United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Communications, 22K-1001
Education and Public Affairs Fall 1991
(A-107)
FOR EDUCATORS, GRADES K-6
H N
Welcome to Earth Notesl
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the first issue of
Earth Notes. This is the first time our Agency has reached out
so intently and so directly to the elementary-level educator.
With educators facing stringent resource constraints and
challenged by a demand for educational reform, we feel you
need all the help you can get. We hope Earth Notes will
provide a little help to our friends in the classroom.
Lois Spice Haig, founding editor of Earth Notes, and a
handful of dedicated educators have worked hard to create a
publication that is lively, exciting, and practical. Most of the
ideas in the publication were contributed by teachers. We
hope you'll find the material useful as you work to incorporate
environmental education into your classroom activities.
Earth Notes is, above all, a creative exchange for and by
teachers. To this end, we encourage as many of our readers as
possible to become contributors as well.
WhileEarthNotes is a serious publication designedfor the
professional educator, we do not want it to be stuff}'. Turn, if
you will, to our Game Page. I must admit, the "Noodle-
Doodle" had me scratching my head for quite a while....
Throughout Earth Notes, we build upon the idea that "the
medium is the message." Yes, it is indeed important for all
Americans to understand andprotect the natural environment.
But our environment isn't some dried-up remote topic. We
eat, drink, breathe, and taste it every day. Our environment is
as exciting, interesting, and engaging as life itself. We intend
that Earth Notes reflect some of the excitement—and our
commitment to work with you in finding ways to preserve and
protect it
A brief essay in this issue compares the cultural diversity
of Native American tribes with the robust diversity of nature.
I am reminded that certain Native American tribes are guided
by the stricture that decisions be made with the seventh
generation in mind. This means that the decisions we make
that affect our environment need to consider what is known
about thek likely effects a century or more into the future.
Our goal is not only to inform the mind, but to engage the
heart. A main goal of environmental education is to develop
an awareness of how to live our lives in harmony with nature
and the rhythms of our fragile planet.
So many of life's choices which impact nature are now
made at the individual level that, short of having an
environmental cop for every citizen, we cannot command—
or control—environmental protection for very long. But as
individuals and professional educators, we can help others
learn about doing the right thing for our environment.
The goal of EPA's multi-faceted environmental education
program is simple: to foster in students a sense of concern for,
mutual dependence upon, and intimacy toward, our natural
environment. Problems such as depletion of the Earth's
protective ozone layer and destruction of the rain forests
threaten to change global climate and challenge our very
survival. We will need the best and brightest minds of this
generation if we are to respond effectively.
The time has come for us to join hands and together face
the who, what, where, and how of environmental education. We
already know the why! To these ends, we dedicate£artfiNotes.
William K. Reilly, Administrator, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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United States Environmental Protection Agency
William K. Reilly, Administrator
F. Henry Habicht n, Deputy Administrator
Lewis S.W. Crampton, Associate Administrator for
Communications, Education, and Public Affairs
Michael E. O'Reilly, Acting Director, Office of
Environmental Education
Lois Spice Haig, Founding Editor, Earth Notes
EarthNotes is published in February, May, August and
November by the U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).ItistheintentofEPAtoprovidean open
forum for the exchange of teaching ideas, comments,
andbrief essays concerning environmental education in
theelementary grades. Views expressedby contributors
do not necessarily reflect EPA endorsement or policy.
Address inquiries to:
EarthNotes
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401M Street, S.W. (A-107)
Washington, DC 20460
An EPA Perspective
TheNationalEnvironmental Education Act of 1990 authorizes
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for the first time,
to launch a wide-ranging initiative to stimulate and support
environmental education and environmental educators. The
Agency should soon be in aposition to put its resources where
its heart has been and to offer grants and fellowships to
promising environmental educators.
As relative newcomers to environmental education, we've
spent much of the past year learning from people who are
active in the field. We've listened. We've learned. Now we
are ready to play our role—with your help. And I really mean,
'with your help.' There is no aspect of the Environmental
Education Act that we can implement without the advice,
support, and cooperation of environmental educators. You
have been laboring in those vineyards for far longer that we
have, and your ardor and innate feel for environmental
education far exceeds our own.
As a nation, we're paying more attention to the future.
Citizens now participate more regularly in decisions that
affect their environment. And we seem more willing to
incorporate in our value system lessons about the
interrelatedness of living systems, and theneedfor sustainable,
environmentally-sound economies.
Further progress requires that we go beyond compulsion
and laws and incentives to insure the environmental integrity
of our nation and our planet. We must shift our orientation.
Early Environments Child Development Center children with Lew Crampton.
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WemustsMftour consciousness. In short, we must engage the
heart, whichis seldom reachedby appeals tolawor economics.
Our task is to bring our habits, choices, and lifestyles into
harmony with the needs of nature.
We at EPA have great expectations for our environmental
education program. For this reason, it is important that we
reach an understanding about what environmental education
entails. We need a new definition of the three R's—roles,
responsibilities, and relationships—to sort out these issues.
Our intent is to be inclusive rather than exclusive. We want to
support environmental education activities which are proven
effective. We also need to stimulate progress by supporting
imaginative new ideas. We will do both.
Just as the strength of an ecosystem, or a nation, is in its
diversity, so the strength of our environmental education
initiatives will be in their diversity.
But diversity also needs a context that provides an overall
direction to where we are going and how we intend to get
there. I am sensitive to our need to plan strategically and to
keep our energies focused on positive and progressive
programs. This is clearly an area where we must all work
together.
To understand the language of the environment is to cut
across disciplines and cultures...to engage our intuition as
well as our intellect...to draw inspiration...to nurture our souls
and grasp as best we can the wonderful mysteries of life. As
you absorb the principles of ecological thinking, you begin to
understand thatalllifeis connected, in an intricate anddelicate
biological web. You see our habitat, planet Earth, as the first
astronauts saw it a quarter century ago...as a fragile blue
sphere floating miraculously in the dark void of space.
This is our home...our common property...our legacy. We
dare not treat it as though we have another one to go to.
Environmental literacy can help to lead us to an ethic of
planetary stewardship—a sense of duty to carefor and manage
our natural endowment, for the long haul.
Informed citizens can take the initiative, as members of
their communities or members of conservation groups, to
address the daunting problems ahead of us. Like reading
itself, environmental literacy is fast becoming an essential
competence;almostcertainly,itwillbecentral to any successful
strategy to grapple with tomorrow's enormously complex
issues. At EPA, it is our hope that, by the turn of the
millennium, every citizen will be fluent in the principles of
ecology and will have a working knowledge of the basic
grammar and underlying syntax of environmental wisdom.
While yours is a challenging and sometimes exhausting
profession, the rewards of being an educator—of energizing
young minds and spirits—are great. To these rewards we now
add another—preserving the quality of life on this planet. This
is our common goal, and I can think of none worthier of our
dedication.
Lewis S.W. Crampton, Associate Administrator for
Communications, Education, and Public Affairs, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Diversity: Native American Cultures
Kids are attracted to certain topics more than others. One of
those topics happens to be the environment. The New York
Times recently ran an article about "eco-correct kids," kids
wild to recycle and plant trees and do other such things. The
article stressed the joy and the strain this curiosity can inflict
on parents and teachers alike. If we as teachers use this and
other forms of natural childhood curiosity, we can make our
lives, and those of our students, easier and more fun.
