YES! Resources:
- YES! Project Guide: Composting
- YES! Project Guide: Dumpster Dive
- YES! Project Guide: Planter Boxes
- YES! Project Guide: Pollinator Garden
- YES! Project Guide: Recyclable Containers
- YES! Project Guide: Steel Recycling
- YES! Project Guide: Turn Down the Thermostat
- YES! Project Guide: Water Recycling Elementary Project
Other Resources:
- 12 Engaging Science Apps for Middle and High School Students – Interactive platforms for learning about climate change, water conservation, plants, and more
- Environmental Education at Home – Activity guides and educational projects; citizen science projects, educational apps; museum and National Park virtual tours; info graphics for discussion
- SEEK (Sharing Environmental Education Knowledge) Resources – Search for EE resources by audiences, topics, or type
- Environmental Stewardship Through Education – Overview of programs and resources developed by Minnesota’s Jeffers Foundation
- Teaching about the Magnificent Monarch: Resource Recommendations for Conservation Educators – Compilation of high-quality curriculum guides and classroom lessons, plus guidance for using live monarchs in the classroom, gardening for monarchs, citizen science opportunities, and NGSS correlations
- Greening STEM Educator Toolkit – Teach STEM through environmental education with these free activities and resources about gardens and schoolyards; energy efficiency; geography connections; water resources; and climate and weather.
- Engineering a Sustainable World Toolkit – Lesson plans, activities, and info-graphics about “green engineering”
- MinnAqua Leader’s Guide – Lessons teach about aquatic habitat, fish, fisheries management, fishing, and water stewardship. MinnAqua Image Library – Hundreds of free images for aquatic education
Nature Activities To Do With Children
- David Sobel’s 7 Principles for Children and Nature
- Project Get Outdoors! Activity Flip Book
- Project Get Outdoors! Activity Calendar
- 101 Things To Do Outside and 101 Things To Do Outside in Winter
Planning Successful Field Investigations – Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
- Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation Educator Guide
- Fostering Outdoor Observation Skills
- Field Investigations: Using Outdoor Environments to Foster Student Learning of Scientific Practices
- Technology for Field Investigations: Scientist-Driven Technology Practices
- Photo Point Monitoring: Using Technology in Field Investigations to Understand Change Over Time
Environmental Stewardship Education
- Natural Leaders Network Tool Kit – Guidance for older students who want to be part of a network of young adults taking action to help children connect with nature
- Stewardship Education Best Practices Planning Guide – Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
Context for Environmental Education
- Guidelines for Excellence: K-12 Environmental Education – Best-practices roadmap for fostering environmental literacy by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
- EE and the Next Generation Science Standards – Examples of how students can “learn and apply the [NGSS] Science and Engineering Practices while investigating environmental and sustainability issues in their communities”
- Sustainable Tomorrow: A Teachers’ Guidebook for Applying Systems Thinking to Environmental Education Curricula – Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
Hands-on Projects:
- Teach kids about nature- Contact a local teacher and volunteer to present a nature topic to their students and lead them in a related activity. Here are some ideas.
- Educate through social media – Write a post about an experience you had in nature or an environmental issue you care about. Include an image that illustrates your point, like a photo you took or drawing you made.
- Go on a backyard safari to discover and observe animals living near you. These instructions will get you started.
Videos:
- What is EE? Definition of Environmental Education (2 min)
- What is EE? International Voices (5 min)
- Minnesota’s Residential Environmental Learning Centers (8 min)
Books:
- Sharing Nature: Nature Awareness Activities for All Ages by Joseph Cornell
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
- Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques by Susan K. Jacobsen, Mallory D. McDuff and Martha C. Monroe
