore Educator Resources from the Acoustical Society of America, including lesson plans, activities, and a gallery of interesting nature sounds.

The US National Arboretum has collected online resources on the science of fall foliage. Resources include “The Science of Color in Autumn Leaves,” which describes how …

Merlin is a free app for identifying birds you see and hear. Using your location, the date, and your answers to a few simple questions …

Use this labeled shape template for a triangle, circle, oval, diamond, star, rectangle, and square to make shape necklaces or bracelets.

The Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gives step-by-step recommendations for creating a wildlife habitat at site, based on on-the-ground experience from …

ASL Kids is an app that introduces users to the world of communication by sign language. that can be downloaded on Apple or Android devices. ASL Kids also has …

Print out pages containing many examples of everyday products from trees! 

Try this variation on the Art experience, Make Binoculars. It uses small plastic bottles instead of cardboard tubes to make sturdy binoculars that reinforce the idea of reuse.

Where is A? Where is Z? Under a rock? In a tree? Go outside and see.  Invite children to use this pictorial guide to discover …

AllTrails is a free app that helps users discover the outdoors. Use it to find a hiking path suitable for children, to search for local …

From Puddles to Pigeons: Learning about Nature in Cities, an article in the journal Young Children, explores the challenges and opportunities of exploring outdoors in …

Have you thought about trying crowdfunding to help get a GreenSchools project off the ground? Or reaching out to your community to find advocates and …

The BirdSleuth Guidebook from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers step-by-step instructions to enable families, school groups, and others to get outdoors and connect with …

The USDA Team Nutrition website contains a comprehensive list of resources for early childhood educators looking to promote better nutrition through gardening. The resources include …

The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Kids website teaches elementary and middle level students about the importance of water and why we need to conserve it. …

Help students understand the science of electricity with this animated infographic from SaveOnEnergy.com. It includes the basics of electricity all the way to how we …

Are you looking for information on the field of childhood education? All Education Schools offers a clearinghouse of resources to explore professional organizations, licensing and …

Looking for a way to incorporate more technology into your teaching? TED-Ed produces original animated videos and pairs them with questions and resources for teachers …

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) has put together two new videos that highlight potential paths for high school students interested in a geoscience career. The first …

The Coalition for Healthier Schools released a checklist to help schools implement “green cleaning” practices and to determine where improvements might be made to ensure …

Looking for ways to bring sustainability projects to your school? Use the Sustainability in Schools Game with your middle and high school students to explore the cost-benefits. …

Produced by the EPA, this Think Green Infographic is a great way to get your students thinking through simple, thought-provoking questions – Do You Really Need It?, …

Help your students understand the delicate balance between human activity, climate change, and forest animals. This Minnesota Star Tribune article discusses the decline of the moose population. …

More Than Just Parks have released their eighth national parks short film—Grand Teton. Explore Jackson Hole Valley and the foothills of the Teton Mountain Range, …

Stamford University and KQED public media have created digital textbooks for high school students and lifelong learners. Offering a broad introduction to the topic of …

Coloringnature.org offers more than 500 realistically illustrated coloring pages that can be downloaded and printed for use in PreK-8 classrooms. Choose from categories such as amphibians, …

This USDA resource titled School Gardens: Using Gardens to Grow Healthy Habits in Cafeterias, Classrooms, and Communities provides a brief overview of the benefits and …

Investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate protection programs is an important way for state and local governments to provide a variety of benefits …

This issue of the science education journal Natural Inquirer, aimed at middle school students, describes how trees in our communities benefit our daily lives.

This website provides information on the importance of urban tree canopy and explains how to set goals for canopy cover. It was developed through a …

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees that provides resources to encourage tree planting and tree care.

This is a free online toolkit provided by the U.S. Forest Service Northeastern Area. The toolkit was developed to promote urban and community forestry as …

The U.S. Forest Service website provides information on choosing and planting trees, caring for trees, benefits of trees, and more.  This is a great general …

Create a bird-friendly landscape with this website provides information on plantings that both attract and feed birds.

This U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service initiative helps teachers and students create wildlife habitats at their schools. The Guide offers teaching and learning opportunities in …

Kids Gardening is a resource of the National Gardening Association that provides information and activities on gardening with kids at home and at school.

