Environmental Justice & Action in Maryland

with Jamoni Overby

February 24 from 5-6pm: Register here to get link

This interactive session will equip Maryland educators with the tools to meaningfully integrate environmental justice into Green Schools coursework. Participants will explore the history of environmental justice in Maryland, examine the current challenges facing communities, and uncover opportunities to connect these realities to classroom learning and continued advocacy. Educators will leave prepared to help students critically understand the intersections of environment, policy, and community and feeling empowered to foster the next generation of environmental stewards and justice leaders!

Beyond the Worksheet: Building MCAP Readiness Outdoors

with Brianna Amingwa

March 19 from 4-5pm: Register here to get link

How can we prepare students for state assessments while fostering appreciation and awareness of their school environment? The answer is in your own schoolyard. This session focuses on upper elementary math in the schoolyard, teaching educators how to incorporate math content in their outdoor exploration. You will learn to design outdoor data-collection charts that align with state standards, facilitate engaging student-led data collection in the schoolyard, guide students in translating their observations into mathematical bar graphs, and strengthen you students reasoning and analytical skills. Join us to equip your upper elementary students with the tools to investigate their world while mastering the critical math skills they need for success!

Taking Language Arts Outside

with Jemima Clark

March 25 from 4-5:30pm: Register here to get link

In this session tailored for middle and high school educators, Jemima will share creative strategies and ready-to-use lesson ideas that highlight the interdisciplinary power of environmental literacy. Discover how to meaningfully integrate environmental and climate literacy into the ELA classroom - through literature, writing, and critical thinking - and explore simple, engaging ways to take your ELA instruction outdoors. Fresh air, real-world connections, and inspiration included!

Lesson Ideas

to support Objective 1.1: Environmental Curriculum and Instruction

Energy Education Resources

This is a great time of year to focus on energy education, and the NEED Project has a wonderful page of free curriculum resources organized by grade level and by energy topic. Click on the button below to visit their page.

Celebration Ideas

to support objective 1.2.2: School-Wide Celebration

Plan Now for a Fantastic

School-wide Celebration in March!

Earth Hour, organized by World Wildlife Fund, is a global grassroots movement uniting people to take action on environmental issues and protect the planet. Engaging a massive mainstream community, Earth Hour was famously started as a lights out event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then, it has grown to engage millions of supporters globally, inspiring individuals and organizations worldwide to take action for the environment, and driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the crowd. As the movement grows, the one-hour lights out event continues to be the symbol of a broader commitment toward nature and our planet.

We encourage you to take inspiration from the event, which is held on March 28 this year, to create your school’s very own Earth Hour celebration during the month of March. Turning the lights off for one hour, taking the learning outside, participating in litter cleanups and other activities to help our planet, and encouraging participation in the event on March 28.

Ideas for Student Action Projects

to support Objective 2: Student Action

Salt Watch: Contribute Data on Road Salt Pollution

(Meets Objective 2.8 - Participatory Science)

Did you know that excessive road salt can pose a threat to fish and wildlife as well as human health? The Izaak Walton League of America runs an amazing community science program to help monitor and address this issue. You can learn more and request a free Salt Watch kit at the link above. This is a great project to do with a Green Team, especially after all of the winter weather we have experienced recently!

Energy Audits

(Meets Objective 2.2 - Energy Conservation)

An energy audit does not have to be complicated, and this time of year is a great time to explore energy use in your building. Here is an idea for a simple energy audit from the EPA. You can also check out this School Energy Audit Best Practices Guide for ideas on how to use tools such as light meters, infrared thermometers, and watt meters to quantify energy use in your school building.

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