Let's take kids' natural curiosity about "Indians," a truly
time-honored and intense childhood interest. Most kids are
interested in cultures that appear different from their own, but
perhaps none intrigues them more than the ones that preceded
(and still co-exist with) ours on our native soil.
But where do we begin? I am not an expert on Native
American cultures, nor are the teachers I know. They don't
have the knowledge to teach Native American cultures nor the
time to research and prepare. Many fear that inadequate
preparation may lead to misinformation or even foster
stereotyping. How then can we introduce a sound awareness
of Native American cultures in our classroom teaching?
Let's try diversity. Teach your students about the diversity
of cultures within the Native American Nations. Contrary to
what many elementary students think, all tribes do not have
the same culture, much as all families do not have the same
traditions. Their views of nature and the environment have
many strands in common, but also many points of difference.
Enlist help in researching information about differences in
tribal cultures. Point out to them the individual differences
that we notice among ourselves, and then compare these
differences to the diversity found in Native American cultures.
Now expand the concept of diversity to the world of nature,
where differences are important to living things and to natural
environments, just as their harmony and cooperation is also
important. Carry this project across other subject areas—
reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies,
physical education, music, and art. How many different
concepts can be learned through this study? Relate the
diversity of humans and human cultures to the diversity of the
Earth, of plants, animals, fish, minerals, metals, and other
naturalbeingsandthings. Askwhy wearedifferent. Askwhat
the world would be like without diversity. Talk about the
interconnectedness of nature, including humans.
Finally, ask your students how they know these things.
Have they listened, looked for, thought about, and asked?
How many facts do they know about Native Americans? How
many of those facts are truly accurate, and how many are
schoolyard rumors? And what do those facts mean in a larger
sense? What do they tell us about how we are all alike and yet
different? Sometimes it is enough to learn simple things, like
how to reason and listen, and perhaps just to honor the distinct
differences and shared likenesses among us all.
Cathy Cliff, Chief of the Education and Youth Programs,
Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.
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Teacher to Teacher
From the Ohio Sea Grant Education Program
The National Sea Grant College Program was established by
the Congress of the United States in 1966 with the goal; of
accelerating "the development, conservation, proper
managementandmaximum utilization of aquatic resources of
the United States." Education about aquatic resources is an
importantcomponentofthisgoal. Sea GrantColleges, therefore,
have a mission similar to that of Land Grant Colleges, but Sea
Grant focuses on aquatic rather than agricultural resources.
TheOhioSeaGrantProgrambeganin 1977. Theeducation
componentatTheOhioStateUniversity is coordinated through
the School of Natural Resources by faculty from both the
School and the College of Education. The program occupies
a position of national leadership in marine and aquatic
education. ,
Early research conductedby the Ohio Sea GrantEducation
Program tested the knowledge and attitudes of the State's
fifth- and ninth-grade students about some key aspects of the
oceans and Great Lakes. Fifth graders could answer about
38%ofknowledgequestionscorrectly.Somequestions critical
to understanding and decision-making could not be answered
by large numbers of the students. Attitudes about the ocean
were more positive than attitudes about Lake Erie.
Curricula were developed for use in the classrooms.
Environmental aspects of aquatic education dictate that such
materials be interdisciplinary, with as much emphasis on
social studies as science, and with other disciplines included
as well. Therefore, theOceanicEducation Activities for Great
Lakes Schools (OEAGLS) frequently begin with science
lessons but apply those lessons across the curriculum.
Teacher trainingis ongoingintheOhio SeaGrantEducation
Program. In addition to workshops and regular courses, the
faculty of the program maintain a resource center for teachers
and offer teachers the opportunity to participate in peer
training and curriculum development. Workshops are
presented on request in other parts of the region.
The primary objective of the Ohio Sea Grant Education
Program is to develop an awareness and knowledge about the
proper use, protection, and conservation of the oceans, coastal
zones, and fresh water resources. The following ideas for
teaching about the environment are shared by teachers who
have participated in the program.
Rosanne W. Former, Professor, The Ohio State University
The Herring Gull Challenge
To design a double-sided "alternatives" puzzle for upper
elementary students, draw an outline, on both sides of a sheet
of paper, that represents a topic or issue. For example, the
topic is the impact of toxic chemicals on herring gulls in the
Great Lakes region. !
Outline the Great Lakes on both sides of an 11 x 17 inch
sheet of paper, or if you so choose, you can draw a gull on both
sides. On one side of the paper, write a dozen or so short
negative comments about the "Herring Gull Challenge" and
on the other side, write positive ones. Some negative ones
might be sources of chemicals, how the chemicals are
transported, the effects on gulls, biomagnification definition
and such. Positive comments could include declining levels
ofPCBsin animals, banningof harmful chemicals, alternatives
to toxicants, and so forth.
Next cut the paper into free-form puzzle pieces, which are
given to teams of students with some pieces inverted. Instruct
the students to assemble the puzzle showing either all positive
or all negative sides of the pieces. Class discussion then
brings out both aspects.indicatingthatwhile progress is being
made on certain environmental issues, the puzzle still has two
sides that have to be considered. There is still work to be done
on the issue.
As a follow-up activity, have students write a story in
which they are a character involved with the issue. In this
instance, they become a herring gull. Encourage them to
express their feelings as they encounter both good and bad
aspects of the environment.
Adapted from a suggestion by science resource teacher
Karen Landis of Columbus, Ohio.
Buoy, this is the way to GO!
To teach students the mutual dependence and the importance
of observing with more than one of the senses, try this activity.
The idea is based on the Holling Clancy Holling book,
Paddle-to-the-Sea, the chapter in which the carved wooden
Indian in his canoe is carried by a motorboat through the St.
Clair River and Detroit's busy harbor. The motorboat driver
used known sights and sounds as a guide to safe passage.
Setup the classroom with a simple maze made up of tables
and chairs, representing the channel of a harbor. The channel
has enough room for two people to pass each other at any
point.
Students work in pairs, with one member of each pair
blindfolded andplacedattheentrance to the harbor torepresent
a boat approaching in the night. All the "sighted" partners
represent buoys. One is positioned outside of each turn or
intersection of the maze. Each buoy makes a different sound
at regular intervals to guide the boats through the harbor.
Boats listen for the nearest buoy and then turn away from it
when it is very near. Boats may make noises themselves to
warn other boats of their presence.
When the first group of boats has navigated through the
harbor, partners switch places so all can experience guidance
by buoys. (The second partner will have seen the maze! Be
sure to discuss how the observations of this group with sight
as well as sound affected their performance on the task.)
When all boats have safely navigated through the harbor,
discuss the importance of depending on others to complete a
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difficult task successfully. In a real harbor, what obstacles
might be present? In trying to live an environmentally
friendly life, what are the obstacles? How does it help to have
a friend in such an experience?
Tim Taylor, 5th Grade Teacher, Newark, Ohio.
Happy Beach, Sad Beach
This is a story for kindergarten or first-grade classes that
explains how we can all be sources of the garbage that pollutes
our water and shorelines. The tale describes how Happy Beach
became SadBeachuntilagroup of children tookaction. Students
act out the parts as the teacher reads:
Once upon a time, there was a place called Happy Beach.
