Earth Partnership for Schools
ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND RESTORATION
This web site gives a biographical sketch of Aldo Leopold's life and accomplishments, provides a calendar of programs and events which includes summer mini-camps for kids, teacher training programs, school field trip programs, and the Leopold Education Project.
On the Prairie , excerpts from Bell Museum's online electronic field trip broadcast 10/13/99 for participating schools. The website provides background information about prairies, some activities students can carry out, a game for kids to choose animals and plants that are found on the tallgrass or shortgrass prairies, a field guide of photographs and information on prairie animals, a QuickTime movie that allows users to experience the prairie online, and much more.
"The Fermilab site offers unparalleled opportunities for environmental studies, including hundreds of acres that are being restored to tallgrass prairie that last flourished in Abraham Lincoln's youth. Investigators are now using this living laboratory to better understand ecosystem dynamics." (From the Fermilab web site.) This page links with three programs that are related to the prairie. They are: "From Beneath the Ashes," "Particles to Prairies," and "Simply Prairie."
Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration
This web site follows several animals such as Monarch butterflies, California Gray Whales, Bald Eagles, Robins, and others on their spring and fall migrations, using maps and field observations by scientists and amateurs. The site includes instructions for teachers and schools on how to participate in the project, offers challenge questions for students, classroom materials for teachers, maps for tracking migration of a specific species, and much more.
Learning Through Landscapes
The British national charity that owns this site is dedicated to helping schools across the United Kingdom to improve their grounds for the benfit of the children, schools, and society as a whole. It includes LTL publications and curriculum resources as well as information on how to obtain them.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Though the site is geared towards "stewardship in your backyard," there are curriculum and activity ideas throughout the site. "Practical tips for natural resources stewardship around your home, neighborhood, and property. Taking care of the state's natural resources, which face increasing pressures and demands from a growing population, is a task that requires everyone to lend a hand at whatever level they can" (from the MDNR Web site).
The site showcases the Monarchs in the Classroom curriculum for K-2, 3-6, and 6-8 levels. Through a foundation in life sciences, the curriculum incorporates concepts and skills in math, reading, writing, art, and social studies. It is an inquiry-based study of monarchs congruent with K-8 concept and process standards outlined in the National Academy of Science's National Science Education Standards.
National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program
"The National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat program can help you save a place for wildlife right in your own backyard and community, while opening your eyes to the natural world around you, to be nourished by its wonders." (From the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program web page.)
"The South-Central Wisconsin area's link to outdoor environmental education sites. Each site provides special nature programming for schoolchildren, teachers, and the general public ." (From the Nature Net web page.)
Prairie Resources and Webliography
Links to on-line resources on every aspect of prairies.
"The foundation is dedicated to reconnecting people with nature through the enhancement of healthy natural areas on school ground and in communities across Canada, making them healthier places to live, learn, work and play." (From Evergreen Foundation's web page.)
"The Leopold Education Project (LEP) is an innovative, critical thinking, conservation and environmental education curriculum based on the classic writings of the renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold. The Leopold Education Project teaches the public about humanity's ties to the natural environment in the effort to conserve and protect the earth's natural resources." (From The Leopold Education Project's web site.)
This is an on line directory of environment-related web-sites. Education, ecology, biodiversity, sustainability, water resources, forests and rainforests are just a few of over 30 environmental sub-directories to be found here.
US EPA New England: "World in Our Backyard"
This on line booklet on wetlands is a teacher resource that provides information on wetland science, wetland types, functions, threats to wetlands, adopting and studying a wetland, a wetland field study, how to protect wetlands, how to adopt a wetland, and a section on wetland education resources, a directory, curricula, and a bibliography.
U.S. EPA Green Landscaping with Native Plants
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago has formed a Natural Landscaping Workgroup dedicated to promoting the use of native landscaping. In addition to developing and maintaining this Web site, we are involved in other activities such as developing educational fact sheets and hosting workshops about landscaping with native plants." (From the Green Landscaping web page.)
US EPA Office of Water: Kid Stuff
The Waterdrops activities provide science fun for kids in the water environment, including games, fun facts, and projects with different themes. All the materials relate to the science of water pollution and clean water.The three activities provided are downloadable in PDF format. They are titled, "Beach Water Pollution," Healthy and Unhealthy Freshwater Streams, Waterbugs, and Acid Rain," and "Water Pollution and How to Clean Wastewater."
US EPA Office of Water: Wetlands Science, Education, and Information Resources
The site includes links to wetlands related teaching guides and activities, educational programs, wetlands science and research, and wetlands information resources.
USGS National Wetlands Resource Center
This site gives summaries of various types of wetlands, information on specific wetland problems, and links to related databases.
US Geological Survey: Water Science for Schools
This site gives information on many aspects of water and includes pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where students can give their opinions on water issues and test their knowledge.
Watershedss: Information on Wetlands
This North Carolina State University site provides a definition and classification of wetlands and includes identification methods. Other sections offer information on the functions and values of wetlands, watershed roles of various wetland types, wetland loss and degradation through human impacts, government programs for wetland protection, mitigation, management for preservation of an ecosystem, and links to other wetlands information sites.
"Wild Ones -- Natural Landscapers, Ltd. is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate and share information with members and community at the 'plant-roots' level and to promote biodiversity and environmentally sound practices. We are a diverse membership interested in landscaping using native species in developing plant communities." (From the Wild Ones web page.)
Yahara Watershed Education Network
"The Yahara Watershed Education Network is an informal umbrella for K-16 educational activities that focus on local issues using 'watershed' and 'ecosystem health' as integrating concepts; it is a collaborative effort of Edgewood College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, local teachers and school districts, their students, and other interested educators." (From the Yahara Watershed Education Network web page.)