MonarchLIVE is a distance-learning program designed to meet national science standards and to promote conservation action through education and awareness. The program provides educational materials …

This National Wildlife Federation website provides information on gardening to attract and support wildlife.

PollinatorLive provides webinars, webcasts, and online education resources about pollinators.

Gardening resources, grant information, and seasonal tips are available at the U.S. Department of Agriculture People’s Garden website.

This website provides information on invasive species and links to additional resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website provides information and resources on invasive species.

This PollinatorLIVE video highlights a Texas high school’s success in creating a pollinator garden. They also showcase the benefits of “bee”ing a friend to pollinators …

Follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s simple steps to create a pollinator-friendly landscape around your school, home, or workplace.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s page provides extensive resources about pollinators, including videos, links, guides, and databases, all aimed at supporting pollinator diversity and …

This PollinatorLIVE video demonstrates why it is important to plant native species in your garden.

Read The Xerces Society’s website to learn their three main tips for enhancing pollinators in your garden. Their site also offers resources regarding extended information …

This handbook was developed by the Wisconsin Forest Education Alliance for Wisconsin educators, but the information within is applicable to many states.

This website from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources outlines the benefits of school forests and how to start, maintain, and use a school forest …

A program of the Ad Council and U.S. Forest Service, Discover the Forest offers resources that help families discover nearby forests and provides tips on …

Project BudBurst is a network of people across the United States who monitor plants as seasons change. Use Project Learning Tree activities to get your …

The U.S. Forest Service’s i-tree Tree Benefit Calculator allows you to estimate the benefits of trees on your school grounds or in your community.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture supports efforts for schools to source local or regionally produced foods and provides resources that can assist the creation and …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has responded to the growing interest in local and regional foods through the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative …

This U.S. EPA website provides information about asthma and how to control asthma triggers in schools, by promoting healthy indoor air quality.  

This U.S. EPA website provides facts on mold and tips for reducing mold in schools.

Old glass thermometer broke during a class experiment, now what? This U.S. EPA website provides information on how to clean up mercury spills.

The U.S. Forest Service displays live air quality images and current air quality conditions throughout the United States, featuring real-time images.

EPA’s Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) is working to encourage schools to use green cleaning practices to safely clean their classrooms and grounds. From elementary …

The National Center for Safe Routes to School provides resources and activities that help schools identify ways to improve safety and accessibility for students walking …

This app, provided by the U.S. EPA, helps schools assess important issues such as ventilation, cleaning and maintenance, environmental asthma triggers, radon, and integrated pest …

The lifecycle of garbage is illustrated through photos and simple captions from the Lawrence County Solid Waste Management District (IN).

This U.S. EPA website provides in-depth information on solid waste generation, recycling, and disposal in the United States.

This website provides information on developing and implementing a waste-free lunch program at schools. It includes tips, success stories, and resources.

Keep America Beautiful is a nonprofit that provides waste education materials, events, and programs.

This award-winning environmental assessment program is designed to help local governments address issues of climate change, sustainability, and environmental health.

This video from the U.S. Forest Service’s ClimateChangeLIVE program, aimed at young people, describes how composting can be a part of the solution to climate …

These WetlandsLIVE webcasts, brought to you by the U.S. Forest Service, offer a closer look at the link between water and land and the benefits …

Webinars, online resources, and a webcast instill an appreciation and understanding of freshwater in students.

This issue of the Natural Inquirer, a science education journal aimed at middle school students, is filled with engaging articles about the future of aquatic …

Information from the U.S. Forest Service on water, including a water cycle poster and water facts.

Take a virtual tour to investigate the water-saving opportunities in each area of your home. Click on each location to learn about it and get …

This site, from the Water Education Foundation, provides graphics and text on topics including the water cycle, surface water vs. groundwater, the Earth’s water supply, …

This online tool can be used to calculate an individual’s water footprint.

The GRACE Water Program is home to the Water Footprint Calculator, which estimates the water you use directly from the tap as well as the …

This U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Water Science School website offers information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center …

The Safe Drinking Water Foundation is a Canadian organization that provides teaching resources which relate water use to science, social studies, and math.

