ENV - ED 1 - 4 - English PDF

U.S.
PEACE CORPS
H
Environmental
Education through
English Lesson Plans
Grades 1 ‐ 4
Peace Corps Romania
2010
August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 1

Peace Corps Romania Environmental Education through
English Manual
Environmental Education Curriculum Cover Letter .....................................................................3
Introductory Information: .............................................................................................................4
Lesson Plans...............................................................................................................................6
Lesson 1 - The Environment — How Are We Connected? .....................................................6
Lesson 2 - The Energy Trail..................................................................................................10
Lesson 3 - Where in the World .............................................................................................14
Lesson 4 - Endangered Species ...........................................................................................16
Lesson 5 - Go With the Flow.................................................................................................18
Lesson 6 - Sum of the Parts .................................................................................................21
Lesson 7 - Littering ...............................................................................................................24
Lesson 8 - It’s in the Air ........................................................................................................26
Lesson 9 - What Do We Do? What Can We Do?..................................................................29
Appendix ...................................................................................................................................31
Lesson Plan Handouts and Worksheets ...............................................................................31
Lesson 2 - The Energy Trail – Handout ............................................................................32
Lesson 3 - Where in the World — Handouts ....................................................................33
Lesson 5 - Go With the Flow — Handouts and Worksheets .............................................36
Lesson 6 - Sum of the Parts — Handouts and Worksheets .............................................42
Lesson 9 - What Do We Do? What Can We Do? - Cartoons..........................................55
Lesson Plan Alternatives ......................................................................................................60
Lesson 1 - The Environment and How Are We Connected Alternatives: ..........................60
Lesson 2 - The Energy Trail Alternatives: .........................................................................61
Lesson 5 - Go With the Flow Alternatives:........................................................................61
Additional Activities ...............................................................................................................62
K – 4th Nature Walk (Lesson 1)........................................................................................63
K – 4th Mosquito, Salmon, Bear (Lessons 1 and 3) .........................................................63
K – 4th Picture of Daily Schedule and Environmental Effect (Lesson 9) ..........................63
K – 4th Endangered Species Poster (Lesson 4) ...............................................................64
K – 8th What if we slept for 100 years? (Lesson 9) .........................................................64
K – 8th Nature Scavenger Hunt (Lesson 1) ......................................................................64
K – 8th Nature Scatagories (Adaptable to all lessons) .....................................................64
K – 8th Trash Pie (Lesson 8) ............................................................................................64
K – 8th Find the Pairs (Adaptable to all lessons, especially Lessons 1, 3 and 5) .............65
K – 8th Making a volcano eruption (Lesson 8) .................................................................65
K – 8th Plastic Bag Dispenser (Lessons 7 and 9).............................................................65

Environmental Education Curriculum Cover Letter
This series of lesson plans teaches basic environmental concepts and issues while teaching
English.
The curriculum consists of nine lessons in the standard format for Romanian curriculum. Each
lesson includes a major activity to enhance the learning experience of the students. There is
also an appendix of additional or alternative activities for use in conjunction with the lessons.
The lessons are designed for Classes five through eight. If taught as a unit, the lesson plans
and activities provide an overview of the most important environmental concepts and issues
that relate to Romanian students in Classes five through eight. The lessons enhance each
other when taught as a unit. However, the lessons and activities may also be used individually.
The curriculum begins with the more basic environmental concepts, then presents major
environmental issues, and finally focuses on specific topics, such as the water cycle, air
pollution, and littering.
Each lesson includes activities to demonstrate environmental concepts and issues, to promote
active learning by all the students, and to enhance English skills.
The design of the lessons allows for flexibility in their use. In fact, flexibility is encouraged.
Information should be added or subtracted to tailor the lessons to the abilities and prior
education of the students. In particular, the activities may be modified to make them simpler or
more complex, or other activities may be substituted or added. While independent group work
is encouraged, the teacher can modify the extent of the activities and the sizes of the groups to
fit the class size, class character, student abilities, and available time.
A series of additional or alternative activities is contained in the Appendix. Activities for

younger students are also included. The cover page for the Appendix indicates which topics
and class level the activities relate to.
This curriculum was developed by Peace Corps Volunteers of Peace Corps Romania, drawing
from the teaching experience of, and the lessons designed by, many of those volunteers, as
well as from many outside resources that those volunteers have utilized in the classroom.