It was a pretty beach with sparkling sand and a gentle surf
which lapped on its shore. Schools offish swam in the cool,
clear water, and a family of ducks bobbed on the calm
surface. Children came to spread their towels on the warm
sand. All were glad to be on the Happy Beach.
Many people used Happy Beach in the summer. Some
tried to catch fish with rods and reels. When they were
finished, they threw their tangled lines on the sand or in the
water. Some sat in the warm sun drinking pop to cool off.
When they were finished, they threw their cans on the sand.
Some enjoyed picnics by the water. When they were
finished, they threw their plastic plates and forks on the sand.
Happy Beach soon became Sad Beach. The fish got
their fins twisted in the old fishing line and died. The ducks
got their heads caught in the six-pack rings from the pop
cans and died. The children cut their feet on plastic forks
and cried. Trash was everywhere.
Finally, one small childhadenough. Shemade her small
voice as loud as she could and shouted, "STOP! Stop
littering our beach! We need to teach people how to use the
beach without leaving trash everywhere!"
Soon each child was telling a parent, a friend, and a
teacher not to litter the beach with garbage. "STOP! Stop
littering our beach!" they said.
People got the message. Some still tried to catch fish
with rods and reels, but when they were finished they took
their tangled lines home. Some still sat in the warm sun
drinking pop to cool off, but when they were finished they
threw their cans in the recycling bin. Some still enjoyed
picnics by the water, but when they were finished they
threw their plastic plates and forks in the garbage can.
After a while, Sad Beach became Happy Beach again
and things went back to normal.
Afterward, have the students make touch-and-feel pictures of
Happy Beach or Sad Beach using a strip of sandpaper and an
assortment of colorful litter. Ask each childtopresenthis or her
artwork to the class.
AdaptedfromanactivitybyCarmenE. Trisler, Great Oaks Joint
Vocational School, Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Ohio Sea Grant
Education Program in Great Lakes in My World.
The Forest and the City
For a lesson in human population density and habitat loss,
students can pretend to be animals in the forest or people in a
growing city. Here is how it works. The background for play
is a piece of white or other solid-color oilcloth, about 6 x 10
feet. On one side of the cloth, using simple art work and
permanent paint, draw a symbolic forest—a large number of
trees and some open spaces between them, with a small pond
near the edge. On the other side, unseen at the start of the
game, is a city with suburbs, again drawn with simple art
work. You may want to have farms on the outer edges, then
smaller houses, then office buildings toward the center.
The game begins with about ten students wandering in the
forest and having a good time. The teacher, as narrator, tells
a story about how many of the wild animals in the woods and
life in and around the pond are having a hard time these days.
Their homes are endangered by people who are looking for
places to live themselves. Fold over about one foot of the
oilcloth to show how, when farms and homes are built, animal
habitat is destroyed. Add two students to the folded part, and
instruct the forest animals to move closer together to stay on
the cloth.
The students on the fold-farms really like living close to the
woods and having land of their own. They invite their friends
to come there to live also. More and more of the cloth is folded
over as the city encroaches on the forest. More students are
added to the developed area. The animals keep getting more
crowded. When the pond is gone, all the waterfowl leave.
Soon the animals have to move away altogether because there
is no place left for them. All the remaining students can now
move into the city where the forest used to be.
Discussions will differ for different grade levels, but the
concepts of habitat loss, population density, and quality of life
should be included. More experienced students can discuss
wetlands issues, urban environmental problems, and changes
in natural populations by factors other than human impact.
Have students identify areas in your community that used to
be wildlife habitat. What areas for wildlife are still available?
Will they be available ten years from now?
Adaptedfrom a Children's Environmental Festival in
Hamilton, Ontario.
Just Passing Through
When I tour the Great Lakes schools as the character "Johnny
Biosphere," I often tell the story of how my grandfather and
I were out in aboat on Lake Superior on a really hot day. We
decided to cool off by going for a swim. Grandfather was so
hot that I guessed he had about a cup of salt to rinse off from
all the sweat. Later, we wondered how long it would take Lake
Superior to flush that salt out of all the Great Lakes. Your
students can figure this out and learn a great deal about how
long pollution really remains in the lakes once it gets into the
water.
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To fill the Great Lakes to the volumes they now have would
take the number of years shown below: ;
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake Ontario
190 years
100 years
23 years
3 years
8 years
Because water entering a lake mixes with the water already
inthelake,ittakesaverylongtimeforwater-solublesubstances
to wash out of lakes. It takes about 3 times longer to wash 90%
of a soluble substance out of a lake than it takes to fill the lake!
Howlongwouldittake90%ofthatcupofgrandfather'ssweat
to wash downstream out of Lake Superior (190 x 3 = 570
years)?
How long would it take for 90% of the same salt to wash
throughalltheGreatLakesandoutofLakeOntario? Calculate
the 90% removal times for each of the lakes by multiplying
their filling times by 3. Add these together to find out how
long a pollutant could remain in the Great Lakes (972 years).
JohnVallentyne,SeniorScientist,GreatLakesLaboratoryfor
Fisheries and Aquatic Services, Canada Center for Inland
Waters.
Dilemma: How Should I Treat a Lake?
This cooperative decision-making activity was developed for
second- and third-grade classes to encourage students to think
about the advantages and disadvantages of being a group
member. Start by having the class think of ways thatbelonging
to a group is good or bad on the playground, at lunch, in the
park, or at the beach. Write their ideas on the blackboard.
Next, divide the class into groups of three or four. Give
each group a dilemma written on an index card. You can base
these problems on any general environmental topic you want.
Situations can be presented either open- or closed-ended.
This activity focuses on a lake issue:
Dilemma!
While eating lunch on a boat, your friend begins to throw
empty pop cans and sandwich bags overboard into the water.
Do you
1. pretend you don't see what is happening because ybu
don't want to lose your friend?
2. risk making your friend angry by explaining how the
trash will harm lake wildlife? i
3. throw your trash in too? The lake looks big, so you
don't think the Utter will matter.
Ask one person in each group to read the problem aloud
to the others. Each student should be given a turn to say what
he or she would do and why. After everyone has had;an
opportunity to speak, the group should come to an agreement
on what action to take. Once all the groups are ready, each can
present its situation and decision to the class. Considering the
condition of the lake now, what choices have people made in
real life? Do people act more responsibly alone or in a group?
Generate a class list of all the ways individuals can have a
positive influence on a lake either by themselves or together.
Which strategy is more effective?
Adapted from an activity by Lynda Floehr and the Ohio Sea
Grant Education Program in Great Lakes in My World.
Critical Reading in Environmental Education
Do you believe everything you hear or read? Certainly not.
You probably have information sources that you trust
completely, though, and what you learn from these sources
you assume is true.
In communicating about the environment, some speakers
and writers may take advantage of people by trying to make
them react in a certain way. By using certain words or tones
of voice, they try to persuade us that what they are saying is
true. In order to become a critical consumer of environmental
information, i.e., one who can determine the truthfulness and
possible value of what is read, you have to look carefully at
every word of the writer or speaker. You should try to avoid
quick judgments, to sortout arguments, and to weigh evidence.
The following articles are excellent examples of emotional
vs. objective communications. We recommend them as
educational tools, and suggest that a 1990 article would be
appropriate to add as a third comparison:
Article 1 (1970): "So Long, Lake Erie! "by Claire Jones,
Steve Gadler, and Paul Engstrom. In Pollution: The
Waters of the Earth. Minneapolis, Lerner Publications.