A “Green Jobs” curriculum and activity guide funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Job Corps Office, and the Conservation Education Program. …

The U.S. Forest Service’s whimsical character, Woodsy Owl, tells students to “Lend a Hand – Care for the Land!” and provides suggestions for participating in …

Engaging case studies from the U.S. Global Change Research Program show how climate change is affecting our nation’s wildlife and public lands and how everyone, …

These resources from the U.S. Global Change Research Program range from climate and energy literacy to wildlife and wildlands connections.

These article in the science education journal Natural Inquirer, aimed at middle school students.  Don’t Be So Fuelish: How Much Fuel is Saved When Cars Are …

This booklet was developed by formal and informal educators, along with a range of U.S. agencies, and reflects a broad and current effort to define …

This webcast from ClimateChangeLIVE features a climate change assembly from the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) and includes videos of youth discussing the impacts of …

This U.S. Department of Energy guide provides detailed information for developing and implementing a districtwide or schoolwide operations and maintenance program that focuses on energy …

This ENERGY STAR website provides guidelines for energy management, online training sessions, and an online tool to evaluate and track your school’s energy performance.

The website of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers provides guidelines and approaches for achieving advanced levels of energy savings.

This U.S. Department of Energy website provides links to animations, videos, and audio files on energy sources, with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable …

National Energy Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization that develops and disseminates supplementary energy and natural resources education materials.

This guide, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, presents energy concepts that can help individuals and communities make informed decisions about energy.

This government website provides insight and tips on the benefits of utilizing a programmable thermostat and how they can help reduce energy cost in your …

This website provides helpful information related to solar panels on homes.

The Home Energy Saver website provides an online home energy audit with tips, ideas, and tools to calculate your energy usage and emissions levels.

The U.S. EPA website provides specific information on the use and the proper disposal of fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs must be properly disposed …

The Illuminating Engineering Society website provides information on lighting standards, types of lighting, and energy-efficient lighting.

Carbon Cycle Activity (similar to “Water Wonders” Water Cycle activity) developed by Carlyn Nichols, PLT educator in Seward, Alaska. Helps relate the carbon cycle to …

What is the greenhouse effect? You can use this animated guide of the Greenhouse Effect to learn what it is and how human activities effect it. 

An article in BBC News that discusses impacts of global warming in countries around the world and in major sectors of society: health, water, food, …

Check out these student-written examples of sequels to The Lorax tale. Try writing and illustrating your own version!

Three university students from Maine created a blog to further explore the ideas presented in PLT’s Activity 85: In the Driver’s Seat.  Visit their blog, …

Great site to find questions and answers about global warming from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Questions include: Is global warming happening? and Is …

Artist Dalton Ghetti turns old pencils into pieces of art. Check out these pencil tip sculptures and be amazed!

Here is an example of what is possible when you combine creativity with dedication: animator Jonathan Chong spent hundreds of hours creating this stop motion …

These two websites are places where tree cookies can be purchased: http://www.acornnaturalists.com/ (Acorn Naturalists may refer to them as “tree rounds”) http://www.nature-watch.com/ (Nature Watch may …

Want to have some tree cookies for you own?  Use this handy document that lays out the steps for creating a perfect tree cookie. You …

The Alliance to Save Energy’s Energy Hog campaign is educating teachers, kids and parents about energy efficiency.  Why?  Saving energy lessens our dependence on foreign …

This Word document list some great field guide resources you can use to enhance this activity.

Useful cards that describe the parts of a tree, the order to be acted out in, and the number of students needed.  These cards can …

Help students visualize the inner layers of a tree trunk and better understand the function of its different parts by creating this easy-to-make visual aid …

Paper Making Video (about 5 minutes), produced by AF&PA in partnership with PLT, Sidwell Friends School, and Smurfit-Stone

Excel spreadsheet that calculates profit and loss of the 400-acre wood

This document helps to expand the vocabulary in Field, Forest & Stream. The quest for taking a closer look at interconnections concludes with food chain …

Have students embark on an individual or group scavenger hunt using this photo-based, Bingo-style card, created specifically for PLT’s Schoolyard Safari activity. 

