Teacher's Guide

Posted: 01-Jan-2002; Updated: 27-May-2009

Our Teacher's Guide to Environmental Defense Fund material can help bring current environmental issues to the classroom.

Check out the links below for valuable information on ecology and health topics; fun activities and lesson plans; and other helpful websites.

Biodiversity

• Composting: Nature's Recycling Program - Easy-to-follow instructions and classroom strategies for building and studying a compost bin.
• Endangered Species Act - Q & A
• Endangered Species Act - Facts vs. Myths
• Deforestation and Old-Growth Forest Facts
• Rainforest FAQs

Climate

• Acid Rain Q & A
• Carbon Emissions Fact Sheet [PDF] - How automobiles contribute to global warming through the emission of carbon dioxide, and what difference could be made if fuel efficiency for all cars were higher.
• Electricity Generation and Pollution - Fact Sheet [PDF]
• Global Warming: Fact vs. Myth
• 20 Simple Steps to Reduce Global Warming
• Global Warming Teacher's Manual [PDF] - Companion document from the exhibition "Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast"

Health

• Antibiotic Resistance: Playing Chicken With Essential Drugs [PDF] - Comprehensive fact sheet about the effects of antibiotic resistance on children, the elderly and the medically vulnerable.
• Household Products: The Facts - Tips on how to minimize the source of toxins and indoor pollutants in your home, such as carbon monoxide, lead, phosphates, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and petroleum.
• Environment and Human Health Web site
• Scorecard.org - Environmental Defense Fund's guide to localized pollution information. Type in your zip code to find out sources of toxic chemicals in your community.

Oceans

• Coral Reefs
• Individual Fishing Quotas Fact Sheet [PDF] - How IFQs are good for both fish and fishermen
  
• Marine Protected Areas Fact Sheet [PDF] - How MPAs can preserve wildlife and endangered habitats while helping to sustain the shipping, tourism and fishing industries

Activities

• Cougar Hunt - Students enact role-playing activities to illustrate issues of survival for a species with limited habitat and resources.
  
• Eco Ethics - Engage in challenging discussions about our relationship and responsibility to our environment. To play, download and print out a set of Dilemma Cards [PDF]
• Habitat Activities - Includes a scavenger hunt and mapping lessons.
  
• The Chico Mendes Story: A Living Legacy - The rubber tapper, union leader and environmentalist was murdered for opposing the destruction of the Brazilian rain forest. Read about his life, his work and the continuing fight to protect this precious resource.
• Understanding Pollution and Animals - Activity to help students visualize pollution that threatens endangered species.

More Organizations

• Other Organizations - Addresses and URLs for a variety of environmental and public health organizations, for resources on topics of interest.