Article2(1980): "LakeErie" by James P. Barry. Pamphlet
produced by the Ohio EnvironmentalProtection Agency,
Columbus.
Using the following set of questions to compare the articles,
you can develop acriticalreading activity on pollution in Lake
Erie:
1. When was it published? What was happening in this
country at that time? Have conditions changed since
then?
2. Who wrote the article? What qualifies the authors to
write about the subject?
3. Does the article state opinions or facts? How did you
decide?
4. What are the writer's conclusions? Does the article
have evidence that supports the conclusions?
5. Does the article use words designed to persuade your
thinking? If so, list 3-4 of these words or phrases.
6. Is there information that conflicts with what this writer
has said? Whatisthesourceoftheconflictinginformation?
Carole Basehore, Middle-School Teacher, Groveport, Ohio,
withRosanne Partner, Professor, The Ohio State University.
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q
c
How Big Is a Sturgeon?
Need a hands-on project to liven up your elementary students
during a math lesson or an endangered species discussion?
Although this activity focuses on sturgeon, it can be adapted
for any large, rare animal. An elephant or a whale would work
also. First, begin by describing the animal's appearance and
explaining why it is endangered.
The sturgeon is an unusual Great Lakes resident. Instead
of scales, this eight-foot, 250-pound fish is covered with
bony plates that give it aprehistoric look. From its pointy
snout grow four whisker-like "barbels" which are used to
feel along sandy, gravely, or rocky bottoms in search of
food. Sturgeon eat snails, crayfish, clams, and insect
larvae that thrive in clear, clean water.
Before 1850, the sturgeon was abundant in the Great
Lakes and their surrounding rivers. At this time, Lake
Erie fishermen considered this massive fish a worthless
catch and hated it for damaging their nets. Most captured
sturgeon were left to rot on beaches or were fed to pigs.
Ironically, in later years the fish became a delicacy,
valued as a source of meat and caviar.
After 1850, the sturgeon population began to decline
rapidly. Newly-built dams prevented them from reaching
many of their spawning grounds. Other habitat was
destroyed by siltation, pollution, and drainage. The lake
sturgeon is now an endangered species.
Next, make an overhead transparency from a drawing of a
sturgeon. This is projected onto a nine-by-three-foot strip of
paper that hangs on the wall. Make the image approximately
eight feet long and have students trace the features. Color the
back olive-gray and the belly milky-white or yellow, if you
have enough time and crayons.
Once the life-size picture has been made, ask the students
to make a few calculations. They can compare the sturgeon's
length to their ownheight, the teacher's height, theclassroom's
height and length, the height of the Empire State Building, or
the circumference of the Earth!
Adapted from an activity by Deborah Taylor and the Ohio
Sea Grant Education Program in Great Lakes in My World.
Oil Spill!
Nature begins to clean up the moment an oil spill occurs. The
oil separates into heavier and lighter parts which are spread by
winds and currents. Some of it evaporates and some of it is
consumed by bacteria csMe&petrophiles. For many reasons,
however, people grow impatient with these slow natural
processes. Success in cleaning up oil spilled in a lake or ocean
depends upon human preparedness and rapid action.
Using common household supplies, teams of students can
test their skills during a miniature environmental disaster. To
begin, you will need water and 10 ml of motor oil. Also give
each group of students a set of the following materials: an
aluminum pie pan or empty butter tub, 25-cm sections of
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8
twine, ahandful of sand, paper towels, liquid detergent, an eye
dropper, and newspaper. Have the students cover their work
surface with the newspaper. |
As you fill each pie pan with water, explain that an oil
tanker has just sprung a leak on each "lake" and it is each
team's responsibility to clean up the pollution with minimal
damage to the environment Describe the various techniques
which are available to them. These include containment,
using a circle of twine; recovery, using the eye dropper;
removal by sinking, using the sand; removal by adsorption,
using the paper towels; and dispersal, using the detergent
Allow groups a few minutes to plan their strategy, then add 2
drops of oil to their water and let them begin. ;
Once everyone is finished, discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each method drawing on the students'
experiences. What techniques were used to clean up the
Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska? Was that effort successful? Do
all methods actually eliminate the oil from the environment or
do some only remove it from sight. When class is over,
remember not to pour the contaminated water down the sink!
Adaptedfrom an activity by Stephanie Martin andRosanne
W. Partner in Oil Spill, OEAGLS Investigation #17. \
From "I Need the Earth and the Earth Needs Me"
An educational package on the environment, "I Need the
Earth and theEarthNeedsMe,"waspreparedby environmental
scientists and others at the General Motors Corporation in
cooperation with counterparts at the U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency along with educational consultants. In
April of last year, every elementary school in the United S tates
received a complimentary package from GM. ;
A good demonstration of what can be achieved by
appropriate government-private sector cooperation, the
educational package, a video tape and teacher's guide, was
designed to give students increased understanding, respect,
and reverence for our Earth. It delivers a simple, clear
message: "Earth is our home. All living things on Earth
depend on each other, and all need a quality environment."
The teacher's guide offers activities that fit into the
elementary-level curriculum. Several of these activities
(reprinted with the permission of GM) are presented here.
Soft Soil and Grass
Take your class for a walk. Ask them to sense the ground they
are walking on and how it feels. Include in your walk a
basketball court and a football or baseball field. Ask them
what type of shoes are best on each type of surface, e.g.,
football cleats. Why are different surfaces used for different
sports? Explain that the softness of the soil and grass comes
from air and living things in it, and that they keep the soil
healthy.
Sound and Music
The sound of music travels through the air. Some sounds are
more musically pleasing than others. Which instruments can
mimic natural sounds, such as birds and thunder—flute,
timpani? Which instruments are played with, or by, moving
air—flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon?
Play a particularly beautiful musical passage on a cassette
or record player. While it is playing, have the students begin,
one after another, to make noises—for example tapping on the
desk. At some point, the noises willmake the music impossible
to enjoy. When you get all of this stopped, ask the students if
the noises were pollution.
Water Plus
Take a cup or so of sand. Fold in a tablespoon or two of
vegetable oil. Mix in a handful of grindings from a pencil
sharpener. Addateaspoon of groundcloves or otherpowerfully
aromatic spice. Add some ground-up, watercolor paint. Now
that the whole thing is an awful mess, add several cups of
warm water and shake vigorously. This water is now
"polluted."
One way the Earth cleans polluted water is by filtering it
through the soil. Demonstrate this by pouring the mixture
through several layers of filter paper. What filters through
should be clear, colored, and aromatic. If it comes out muddy,
go easy on the pencil-sharpening waste or vary the other
ingredients. If the filtered water is held up to the light, it will
look better than the polluted water, but it won't be clean. At
the same time, the filter, which represents the soil, will have
become "polluted" by the material that it removed from the
dirty water.
The filtered water will still be the wrong color, and it will
smell strange. Explain how nature's water purificationprocess,
the hydrologic cycle, removes some of the waste materials
that get dissolved in water.