At this website, students learn to forecast the weather like a professional meteorologist.  Visit the website and click on “Wiz School” to learn basic information …

These three PowerPoint files ( StoryStation Descriptions, Station Cards A, Station Cards B ) contain all of the station cards and descriptions that you will need to complete the …

“Adventures of a Water Molecule” is a short story of a water molecules journey.  Could be used as an example for student stories or as a …

Example Student PowerPoint Presentation (from 7th & 8th grade students at Rutland Middle School in Bibb County, Georgia)  

This one-page handout offers  explanations of the different ways seeds can travel, and examples of seeds for each method.

Investigate different types of seeds, and organized and describe them using this helpful chart.

In this digital interactive from the Public Broadcasting Service’s (PBS) NOVA Education, users see how solar panels work to convert sunlight into electricity. Links to …

The H2O Conserve Water Calculator is a short survey that will get you thinking about how much water you use, and how water connects to …

Safe Drinking Water Foundation (SDWF) Educational Materials offers many different hands-on drinking water kits, and more, that relate content to science, social studies, and math, investigating …

Consumers have many questions about their drinking water. How safe is my drinking water? What is being done to improve security of public water systems? …

Learn about wilderness history, the values and benefits of wilderness, and threats to wilderness at this website.  This interagency repository of information about the more …

Invite another class to act as the Morrisville Town Council and give them this ballot to vote for the proposal they like best.

Use this rubric to review expectations for your students’ teamwork, proposal, and presentation.  

Held each fall, this day celebrates service and recreation on public lands. NPLD engages adult and youth volunteers to get outdoors and improve their lands, whether …

Check out this adaptation of PLT’s Every Tree for Itself activity. It is often used with landowners, foresters, and other forestland decision makers to convey …

All types of composting from backyard to large-scale, community-wide composting are discussed by the U.S. Composting Council. Visit their Web site for a list of …

Check out these 15 pre-made climate change statements that work as great discussion prompts with this activity.

Here are some additional resources detailing how humans have historically explained the Sun.   

This simple PowerPoint presentation was created by Bea Futch of Cascade, Idaho, to help tell the “How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun” story. The ordered …

DooF (“food” spelled backwards) is a fast-paced television series that teaches students ages 6-11 about where food comes from and interests them in good food, …

This NPR podcast describes one Oregon School’s Cafeteria strategy to bring real cooking back into the school kitchen.   

Using the USDA-sponsored Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Website, students can learn about local and regional food systems, read case studies, watch videos, and …

Resources from The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future introduces students to food-system topics and issues. Explore questions such as: What are the strengths …

As a Planet Protector, your mission is to improve the world around you by making less trash. Planet Protectors also help others learn to reduce, …

In this digital interactive from the Public Broadcasting Service’s (PBS) NOVA Education, users see how solar panels work to convert sunlight into electricity. Links to …

TeachEngineering offers a basic life cycle assessment method that assigns fictional values for different steps in a product’s life cycle. Students can complete a product …

An important message from the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service & the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services to …

MSNBC article explains that scientists have observed senior birds behaving like grandparents. Although it is rare in the animal kingdom except in humans, the findings …

This National Science Foundation website looks at new technologies being used to observe animals in their natural environments. See video clips and stories about the …

Adaptation for Who’s Who quiz that includes species from all six kingdoms.  

Use these colorful pictures to tell the story of Jackie and S.T. Shrew.  You can use them with the Story of S.T. Shrew skit or …

This is a website that contains the web soil survey from the USDA.

This is the word document of The Forest of S.T. Shrew Skit

Use this tree diagram to create a flip-up diagram by cutting along the dotted orange line on page one and setting page two underneath it. Or, …

Florida PLT has expanded reading and writing exercises for elementary students and teachers using PLT’s The Forest of S.T. Shrew. This document contains additional and expanded …

Every wonder how biotechnology is related to the forest?This Powerpoint was created to be used a supplemental resource as an introduction to this topic and terms associated.  

This Powerpoint was created to be used a resource as an introduction to the topic and terms relating to the role of biotechnology in human health.  

This Powerpoint was created to be used a resource as an introduction to the topic and terms relating to bioremediation.   

