Green Strides Webinars: May Series

April 29th, 2013 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities the tools to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental literacy, including STEM, green careers, and civic engagement.>>> These are all the tools that help schools and districts move toward the aims of our U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award. This April, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

Bringing Climate Change Home (USDA)
May 1, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Vicki Arthur will lead participants through a wide range of education resources from the U.S. Forest Service for teaching about climate change.  Learn about computer modeling  classroom activities, ClimateChangeLIVE, etc. Explore these and many more science based resources which will bring climate change closer to home; helping to answer the question, “What does climate change mean to me?”

Register here!

Drinking Water Best Practices for School and Child Care Facilities (EPA)
May 8, 2013 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

This webinar will cover the best management practices for drinking water in a school or child care facility. Specifically, the webinar will describe practices a school or child care facility can implement to reduce lead and bacteria in their facility, how to avoid cross contamination, protect your water source, and conserve water.

Register here!

Engaging Your Community on Green Apple Day of Service (USGBC)
May 15, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Join the Center for Green Schools in preparing for the 2nd annual Green Apple Day of Service. During this webinar we will introduce the basics on what this day means and how your community can get involved. We’ll discuss the kinds of projects you can take on to transform your classroom, school or campus, how to put a project team together, and other resources you may need along the way.

Register here!

Teacher Ranger Teacher (NPS)
May 22, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Discover how to teach your class about the environment, outdoor recreation and our nation’s historic places by participating in the National Park Service’s Teacher-Ranger-Teacher professional development program.  This webinar will include information on opportunities to participate, how to receive graduate credit, and some examples of previous teachers’ experiences in the program.

Register here!

Authentic Student Voice and Leadership in GreenSchools! (USFS & PLT)
May 29, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

In a growing number of Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! across the United States, students are becoming involved in decision-making activities that affect their environment and community. This webinar will feature dynamic Green Team student leaders who will share compelling and personal testimonials about the transformative power of student leadership in the Green Schools movement.

Register here!

For more information on the Green Strides Webinar Series, upcoming webinars, and past webinar recordings, please visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/webinar.html

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Green Strides Webinar: January Series

December 31st, 2012 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series is designed to connect school communities and state and local education officials to existing federal resources that support the three pillars identified in the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) Green Ribbon Schools recognition award program: (1) Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, (2) Improved Health and Wellness, and (3) Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. The series is hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, in conjunction with numerous other federal agencies. This January, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

Using Remote Sensing to Quantify Changes over Time (NASA)
January 9, 2013 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

For more than 30 years, satellites have been scanning the globe collecting data on everything from weather and seasonal greening to changes in snow and ice coverage or CO2 levels in the atmosphere. This webinar session will look at simplified means of quantifying these changes in sets of images taken across weeks, years or decades of study.

No registration necessary.  Log on here!

Food for Thought: Space Food and Nutrition (NASA)
January 16, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Space food, MMMMM good! “Food for Thought” is a NASA resource designed to explore space food and the nutritional needs of the astronauts. It includes a menu of classroom activities and other resources to address this exciting topic.

No registration necessary. Log on here!
Eyes on the Earth- Global Climate Change (NASA)
January 30, 2013 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Fly along with NASA’s Satellites to explore earth’s vital signs and find spectacular views of Earth from Space.  Have your students follow NASA satellites and learn how they collect critical data about Earth, and  explore how your class can access recent data for air temperature, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sea level, ozone, ice and water.

No registration necessary. Log on here!
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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Green Strides Webinar: October Series

September 24th, 2012 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series is designed to connect school communities and state and local education officials to existing federal resources that support the three pillars identified in the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) Green Ribbon Schools recognition award program: (1) Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, (2) Improved Health and Wellness, and (3) Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. The series is hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, in conjunction with numerous other federal agencies. This October, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

Environmental Education for Everyone: EPA’s ‘K through Grey’ Resources
October 3, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

EPA and the National Environmental Education Foundation will present environmental education resources for schools and teachers to use to incorporate and integrate EE into daily classroom activities.

Register here!

Images: via EPA OEE.
The School Day Just Got Healthier
October 10, 2012 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

This session will cover the USDA back-to-school initiative which helps prepare students, school staff and leadership, and parents for the changes to school meals.  The webinar will highlight the resources available to help build support for healthy eating in schools.

Register here!

Images: via USDA
Why Environmental Health in Schools Matters
October 17, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Unhealthy school environments can affect attendance, concentration, and performance, as well as lead to expensive, time-consuming cleanup and remediation activities.  Learn more about what schools can do to better address environmental health and EPA’s new voluntary School Environmental Health: Development and Implementation Guidelines for States.

Register here!
Investigating the Climate System
October 24, 2012 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

This webinar will introduce participants to the five problem-based learning educator guides in the NASA Investigating the Climate System series. Topics addressed will include wind, precipitation, energy, clouds and extreme weather.

Register here!

Image: via NASA
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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Five Simple Ways to Green Your School

September 12th, 2011 by Sarah and Krissy

Biology Bottles

1.  Grow Native Seeds. In the fall, collect seeds from the trees surrounding your schoolyard.  Then have each student plant and grow his own seeds in the classroom.  Reuse egg cartons to plant your seeds!  Your school could also apply for an upcoming grant that supports school gardens and plantings, and Maryland schools can participate in the Marylanders Plant Trees program.