The Texture Board
Here's how you can make a display board out of natural things
and out of waste. Have the students bring in examples of
various textures that appear in nature, such as fallen leaves,
sand, a rock, gravel, and soil. Ask them to draw the natural
environmentfrom which thesesubstancescomeand to compare
their textures. Then, ask them to bring in some small examples
of man-made materials such as a glass or an aluminum can.
Arrange these on another part of the display and draw in a
natural environment that fits these human artifacts.
What are the differences between the natural and the man-
made textures? Are the man-made materials smoother than
the natural ones? Would smooth things be more, or less,
hospitable to living things? What could some of the functions
of natural roughness be? Do many of these human artifacts
seem not to fit into a natural environment?
-------
The City: Why Here?
The Disappearing Cleaner
On a map of the country, locate a dozen or more of the largest
cities. List them. Then, go back and find out how many are
on rivers or the ocean. Why is this? Five key reasons are:
readily available transportation, energy (from water wheels),
water, food (fish), and waste disposal. What changes have
occurred since these cities were founded to make each of these
original reasons for their location less important? Have newer
forms of transportation, power generation, and agriculture
changed the reasons new cities are founded where they are?
Have the two remaining reasons for locating a city here
(available water and waste disposal) come into conflict? Is it
possible to have both?
How Long: Onelnchof Topsoil
It takes nature, on the average, 100 years to produce one inch
of good topsoil. In some of the richest farmland in the
midwestern United States, when agriculture first began in
earnest 100 years ago, there was up to two feet of good topsoil.
How many years did it take to form that topsoil? If farming
caused a half-inch of topsoil per year to be lost to wind, rain,
and chemical erosion, how long could a plot of the best land
be farmedbeforetheoriginal,good topsoil layer wasexhausted?
Build a Greenhouse
There has been a great deal said and written about the
greenhouse effect and whether or not it is leading to global
warming. Scientists are carefully investigating this question.
The "greenhouse effect" means that certain atmospheric gases
let sunlight reach the Earth but trap heat.
Some students may not know what a greenhouse is. To
demonstrate how a cover that allows light to pass through can
cause temperatures to rise, take two shallow cardboard boxes,
about one foot by two feet by eight inches deep. Remove the
lids. Place the boxes side-by-side in the sunlight Put a
thermometer inside each box, preferably in a shaded section.
Then, put a piece of glass on top of one of the boxes. It is
important to make certain that the glass forms a relatively tight
seal on the box.
Within minutes, the temperature in the glass-covered,
greenhouse box will have climbed far above mat in the
uncovered box. In colder climates, you can modify this
experiment to do a real greenhouse test. On a cold day when
the temperature will not get above freezing, insulate the box
with other cardboardboxesorfoam packaging; putinafew ice
cubes or an ice cream sandwich; cover the box with the glass;
and place it outside in the sun. Within an hour or less, the ice
cubes will have melted and/or the ice cream sandwich will be
a gooey mess.
One of the major hazards to which children are exposed is
pesticides and solvents used in the home. Take a shallow plate
and pour a small portion of glass cleaner onto it. After a few
minutes, the cleaner should have evaporated. Discuss with the
students where the cleaner went. Ask if they can smell the
cleaner. Explain how things can enter the air, be breathed into
our lungs, and get into our bodies. Now, read to them the
warnings from the labels of several household cleaners or
pesticides. Make them aware that they can become exposed
to substances even without touching them.
Call Me Water
Ask the students to bring in a half-dozen or more examples of
how water is used as a symbol in language. These can range
from cliches such as "you're all wet," "wet behind the ears,"
"all washed up," and "go with the flow" to more sophisticated
symbolism. Include references to water in news or other
programs on television. How is water used in the stories
you've read or discussed? Why is the reference to water so
prominent? If water were a character in a story, what sort of
character would it be? How is the water character changed by
the different environments it meets, such as farms, cities,
oceans, or clouds? Read Carl Sandburg's poem, The Fog.
Have the class, as agroup, write a cooperative story with water
as the central character.
The Breathing Tree
Whenever someone breathes in, they take oxygen out of the
air. This oxygen is used in the body to turn food into energy.
In the process, the body produces carbon dioxide and water.
The carbon dioxide is then breathed out. The typical 10-year-
old will breathe out approximately three-fourths of a kilogram
of carbon dioxide per day.
Trees andotherplantsneedcarbondioxidetogrow. Through
leaves or needles, trees breathe in carbon dioxide, turn the
carbon into wood or other plant material, and breathe out
oxygen. A typical tree will consume about 12 kilograms of
carbon dioxide per year. How many trees would it take to
consume theamountof carbon dioxide producedayear by one
10-year-old? It would take about 23 trees [(.75)(365) + 12 =
22.8]. How many trees would it take for the entire class?
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GAME PAGE REPRODUCIBLES
(EPA-GRAM
Nbodle-Doodles
A Noodle-Doodle is a puzzle using
words, letters and symbols and their positions to
represent common words, phrases, expressions
and things. For example:
MAN
BOARD is man overboard and READING is
reading between the lines. Here is a hint: all of
the Noodle-Doodles represent wildlife. Answers
arc on page 9.
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To discover the EPA-GRAM message, fill in the defini-
tions; below and transfer the letters in the spaces with
numbers to the same numbers in the EPA-GRAM grid.
Some of the letters have been filled in and some have
been transferred to the grid to get you started. Answers
are oh page 9.
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Used to catch delicate, winged insects.
A fastener named for a reptile with strong jaws.
Totally exhausted.
A rough, strong embrace.
An exaggerated tale.
A sticky device for catching insects.
The largest portion.
Someone who can't wait to get started.
A plumber's tool.
A timepiece named for a "wacky" bird.
False sorrow.
Mischievous activity.
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Bibliography
Environment, Teachers, and Books
For children, the world is filled with secrets. "Why can't I hear
birds sing when it rains?" "Where does the wind blow to?"
"When will the egg open and let the littie robin out?" "Why did
the mother goathaveanextra twin?" "Whereis thecrocus when
the snow is still here?"
As youngsters notice more, their questions become harder
to answer. "If all these trees are cut down, where will other
little kids play when they are growing up?" "Why do we have
oil spills?" Many adults have the same questions. 'They want
answers for themselves and for their children.
Teachers want to helpchildren understand theenvironment
and environmental concerns that result from resource-use
practices. Teachers want to know ecological concepts and life
cycles of the natural world.
They want to plan learning activities that will enable
children to understand ecological concepts. They want books
to use in classrooms and to recommend for extending their
students' knowledge.
Knowing, understanding, appreciating, and caring for the
environment is an ongoing process not unlike the continually
unfolding design of nature. Youngsters seek experiences with
the natural world and want discussions and conversations
about their experiences and books to confirm and expand the
experiences.
Teachers contribute mightily by bringing books about the
environment into classrooms. Children's literature—books
created by gifted artists, writers, and content experts—is a
rich, available source of information about the environment
and environmental issues. The body of literature considers
every possible topic, at a variety of reading levels, and
presents pertinentinformationinengaging.appealingformats.
The first group of information books listed below gives
facts to develop concepts about the Earth's elements and their
interdependent relationships. In many books, experiments
and learning activities suggest concrete tactile and visual
evidence of the concepts. Glossaries supply meanings of
words; lists of books for further reading can lead to deeper
exploration and broader understanding. While suggested
reading levels for all titles begin at age seven, the books are
provocative and worthwhile for adult readers. The varied
presentation of detail and relationships will enlighten as well
as lead them to means of informing children.