This Powerpoint was created for Activity 1: Biotechnology and You.  You can use this resource as an introduction to the topic and terms relating to biotechnology. 

The report, Dead planet, Living Planet: Biodiversity and ecosystem restoration for sustainable development, was a contribution to the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity. The report documents …

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is developing a web-based simulation for teaching about pre-disaster preparedness.  The scenarios include hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. 

This series in NSTA Reports is based on the NSTA Press book Thinking Scientifically About Controversial Issues: Clones, Cats, and Chemicals. The book examines 10 …

US EPA Facts and Figures About Materials, Waste and Recycling website has information on municipal solid waste in the United States. The data includes information …

We toss items into the trash every day – about 4.4 pounds per person per day, on average. With garbology, the study of waste, students …

This UN Foundation will work with high school students across the U.S. and select countries. During a ten-day period in October 2007, March 2008 and , …

This report attempts to understand who lives near transit today and who is expected to live there in 25 years, with the desired outcome of …

Free educational materials are available to help you celebrate World Wetlands Day (or celebrate Wetlands any day), sponsored by Ramsar Convention.  

NESDIS gives access to global environmental data from satellites, manages these data relating to the Earth and solar environments, and conducts related research. The website …

This Smithsonian Institution website provides students (and teachers!) access to views of conditions and events on earth that are nearly impossible to document from the …

WETMAP: Wetland Education Through Maps and Aerial Photography develops workshops and supports a website for educators that provide basic ecological concepts, technological skills in the use …

INFOPLEASE provides users with a list of cities and their geographic data.

“Growth and Water Resources” Training Module explains how changes in land use affect water resources, and it presents national data on trends in development patterns …

My Community, Our Earth: Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development (MyCOE) is designed for youth to develop their own projects using a vast array of free on-line …

Looking for questions to evaluate your students’ awareness of the world in which you live?  Here are 30 Questions to help get you started.  

If classes are interested in looking at their school from space (or their house – for that matter) they can try the Mapmaker from National Geographic or …

“What Happened to Our Village Green?”  is an article in the Huston Chronicle by C.E. Hunt that discusses the loss of “green space” for children …

Orion magazine has reinstated its popular column called “The Place Where You Live.” This is a space where students and educators can share thoughts and …

This 90-minute documentary explains John Muir’s influence then and now, delving into Muir’s life with reenactments filmed in high definition throughout the majestic landscapes he …

Short biographies of the nine authors highlighted, listed in chronological order by birth date.

Citizen science programs involve students and teachers contributing to ongoing scientific work. Sign up to participate in The Smithsonian Institution’s Tree Banding Project and contribute …

International Carbon Footprint Challenge unites high school students worldwide as they calculate their individual footprints using an online “footprint calculator” and post class data on …

Nab the Aquatic Invader teaches students in grades 4-10 about aquatic invaders and the problems they create in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, and Great Lakes regions. …

Available for iPad, iPhone, and Android devices, the free Water1der application features questions related to conservation, irrigation, water cycle, watersheds, pollution prevention, and more. For …

This PBS NOVA series has launched the Energy Lab, where middle and high school students can design renewable energy systems for cities nationwide and compete …

Have you ever wondered what the Earth looked like 400 million years ago? With EarthViewer, a free iPad application, users can explore the Earth’s geologic history. …

Connect4Climate is an ongoing project between University of Maryland students and the World Bank. The video represents 50 sociology students’ perspectives after visiting the World …

Designed for upper elementary and middle school students, a free iPad app teaches about electricity generation and delivery thorough visits to a solar-powered house, a hydroelectric power …

K-4 students explore edible plants in this interdisciplinary life science unit developed by the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. Teachers can access supporting …

In profiles of women working in various roles at the Department of Energy, women share what inspired them to work in a STEM field, what …

Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center has put together some short, simple, and practical recommendations to help effectively incorporate use of an outdoor classroom. …

iNaturalist is a species identification app that allows users to record their observations of living things by way of taking photos and appending GPS coordinates …

Check out this video, which captures 15 months of a forest’s life. This 3-minute time lapse video was created from 40,000 photographs. Photographer Samuel Orr …

