Pathway 18:
Environmental Literacy
*Also U.N. Sustainable Development Goals #12 Responsible Consumption and Production and #13 Climate Action Read More
Days to Celebrate:
January 26th: World Environmental Education Day
February 2nd: World Wetlands Day
March 3rd: World Wildlife Day
March 21st: International Day of Forests
March 22nd: World Water Day
April 22nd: Earth Day & National Environmental Education Week
June 5th: World Environment Day
June 8th: World Oceans Day
Guides and Curricula
Sustainable Intelligence Curriculum – EcoRise
Climate & Environmental Literacy Curricula, Toolkits, & Teacher Guides – Earth Day
District Environmental Literacy Planning Toolkit – Bay Backpack
A Teacher Call to Action for Environmental Literacy – California Environmental Literacy Initiative
U.S. EPA Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, and Online Environmental Resources for Educators
Environmental Literacy Units – DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Apps
Games
Grow Your Green Knowledge – University of Michigan
The Wheel of Sustainability – University of Michigan
Sustainable Rush! – University of Michigan
Videos
How the Environment Affects Your Health: Crash Course Public Health #3
What is Climate Change?: Crash Course Biology #8 –
The Effects of Climate Change: Crash Course Biology #9
5 Human Impacts on the Environment: Crash Course Ecology #10
Pollution: Crash Course Ecology #11
Conservation and Restoration Ecology: Crash Course Ecology #12
What is Climate Change? Crash Course Geography #14
The Engineering Challenges of Renewable Energy: Crash Course Engineering #30
Sustainable Cities: Crash Course Geography #49
Documentaries
- Silent Spring – documentary about how pesticides damage the health of birds, wildlife, and livestock
- An Inconvenient Truth – documentary about how climate change is threatening life on Earth
- Jane – documentary about ethologist and chimpanzee conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall
- The Minimalists: Less Is Now – documentary about lessening our personal environmental footprints by buying less in order to reduce waste
- Cowspiracy – documentary about how agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, wasted water, and pollution, as well as how individuals can help by reducing meat consumption. Warning: graphic content
- Seed – documentary about genetically modified organisms and how they harm farmers. Warning: graphic content
Book Recommendations
Books for grades 1-2
- The Lorax
- The Great Kapok Tree
- Wangari’s Trees of Peace
Books for grades 3-4
- Girls Who Looked Under Rocks
- The Man Who Planted Trees
Books for grades 5-6
- Great Peacemakers: True Stories From Around The World
- Simple Acts of Kindness: 500+ Ways to Make a Difference
- Silent Spring
- The Song of Trees
Books for grades 7-9
- The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do To Care for the Animals We Love
- Braiding Sweetgrass
- A Sand County Almanac
- Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating
- River of Grass
Books for grades 10-12
- The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism is Changing Ideas about Living Ethically
- The Ethics of What We Eat
- The Quest for Environmental Justice
- Diet for a Hot Planet
- Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Social Change
- Being Human: Ethics, Environment, and Our Place in the World
Useful Links
Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation Resource Hub
Building Environmental Literacy in Schools – SmartLab
Environmental Literacy Framework – NAAEE
Environmental Literacy: Setting the Stage – Stanford Social Ecology Lab
Environmental Literacy Program – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration