Green choices for teachers
If you are looking for resources and learning materials for green perspectives, then this is our starting point. If you haven’t yet been to the young learners page then do so, especially if you are a parent or a primary teacher.
Some gateways for all phases and subjects
- Sustainable in Schools: This information is designed to support schools on their journey to sustainability, introducing the principles of sustainable development and offering guidance on how to embed these principles into the heart of school life.
- Global Dimension is a database of teaching resources about development issues whatever phase and whatever age.
- Birmingham DEC runs TIDE – Teachers in Development Education, which runs teacher projects in all subjects. There are one or two resources on the web. Essential learning is a discussion document designed to spell out the environmental and development education which all young people should be entitled. They have projects for early years, history, geography, science, citizenship, design technology etc.
- WWF learning has resources for all age groups on many subjects. Including climate change campaigning, protecting our seas, energy. Nearly 27,000 people signed WWF’s call for a climate deal at Copenhagen in December 2009.
- Green Teacher contains over 100 activities and activity ideas on a variety of green themes that are freely downloadable.
- The Foundation for Environmental Education is a non-governmental, non-profit international umbrella organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education. Their member organisation for England is Keep Britain Tidy, for Scotland it is Keep Scotland Beautiful and for Wales, Keep Wales Tidy/Cadwch Gymru’n Daclus.
- The Council for Environmental Education offices closed, and its staff made redundant on 30 September 2005, following the removal of core funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However there are still a lot of resources for all ages and all subjects on their website.
Some subject suggestions
English
- Why do you need a web link? Get young people writing on environmental matters and publish them on the web.
- Unicef’s Education section has information on the ‘Rights of the Child’ and Voices of Youth provides a platform for children and young people, who want to create a world fit for children. This would be excellent stimulus for writing about social justice.
Mathematics
- Energy and pollution lesson plans from the American Alliance to Save Energy involve mathematics for various age groups.
- Energy calculators highlight the costs of running electrical goods. Sust-it provides lots of tools to workout the energy used by everyday products.
Science
- The Wildlife Trusts are an important source of biological and ecological information for your area. Find your local trust here.
- The Association of Science Education has a series of green and global projects including solar partners and science across the world.
Design Technology
- The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is a long-established visitor centre and eco-village in mid Wales. It has a broad range of publications relating to renewable energy, other alternative technologies and sustainable living issues.
- The Sustainable Technology Education Project (STEP), from Practical Action, aims to increase people’s awareness of sustainable technology.
Geography
- The Environment Agency has a mapping facility for finding information on water quality, floods, pollution etc. by postcode.
Art
- Why not use waste materials from industry or elsewhere? Find where there is a ScrapStore near you.