This Think Garden video collection was produced by Kentucky Educational Television for elementary students as a teaching tool about growing food and all elements around …

Introduce yourself to one of North America’s most common groups of songbirds, the Juncos. Readily observed in backyards, city parks, and forests alike, these little …

New NPS Podcasts show students what park scientists do and provide an inside look at some of the issues facing our national parks. Most appropriate …

Earth Day Carol is a green retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In this version, Plastic Bottle Scrooge is visited by the ghosts Plastic …

Students in grades K-12 can participate in the USDA’s Asian Longhorned Beetle Hunt and help preserve our nation’s forests. The Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive …

Into the Outdoors is an Emmy award-winning TV show with an emphasis on science education for middle school-aged students. The show’s new website, intotheoutdoors.org, provides …

This video blog post from Go Wood presents a clear summary of what happened to the American Chestnut (Castanea dentata), what is being done in the …

The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) aims to reduce threats to natural ecosystems and the native species they contain by increasing awareness of invasive alien …

If students are considering a career in the forestry profession, they may envision spending a workday in blue jeans and hiking boots, managing wild lands …

The Agents of Discovery Mobile Game is a place-based, environmental education game for iOS and Android devices that blends best practices in gaming industry technology …

Nature’s Sound Map is an interactive tool that allows you to listen to clips of nature all over the world. The sounds range from those of …

In this blog post, Makara Rumley writes about the Metro Atlanta Equity Atlas, a map tool showing key areas of community well-being. Learn how this tool …

Check out the infographic from the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service! These infographics colorfully illustrate soil health: what soil is made of, what’s underneath, and …

This free, and downloadable book from the National Science Teachers Association entitled, “Gourmet Lab: The Scientific Principals Behind Your Favorite Foods,” gives students the opportunity …

Be inspired by the latest video in EPA’s 20th Anniversary Environmental Justice Video Series that features Penny Newman of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. …

This University of Toledo project intended for grades 9-12 teaches students about leaf litter decomposition and how it relates to the Earth’s carbon cycle and …

WildFIRE PIRE is a project of the Montana State University, involving an international team of scientists putting the past, present, and future of wildfire into …

The Sentinel Plant Network helps protect plants by preventing the spread of bad bugs and fungi. To help their mission, they assembled a team of …

Learn about the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) through this digital publication. Produced by the USDA Forest Service and the University of Vermont, it’s a good …

USDA Forest Service: National Forests to Faucets 2.0 Assessment tool uses geographical information systems (GIS) to identify watersheds to protect. This tool can be used …

To prepare for changes along Washington state’s Nisqually River, tribal leaders, private partners, and government agencies are working to help the watershed and its inhabitants …

This PowerPoint Presentation from the Maine Forest Service discusses the water cleaning power of the worlds forest.  

Read a case study about how the 2002 wildfires near Denver were treated to help protect the water quality of Denver’s reservoirs.

Fire safety resources are available at www.firefacts.org. Teacher resources include a Jeopardy-style game on basic fire safety practices, fact sheets, family take-home activities, and links …

PLT partners and Outstanding Educators in Florida have created a new fifth issue article, Climate Change Projections, to spark classroom discussions on climate science. This …

Take an electronic field trip inside Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park.  During this live, one-hour podcast, students will learn about the importance of the park, …

Maine teachers Laurie Haines and James Baxter designed a class unit focusing on PLT’s Monitoring Forest Health activity. The following documents outline their unit, which …

A free app that can be downloaded onto Apple and Android devices. A more technical application, SoilWeb allows users to access GPS based, real-time USDA-NRCS soil survey …

A free app that can be downloaded onto Apple devices (SmartMeasure for Android). EasyMeasure uses the height of the camera lens and its tilt angle …

Dr. Don Leopold, State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry professor, has identified a total of 135 tree species on YouTube. …

This informational handout, made available by Montana State University Extension Forestry, describes forest soil profiles, functions, and the effects that natural and manmade impacts can …

A free app that can be downloaded for Apple devices. Zero Carbon can calculate an individual’s carbon footprint by looking at a person’s daily habits. Once …

Inspired by Wangari Maathai, 9-year-old Felix Finkbeiner founded “Plant for the Planet” and has planted more than 500,000 trees in Germany which he says will …

Kenyan environmental and political activist Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and her story promises to inspire …

This website provides an immersive video experience that presents an up-close look at a tropical montane cloud forest.  Visitors click on numbered links to access …

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has monitored the world’s forests at 5 to 10 year intervals since 1946. The State of …

Use this Lesson Plan Presentation as an example. 