Another group of the books focuses on environmental
issues and concerns. Topics such as the greenhouse effect or
trash are presented against the backdrop of natural ecological
cycles. Explanations of causes and effects are given, and,
sometimes, actions that youngsters can take are suggested.
Glossaries, further reading, and names and addresses of orga-
nizations related to ecological concerns are provided. A few
fiction, biographical, and poetry books are included. These
are presented to suggest that books on environmental con-
cerns don't end with information.
While books are readily available, rich in facts, visual aids,
andactivities, they are only part of an environmental education.
Children need experiences in the natural world and
opportunities to discuss them. They need to pose questions to
consolidate their learning and to foster future activities.
Experiences, books, and talk will keep wonder alive as they
discover that each person can make change and that the effort
of a single individual makes a significant difference in this
wondrous world.
Alice K. Swinger, Professor, Wright State University
Environment, Learning, and Books
Environmental and Ecological Concepts
Cobb, Vicki. Why Doesn't the SunBurn Out? TedEnik, Illus.
NY: Lodestar Books, 1990.40 pp. Ages 7-11.
Subtitled "and other not such dumb questions about energy,"
the questions, answers, and explanations are illustrated with
humorous cartoon drawings. Index.
Cobb, Vicki. The Trip ofaDrip. Elliot Kreloff, Illus. Boston:
Little-Brown, 1986. 50 pp. Ages 7-12.
Journey of a drip of water. Outlines how humans get water and
what happens to it after it is used. Includes experiments.
Cochrane, Jennifer. Land Ecology. Cecilia Fitzsimons, Illus.
NY: Bookwright Press, 1987.47 pp. Ages 8-12.
One of a series (air, animal, plant, urban, water). Ecological
concepts are presented with clear text and color photos;
opposite page features learning activity (experiment and
observe) which verifies the concepts being developed.
Diagrams, further reading, organizations, glossary, index.
Cochrane, Jennifer. Plant Ecology. Cecilia Fitzsimons, Illus.
NY: Bookwright Press, 1987.47 pp. Ages 8-12.
Describes the importance of plant life to all living systems on
the planet. Text introduces concepts, then follows with
discovery and verifying activities. Color photos, diagrams,
further reading, organizations, glossary, index.
Cochrane, Jennifer. UrbanEcology. CeciliaFitzsimons, Illus.
NY: Bookwright Press, 1988.47 pp. Ages 8-12.
A look at ecosystems in city (as opposed to country)
environments; experiments for youngsters to complete, with
suggested means of recording data. Further reading,
organizations, glossary, index.
Dorros, Arthur. Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean. NY:
Harper, 1991.32 pp. Ages 7-9.
Describes water's journey, its uses, and plants and animals
that live in or around it. Color illustrations, diagrams, photos.
Dorros, Arthur. Rain Forest Secrets. Illustrated by author.
NY: Scholastic, 1990.40 pp. Ages 6-9.
Explores life in the rain forest and the significance of this
ecosystem to global survival. Color illustrations, organizations,
author's note.
11
-------
12
Exley, Richard & Helen. My World: Nature. Lincolnwood,
EL: Passport Books, 1985.127 pp. All ages.
Excellent collection of writings and drawings by children
from around the world. Messageis: we have agorgeous world;
let'skeep itthat way. Sense of urgency is pervasive in text and
pictures. Color illustrations.
Forsy th, Adrian. Journey Through a Tropical Jungle. NY::
Simon & Schuster, Books for Young Readers, 1988.80 pp.
Ages 10-adult.
Rainforests are an essential ecosystem yet they are being
destroyedfor commercial purposes. The journey and pictures
clearly reinforce that children and adults need this knowledge
to make wise decisions. Color photos, index. Afterword from
Prince Philip of Great Britain.
Hiscock, Bruce. The Big Tree. NY: Atheneum, 1991.33 pp.
Ages 6-9.
Life cycle from seed to maturity; uses of trees and wood
products.
Ward, Brian R., et al. The Environment and Health. Penny'
Dann, Ulus. NY: Franklin Watts, 1989.48 pp. Ages 8-10.
Broad general introduction of environmental factors and their
relationship to health. Color photos, illustrations, diagrams,
organizations, glossary, index.
Jaediker, Norsgaard E. Nature's Great Balancing Act. NY:
Cobblehill Books, 1990.63 pp. Ages 8-12.
Explains the food chain through things that can be seen in a
backyard; describes what happens when any part of the chain
is poisonous. Color photos, glossary, index, author and
illustrator credentials.
Lemer, Carol. AForest Year. NY: William Morrow, 1987.48
pp. Ages 8-12.
Examines life cycles of plants and animals in forest
communities at every month of the year. Pictures and text are
interdependent; full-page color illustrations have numerous
enlarged detail inserts that expand on the text. Reading level
challenging for younger students. Glossary, index.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Yellowstone Fires. NY: Holiday
House, 1990.40 pp. Ages 8-12. |
Conceptsofforestecosystemsareexplored through theevents
of the 1988 fires. Theories of fire management presented.
Color photos, index.
Environmental Issues and Concerns
Anderson, Madelyn Klein. Oil Spills. NY: Franklin Watts,
1990.63 pp. Ages 8-12.
An introduction to oil, means of transporting and disposing of
it. Discusses spills, their effects, methods of cleaning up arid
preventing oil spills. Color photos, glossary, index, further
reading, author credentials.
Becklake, John. The Climate Crirfs.RonHayward Associates,
nius. NY: Gloucester Press, 1989.32 pp. Ages 8-12.
Describes warming Earth theory, causes, possible means of
changing individual, corporate, and national patterns. Color
photos, diagrams, illustrations, facts sheet, and index.
Bright, Michael. Pollution and Wildlife. NY: Gloucester,
1987. 32 pp. Ages 8-12.
An overview of worldwide pollution and its effects. One-page
discussion of topics, facts illuminated through photos,
illustrations, maps, sidebars, and diagrams. A Sad Facts chart
and index.
Hare, Tony. Acid Rain. Ian Moores, nius. NY: Gloucester
Press, 1990. 32 pp. Ages 8-12.
Describes acid rain, the factors which cause it; suggests
actions to help solve the problem. Color photos, illustrations,
diagrams, fact file, glossary, and index.
Hoff, Mary and Mary M. Rodgers. Our Endangered Planet:
Groundwater. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 1991. 64 pp.
Ages 8- 12.
Describes importance of groundwater and the problems
associated with wastefulness. Stresses importance of
individuals' decisions and habits. Identifies specific actions
of responsible behavior. Photos, diagrams, and sidebars.
Glossary, index, relevant organizations.
Johnson, Rebecca L. The Greenhouse Effect. Minneapolis,
MN: Lerner, 1990. 112pp. Ages 12-adult.
Presentation and discussion of concepts and systems related to
global warming including wavelengths, electromagnetics;
includes suggestions to counter potential problems. Color
photos, illustrations, maps, diagrams, graphs, glossary, index.
Press, 1986. 32 pp. Ages 7-10.
Concepts of pollution and conservation for beginners.
Introduces ideas with examples from around the world. Color
photos, glossary, further reading, index.
Miles, Betty. Save the Planet. NY: Knopf, 1991. 1 18 pp. Ages
9-adult.