2.  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Paper. The average school wastes 38 tons of paper per year.  Check out Abitibi the paper retriever program and get paid to recycle your paper!

3.  Create a Craft Box. Instead of throwing out the odds and ends usually bound for the trash can, collect these items in a craft box to reuse later.  Used milk cartons can be transformed into bird feeders or birdhouses. Used soda bottles can be used to create Biology Bottles to help your students study decomposition or the connection between land and water. With a little imagination, you can turn your classroom trash into an educational treasure!

4.  Detox Your Classroom Cleaners. Instead of using store-bought cleaners, create your own.  Students can mix up their own cleaner using everyday non-toxic household ingredients.  Find eco-friendly recipes HERE.

5.  Cut Your Carbon Footprint. Conserve energy at school by appointing a student each day as the Power Patroller.  Have the Power Patroller monitor your classroom’s energy use each day.  They can ensure lights, computers, and other electronics are turned off each time the class leaves the room. Then have students learn about their carbon footprint by using the EPA’s Global Climate Change Kids Calculator.

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Sarah Brzezinski is the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. Krissy Hopkins is a former Chesapeake Bay Program Staffer and is currently pursuing her PhD in geology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Tree Tape for Kids

May 2nd, 2011 by Sarah

The Tree Tape for Kids puts the CO2 sequestering power of trees into a context students can understand. Image courtesy of Nitipak Samsen.

Do you want to teach your students about the carbon sequestering power of trees? Putting this type of information into context can be quite a challenge.  Knowing how many grams of CO2 a tree can absorb may not have a lot of meaning to your students, and simply giving them the statistics is not particularly engaging.  This clever (and free) device from British designer Nitipak Samsen is just the thing to help!

The Tree Tape for Kids translates how much CO2 is absorbed by individual trees into the amount of time you spend doing various activities.  The Tree Tape will measure how much CO2 is absorbed by a tree and convert it into minutes on an airline flight, days of breathing, number of cheeseburgers, or amount of electricity (UK only).  For older, of age audiences, the Tree Tape can also tell you how much CO2 is absorbed by a tree per pint of lager.

Last Friday was Arbor Day, a great time to focus on teaching about trees. Using the Tree Tape for Kids in your schoolyard would be a great follow-up activity to add an educational component to last week’s festivities, or you could plan ahead for next year!  It is also a great tool to help you introduce lessons on global climate change.

The directions for this activity are simple: Just go to Mr. Samsen’s Tree Tape for Kids website and click “Create and Download.”  You will be asked how many Tree Tapes you would like to print per page, what type of tree you will be measuring (rainforest, hard wood, soft wood, or other, and what type of activity you would like to measure (air travel, breathing, ect.).  A .pdf file will be generated based on this information.  Print the Tree Tapes out and follow the easy assembly instructions that are provided on the Tree Tape website.  Use the Tree Tape to measure the girth of a tree 1.30 meters (4.27 feet) above the ground, and you will find out how much CO2 is sequestered by the tree based on the activity you chose.  Now get outside and enjoy!

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Climate Science Workshop – Session 1: An Introduction to Climate Science

January 7th, 2011 by Sarah

This winter, the NOAA Environmental Science Training Center is offering a series of workshops for environmental and non-formal educators on climate change and the impacts of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay.

This workshop series will bring together educators and scientists from throughout the region to explore the science that drives our understanding of climate change and find ways to incorporate that science into our education programs for students, teachers and the general public.

Session 1 in the workshop series will begin on January 27 with an introduction to the topic and a general look at the science occurring in the Chesapeake Bay region.   The workshops will take place at NOAA’s Environmental Science Training Center in Oxford, Maryland, and will be about four hours long. If you are interested in participating, contact Bart Merrick at bart.merrick@noaa.gov.

You can visit the Environmental Science Training Center’s website to learn more about this workshop series, or you can simply register for the first workshop.

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Use the Climate Change Toolkit

January 6th, 2010 by Krissy
Explore the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit.

Explore the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit.

Interested in teaching your students about climate change? Check out the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit. The kit, designed for both formal and informal educates, allows you to explore a specific ecoregion. In the Chesapeake watershed your region is either the Eastern Forests or Eastern Coastline. The kit will help you teach about climate change and how it’s affecting wildlife and wild lands and show you how to become a “climate steward.”

The Climate Change toolkit contains the following resources:

  • Back to Basics – basic Q & A’s
  • Case Studies – explain the regional impacts on climate change based on your ecoregion
  • Activities for Students – science, social science, math, language arts, and art activities.
  • Glossary of Scientific Terms
  • Climate Change Wildlife & Wildlands Video – 12 minute video on climate change and its impact on wildlife and their habitats

You can download the toolkit online or order your FREE copy from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications at: 1-800-490-9198.

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Krissy Hopkins is a former Chesapeake Bay Program Staffer and is currently pursuing her PhD in geology at the University of Pittsburgh.