At this EPA website, students can learn about four different types of hazardous waste (groundwater contamination, surface water contamination, soil contamination, and air contamination) and …

Unlimited, a documentary by OneLight OneCamera Productions about renewable energy, highlights a group of passionate sixth-graders who call on adults everywhere to take action and …

This website features essential energy information from the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. …

This free coloring book will introduce you to 21 endangered and threatened plants and animals found in the United States. Print the pages and use …

These online resources from National Geographic for Kids present animal information in an interactive way.  Targeted at elementary students, the website features clickable facts and …

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has launched a web-based interactive map with information about endangered species success in every state: stories of species making strides …

Enjoy this one-minute video featuring our favorite feathered friends.  Can you identify all of these spectacular birds? Visit www.conservationbirding.org for the full species list.  The …

The public radio program Encounters: Radio Experiences in the North explores the natural history of Alaska and the Far North. An accompanying website offers K-12 …

Great EarthSky resource for this lesson is The future Nobel laureates of the world.  

Try singing these songs with adapted lyrics to get children excited and focused on what they might hear or what they actually heard on an …

Learn about a modified record player that reads growth rings from a tree like musical notes. Created by German artist, this machine uses the annual …

A great EarthSky post for this topic is How sensitive is an ant’s sense of smell?

This animated presentation for students in grades 3-5 explains in detail how an acorn becomes a tree. The audio is available in English and Spanish.

This US Fish & Wildlife Service initiative helps teachers and students create wildlife habitats at their schools. Their Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide offers teaching and learning …

A free app that can be downloaded onto any Apple device (try iBird Lite for Android). Use WildLab Bird to learn the basics of bird identification. …

A free app that can be downloaded onto Apple devices. This is a good tool for teachers and classrooms. Easily create bar, line and pie …

ASL Kids is an app that can be downloaded on Apple or Android devices. This app introduces users to the world of communication by sign …

Look to Forests by Cathryn Sill to introduce early learners to forest habitats and the organisms found there. Each page presents one sentence describing a …

EPA’s new EnviroAtlas tool is designed to help communities and researchers make informed planning and policy decisions related to the environment and ecosystems. EnviroAtlas provides …

Explore energy and its related concepts with resources from The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Energy4me program. Compare energy sources, request or download a copy of …

Have a look at NACD’s soil resources: Soil to Spoon and Dig Deeper: Mysteries in the Soil. Existing tools feature a poster contest, student booklets, educator …

Global Forest Watch (GFW) is an interactive online forest monitoring and alert system designed to better visualize forest change across the globe. Developed by the World Resources …

The Forest Health Monitoring Program and Forest Health Protection of the U.S. Forest Service has completed the 2013-2027 National Insect & Disease Risk and Hazard …

EPA’s Radiation Protection Program has launched the RadTown USA website, created to allow middle and high school students to explore radiation- where it is found …

This interactive water cycle diagram produced by the US Geological Survey and the United Nations allows you to “mouse around” the parts of the water …

Life: Magnified was an exhibit of scientific images showing cells and other scenes of life magnified by as much as 50,000 times. The exhibit was …

The Teaching Channel is a video showcase – on the internet and TV – of innovative and effective teaching practices in America’s schools. One of …

The Ruby Realm is a multi-level adventure game about photosynthesis. Players must navigate a cavern in search of missing friends. Luckily, Biobot Bob– a robot …

An epoch is one of the smaller divisions of geologic time. Our current epoch, the Holocene, began about 11,600 years ago. There is evidence that …

The Wildlife Conservation Society and Rainforest Alliance have created a free, new app designed for students 7-12. Habitat challenges students to care for virtual endangered animals while they …

This free, interactive iPad app teaches children how to classify animals in a series of taps and swipes. Ferret marries science and design, allowing children …