Information given to help youngsters develop concepts of
environment; projects and^ activities to benefit the Earth
suggested.
Miller, Christina G. and Louise A. Berry. Coastal Rescue.
NY: Atheneum, 1989. 120 pp. Ages 12-adult.
Preserving seashores is a significant part of conservation and
environmental protection. Winds, tides, and currents are
powerful architects; sometimes human intervention rescues
specific sites from the natural progression of ecosystems. B/W
photos, sources of more information, further reading,
organizations, glossary, index.
Mutel, Cornelia Fleischer and Mary M. Rodgers. Our
Endangered Planet: Tropical Rain Forests. Minneapolis,
MN: Lerner, 1991. 64 pp. Ages 8-12.
Describes value of rain forests for Earth ecosystems' survival
and disastrous effects of the destruction of life on the planet.
Listof activities tooffsetdamage.Colorphotos, organizations,
glossary, index.
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13
Penny, Malcolm. Pollution and Conservation. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Silver Burdett, 1988.48 pp. Ages 8-12.
A world-wide view of kinds of pollution (air, water, land,
noise) and ways in which each occur; details conservation
means to counteract each polluting condition. Color photos,
diagrams, illustrations, further reading, glossary, and index.
Pringle, Laurence. Global Warming. NY: Arcade, 1990.46
pp. Ages 8-12.
Describes causes of global warming and suggests changes to
combat the trend; includes discussion of reforestation of the
Earth as well as ideas of conflict or cooperation as choices.
Color photos, maps, diagrams, graphs, glossary, and index.
Pringle, Laurence. Throwing Things Away. NY: Thomas Y.
Crowell, 1986.90 pp. Ages 9-14.
People have always thrown things away: some of it decays,
some does not. Describes results of modern disposal methods
and possibilities for change. B/W photos, further reading,
index.
Skidmore, Steve. What aLot of Trash! Thomas Yardley, Illus.
Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1991.40 pp. Ages 7-11.
Lively presentation of humans' use and disposal of materials.
Reclamation projects suggested. Index.
Stille.DarleneR. Water Pollution. Chicago: Children'sPress,
1990.48 pp. Ages 7-11.
Describes importance of water for living things, differences in
salt and fresh water, sources of water pollution, and ways of
protecting water. Color photos, glossary, and index.
Wilcox, Charlotte. Trash! Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda,
1988.40 pp. Ages 7-11.
Color photos show heaps, mounds, and piles of trash in all its
revolting ugliness. Illustrations and diagrams describe
problems caused by waste disposal and ways to minimize it.
Glossary.
Winckler, Suzanne and Mary M. Rodgers. Our Endangered
Planet: Population Growth. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner,
1991.64 pp. Ages 8-12.
Presents information about population growth, change, and
environmental stress causedby increasing numbers of people.
Offers suggestions toreduceproblem. Colorphotos, diagrams,
illustrations, organizations, glossary, index.
Activities and How-To
Bonnet,RobertL.andC.DaraelKeen.£wvirawjenrfl/Sa'e«ce:
49 Science Fair Projects. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab
Books, 1990.124 pp. Ages 11-15.
Projects designed for grades 6-9 (some can be done by
younger children) focus on givingknowledgeandheightening
awareness of immediate world as well as environmental
interrelatedness. Clear directions and procedures. Diagrams,
illustrations, graphs, resource list, glossary, index, author
credentials.
Elkington, John, et al. Going Green: A Kid's Handbook to
Saving the Planet. NY: Viking, 1990.112 pp. Ages 10-14.
Presents environmental concepts followed by "green audit"
for home, school, and community, then "what you can do"
from A to Z. Illustrations, further reading, organizations,
index.
Schwartz, Linda. EarthBookfor Kids: Activities to Help Heal
the Environment. Beverly Armstrong, Illus. SantaBarbara,
CA: The Learning Works, 1990.184 pp. Ages 8-12.
Ideas and activities to be used in homes or schools include
projects for individuals or groups. Presentation of projects
uses discovery technique; writing and discussing are frequently
suggested modes for sharing learning. Resources listing,
glossary.
Van Cleave, Janice. Earth Science Projects for Every Kid!
Easy Experiments that Really Work. NY: John Wiley,
1991.232pp. Ages 8-adults.
Life is affected by things on and around the Earth.
Biography
Foster, Leila Merrell. The Story of Rachel Carson and the
Environmental Movement. Chicago: Children's Press,
1990.32 pp. Ages 7-10.
A beginning biography and introduction to the environmental
movement. B/Wphotosfromherchildhoodyearslendcredence
and interest Color photos, index.
Kudlinski, Kathleen V. Rachel Carson: Pioneer of Ecology.
Ted Lewin, nius. NY: Viking, 1988.55 pp. Ages 9-12.
Describes thedetermined woman whoexcelledin apreviously
male-dominated field; then combined her love of science and
writing. Interested adults should read Silent Spring.
Stwertka,Eve. Rachel Carson.NY: Franklin Watts, 1991.63
pp. Ages 8-11.
Explores Carson's early life, education, and interests as well
as shows her developing awareness of environmental concepts.
Color andb/wphotos,index, further reading, author credentials.
Poetry
Livingston, Myra Cohn. Earth Songs. LeonardEverettFisher,
Illus. NY: Holiday House, 1986.32 pp. Ages 6-adult.
Short poems speaking of Earth's features—water, mountains,
volcanoes—illuminated by full color double-page paintings.
The celebration in this and a companion volume, Space Songs,
contribute to a sense of appreciation for the planet.
Livingston, Myra Cohn. Sea Songs. Leonard Everett Fisher,
Illus. NY: Holiday House, 1986.32 pp. Ages 6-adult.
Addresses forms of life that live in the sea, natural forces that
affect life there and, in refrains, includes the moon and sun as
ever-present in the equation. Worthy companion to other
volumes in this collaboration.
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14
Si&Qit,Diw\e.Heartland. Wendell Minor, nius. NY: Thomas
Y. Crowell, 1989.32 pp. Ages 6-adult.
Celebrates farms and farmers of the great middle part of
United States in poetry and paintings. Poems and pictures
evoke appreciation and warmth without sentimentality.
Siebert, Diane. Mojave. Wendell Minor, nius. NY: Thomas
Y. Crowell, 1988.32 pp. Ages 6-adult.
Poems feature creatures andplants against the backdrop of the
natural elements that, together, make a desert. Just as various
elements combine to make a desert (or an ocean), paints arid
poems work together to create the book.
Siebert, Diane. Sierra. Wendell Minor, nius. NY: Harper,!
Collins, 1991.32 pp. Ages 6-adult.
Poems and paintings evoke the elements of the mountain
environment Useful for children and adults as they develop
concepts of the natural world and appreciation for it. |
Fiction ;
Baker, Jeannie. Window. NY: Greenwillow, 1991.24 pp. Alll
ages. i
Wordless. Achanging view of the world seen through the eyes
of a person looking through a window. Beautiful collages.,
Glimmerveen, Ulco. A Tale of Antarctica. NY: Scholastic^
1989.32 pp. Ages 6-9. ;
Life is changing for the penquins in Antarctica. Now, not all
the dangers are from natural causes; some come from humans
and the way they use and discard materials.