The Regional Municipality of York has downloadable Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle 3-D paper models for teachers, adults, and children. These eye-catching 3-D …

Think virtual field trip! Brothers Will and Jim Pattiz are media professionals who have a passion for our national parks. Over the past year, they …

These fact sheets from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension’s Nutrition Education Program provide information about 30 fruits and vegetables. Each fact sheet includes an illustration …

Giant deadly hornets, gorgeous fluttering butterflies, and stealthy crawling stink bugs: discover these and more fascinating insects in Expedition: Insects, an e-book written, illustrated, and animated …

Biointeractive’s Holiday Lectures on Science series brings current research into the classroom, bridging the gap between textbook science and real life science. The Biodiversity in …

Make Twig Shapes (pdf) – Math and manipulatives

Review fire safety practices with information and resources from the U.S. Fire Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control. You’ll …

The Invasive Paper Project travels throughout Detroit to offer papermaking demos and workshops with invasive plants (like Phragmites, Honeysuckle, Garlic Mustard) that have been removed …

Using Scratch, educators of all ages and levels can program interactive stories, games, and animations and share their creations in an online community. Click on …

This Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Lake Science app developed by UC Berkley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science allows users to participate in and facilitate activities that teach …

A PBS KIDS environmental science project, PBS PLUM LANDING offers educators fun and engaging resources to get kids outside and connected to nature. Encourage kids …

“If you love honey, then you must love honeybees” so says Dawn Publications’ children’s book, If You Love Honey.  If You Love Honey takes readers …

Be the author, illustrator, and editor of your own literary adventure with Book Creator, an app that can be downloaded for the iPad from the …

Energy is an abstract and important concept that concerns all things on earth and plays a role in many natural and social science processes. Uncover …

The Energy Zones Mapping Tool is a free online database that allows users to map existing and potential energy resources in the 39 easternmost states. …

Planning to start a garden project? Download this step-by-step guide, provided by the Let’s Move! Presidential initiative, to ensure you won’t miss any information that …

As we know, trees represent more than just beautiful natural elements of our land, they also provide shade, manage water, stop erosion, protect streams, soothe …

Do you teach 4th grade students? Every Kid Outdoors was created so fourth graders and their families could get a chance to experience our federal …

Who doesn’t like blue jeans? The indigo dye that provides their distinctive color holds up to detergents, but ages into that soft, worn look. Indigo …

This informative documentary, Sustainability in Bioenergy: A Nation Connected, produced by the US Department of Energy, highlights ongoing efforts in communities nationwide to develop, produce, …

Blue Raster and Bear Trust International’s interactive world map shows students and educators in grades 9-12 where eight different species of wild bears live. The …

The Alternative Fuel Foundation provides grants of $250-500 to forward-thinking schools with projects that use alternative fuels and promote sustainability. Those that encourage parent involvement …

Connect your students with conservation professionals using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new broadcast series. Visit the FWS website to pick one of an …

Are you looking for new literature connections to support your favorite PLT lessons? This growing Epic! online library offers thousands of picture books, chapter books, …

Check out the Oregon-based website LearnForests.org for a compilation of nearly 30 videos targeting Grades 4-12 about careers in the forest sector. In addition to …

Are you looking for support in investigating fracking and other energy issues with high school students? Russell Gold, senior energy reporter for the Wall Street …

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website provides an interactive carbon footprint calculator designed for use by students in middle or high school. The calculator …

Have you ever wondered what keeps the massive propellers of today’s wind turbines in motion? Check out this animated infographic from SaveOnEnergy to learn how wind …

Want to go paperless in your classroom and experiment with digital note keeping? Read educator Nick Mitchell’s Scientific Teacher blog for ideas to transform the …

EPA’s Recycle City’s interactive website showcases an interactive map, scavenger hunt, and game that all explore ways homes and businesses can recycle, reuse, or reduce …

With Nature Maestro®, sound recordist and composer Dennis Hysom is your guide. Use this series of applications to explore sounds in nature. You might compose …

Use this Rooted in Math infographic from NEEF to make some quick calculations, such as the number of gallons of water you use every time you …

Join National Public Radio’s Planet Money team as they follow the manufacturing of a T-Shirt around the world — from the farms where the cotton …