Goble, Paul. Beyond the Ridge. NY: Bradbury, 1989.32 pp.
All ages.
A poem-prayer-story of life on the Earth, changes, and
continuation in different forms.
Leslie-Melville, Bette. Walter Warthog. NY: Doubleday,
1989. Ages 7-10.
Human population patterns and behavior affect lives of big
game in Kenya. Knowledge, observation, and concern can
make positive contributions to the well-being of the great
herds and to individual families of animals.
Van Allsburg,Chris./«^a£)rea?n. Boston: HoughtonMifflin,
1990.48 pp. Ages 6-adult.
A cautionary tale with dream sequence foretelling the future
of a boy who ignores environmental concerns. A winning
combination for Van Allsburg fans.
Parents' Guide
Duensing, Edward. Talking to Fireflies, Shrinking the Moon.
Lois Sloan, Illus. NY: Plume Books, 1990.177 pp.
Adults.
This parents' guide to outdoor activities is designed to help
parents lead children to see, discover, and enjoy the natural
world. Divided into warm weather, cold weather, and year-
round activities, it could be as essential as bread for afamily's
well-being. Glossary and index.
1990 Presidential Environmental Youth Award winners with Administrator William Reilly.
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The President's Environmental Youth Awards
Since 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency has
sponsored the President's Environmental Youth Awards
Program. Young people from every state are invited annually
to participate in the program. It encourages individuals,
school classes, summer camps, public interest groups, and
youth organizations to promote environmental awareness and
to channel this awareness into positive community
involvement
The program has two components: the regional certificate
program and the national awards competition. Regional
certificates are awarded by each of the ten EPA regions. One
outstanding project from each region is selected for national
honors.
National individual project winners, or one representative
from a national award-winning group project, along with one
project sponsor, receive an expense-paid trip to Washington,
DC. TheyparticipateintheannualNationalAwards Ceremony,
and consult with the EPA Youth Work Group about the
President's Environmental Youth Awards Program and other
environmental education initiatives foryoungpeople. Winners
receive handsome plaques bearing the President's signature.
1991 National Winners
Presidential award winners this year included a group from
Ipswich, Massachusetts (Region One), called Students
Against Vandalizing the Earth (SAVE). Since 1989, these
studentsfromlpswichMiddleSchoolhavespearheadedefforts
to expand the state's reuse of glass containers. The students
circulatedpetitions supporting an expanded statebotde deposit
law. In addition, they raised funds which were used to
purchase and protect several acres of rainforest in Belize.
Nazia Quraishi of Samuel A. Roberson School in Bayonne,
New Jersey (Region Two), was cited for her research into oil
spills in both fresh and saltwater environments, and for
measuring theeffectivenessof various oil-cleaning substances.
Fifth grader Justin Kingery of Bob White, West Virginia
(Region Three), was honored for his work in creating useful
fertilizers out of otherwise discarded materials. After
developing afertilizer using human hair, he launched an effort
which resulted in a county resolution to use environmentally-
safe and recyclable products.
The McDonald Elementary School Science Club of Mohawk,
Tennessee (Region Four), was honored for several creative
efforts to expand energy awareness and energy conservation
in their school and surrounding communities. The science
club also set up exhibits on solar energy at a local shopping
mall and sponsored an aluminum recycling campaign.
In an imaginative wildlife conservation project, St. Paul
Elementary student Eric Champlin of North Canton, Ohio
(Region Five), launched the "Adopt-A-Barn Owl" project.
With the cooperation of nearly two dozen barn owners, he
built nesting boxes and played barn-owl tapes to attract new
residents. Eric also producesaquarterlyprogressreporton his
owl project.
15
Project Fight Urban Runoff was launched by a team of
students from Holy Cross High School in New Orleans,
Louisiana (Region Six). The students campaigned actively
and effectively toincreasepublic awareness abouthow actions
such as misuse of pesticides or dumping used motor oil
polluted Lake Ponchartrain. Part of the project involved
stenciling storm drain covers with a logo to remind local
residents that substances which go into the storm sewers were
a major source of lake pollution.
When the city landfill closed, the Schuyler, Nebraska, FFA
Chapter (Region Seven) promoted an aggressive recycling
and conservation campaign. They established a community
recycling center and widely promoted resource conservation
and reuse. In addition, they embarked upon a five-year
groundwater protection plan for the community. This project
involved local farmers and a number of community
organizations in efforts to enrich the soil and detect nitrate
contamination of rural wells.
In Salt Lake City, Utah (Region Eight), a group, Kids
Organized to Protect our Environment (KOPE), began a
campaign to rescue an historic creek in their neighborhood.
The city-owned creek had become a dumping ground. The
KOPE Club organized students and adults for a massive
cleanup effort and even passed a state resolution creating an
annual cleanup, fix-up day. Finally, the KOPE Club helped to
get the city planning commission to approve of the creek as a
protected natural park.
Second-Grade students atMililani Uka Elementary School
in Mililani Town, Hawaii (Region Nine), developed a course
of study called "Earth Day, Every Day." The course included
plantandanimal habitats, energy resources andrecycling, and
air, land, and water issues. Projects included field trips, a
recycling project, protection of 4.1 acres of Guatemalan rain
forest, building bird feeders, and the creation of a compost
heap. The compost project not only taught students what
things decompose and what things do not, it produced fine soil
for the planting of two olive trees on the school campus.
Fifth Graders at the Mountain View Elementary School
in Anchorage, Alaska (Region Ten), created an extensive
recyclingproject called "ProjectNeed." After involving more
than two dozen other classrooms, the students began a major
waste minimalization and recycling program involving
aluminum, cardboard, milk cartons, newspaper, and other
products. Proceeds from their recycling efforts are used
toward such community activities as the Salvation Army
Senior Citizen Nutrition Program.
Application Procedures
Applications may beobtainedfrom yourEPARegional Office.
To apply, applicants must have completed an environmental
project while in grades kindergarten through 12, and the
project must be sponsored by at least one adult representative
from a school, camp, youth group, or public interest group.
For additional information, write to your Regional Youth
Coordinator at the appropriate address given below.
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16
EPA Region 1 :
John F. Kennedy Federal Building ;
One Congress Street !
Boston, MA 02203 !
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Vermont .
EPA Region 2 i
Jacob ICJavitz Federal Building j
26 Federal Plaza i
New York, NY 10278 !
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands \
EPA Region 3
841 Chestnut Building
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, West Virginia \
EPA Region 4
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee .
EPA Region 5
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin >
EPA Region 6 !
First Interstate Bank Tower at Fountain Place
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
EPA Region 7
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101 :
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
EPA Region 8
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2405
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming
EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Arizona,California,Hawaii,Nevada,AmericanSamoa,Guam,
Trust Territories of the Pacific
EPA Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Call for Comments, Essays, and Ideas
EarthNotes welcomes contributions from educators for
educators, grades K-6. Limit descriptions of each
comment andteachingidea to approximately SOOwords
and essays to 1200 words. Type them double-spaced
and include the writer's full name, school address, and
telephone number. Receipt of the contribution will be
acknowledged, but this does not guarantee publication.
Manuscriptsubmissionsmayteeditedforclarity.format,
and space. All manuscripts and communications should
be addressed to:
Editor, Earth Notes
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401M Street, S.W. (A-107)
Washington, DC 20460
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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