Introductory Information:
The Effect of Human Population on the Environment. Humans shape their world. One
significant way that humans are different from other animals is that humans can greatly change
the environment around them. This is good and bad. It has allowed humans to be very
successful as a species and to live almost everywhere on earth. But now:
• Up to three-quarters of the livable surface of the world has been partially or heavily
disturbed by humans;
• Some scientists estimate that humans have already used up 33% of the world’s natural
resources.
And our population keeps growing. There are now about 6.5 billion people on the earth, and it
is estimated that there will be over 9 billion people by 2060. Future growth will be concentrated
in the developing nations. It is estimated that 99% of new population growth will be in
developing nations, which will put even more pressure on natural resources.
Human Pressure on Natural Resources: Many natural resources are under threat because of
human population pressure. These are examples of some of the resources under threat:
Forests, Water, Fossil Fuels, Soil and Biodiversity. And consumption of the resources
produces waste. Waste Disposal is also an important environmental issue.
Forests: Deforestation effects global warming:
• 20% of greenhouse gas emissions are from tropical deforestation.
• Indonesia is the world’s 3rd largest producer of greenhouse gases, almost completely
from deforestation.
Destruction of tropical forests:
• By 1979, tropical rain forests were reduced to about 50% of their prehistoric size.
• Aerial and satellite photography show that about 12 million hectares a year are being
destroyed.
Trees are oxygen factories:
• 1 hectare of trees produces enough oxygen for about 13 people.
• During photosynthesis, a tree removes the carbon from CO2 and releases the oxygen.
Forests and greenhouse gases:
• 1 hectare of trees can remove 6.5 tons of CO2 per year from the atmosphere.
• A tree’s dry weight is about half carbon.
• So oxidizing a mature tree releases about half of its weight as CO2 into the
atmosphere.
Reduction of Romanian forests:
• Before man, Romania was 77% forest. Now it is only 28%.
Fossil Oil: Oil reserves are being used up. Humans use 84 million barrels of oil every day.
• About 20 million barrels are used every day for cars and light trucks.
• A person in a developed nation uses about 11 times more gasoline than a person in a
developing nation.
The numbers of cars keeps growing.
• There are now about 750 million cars on the world’s roads.
• It is estimated that the numbers of cars will grow to 1 billion in the next 20 years.
Oil is a non-renewable resource.
• Fossil oil was created millions of years ago by the decay of microscopic plants in
ancient ocean beds.
• It takes at least a million years or more to create fossil oil.

Water: Already many people do not have enough water. Water stress is growing due to the
increasing population requiring more water for household use, industrial use, and agriculture,
due to pollution of water resources, and due to global warming.
• In 2000, one third of the world’s population was water stressed.
• 8% (500 million) of the world’s people suffered severe water stress.
Soil: Soil erosion will increase as more marginal land is used to grow crops and all agricultural
land is used more intensely. 25 billion tons of topsoil is lost every year through erosion.
Biodiversity: Extinction of species
• Extinction is a normal part of evolution, with a natural rate of about 1 to 10 species a
year.
• But scientists estimate that extinction rates are now 100 to 1,000 times the natural rate.
As many as 72 species go extinct every day.
Waste from our consumption of resources: Our trash is polluting the world. The trash that we
generate can create many problems and it takes longer to decompose than it does for us to
create it. Here are some estimates for how long some of our trash takes to decompose:
Paper: 2 – 4 weeks; Cigarette butt: 2 – 5 years; Plastic Bottle: 300 – 500 years.

Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 — The Environment — How Are We Connected?
Lesson Title
The Environment — How Are We Connected?
Specific Topic
Defining the term “environment” and learning how nature is a connected web of life.
Age-level
1st - 4thgrades
Lesson Length / Space Requirements

1 hour preparation; 100 minutes implementation; Classroom
Instructional Goal (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon

completion of the lesson)
Students will be able to:
1. Define the term “environment.”
2. Identify the connection between living things.
3. Learn the names of various plants and animals found in their community.
Method (general description of the content of the lesson)

Students participate in a classroom discussion, a group brainstorming game and a connection
game. They then create artwork to reinforce and remind others of what they have learned.
Rationale (brief justification for the lesson)

The students will be introduced to a definition of “environment.” Furthermore, this lesson
intends to demonstrate our interdependence on the environment through the connections we
have with nature.
Materials and Aids (what you will need to teach this lesson)
Black board and chalk or white board and white board markers. Students supply own notebook
paper and pens or pencils. Pictures of animals and plants, especially those found in the area,
or markers and paper. Tape, string and clothes hangers for mobiles. Model mobile to show
students. English to Romanian Dictionary to translate plant and animal names.
Vocabulary
Basic Vocabulary: Water Live
Environment Air
Nature Connection
Plants Web of Life
Animals Eat
Food Grow
Shelter Drink

Procedure
Background
Definition of “Environment.” The environment can be defined as “anything around us,” both
living and not living. It is essential to all of us because without it we would not have our basic
needs of food, shelter, and water. It is the air we breathe, the sun which gives us warmth, the
food and water nourishing our bodies, the roof over our heads, the plants and animals, rocks
and streams, oceans and mountains, distant lands, all that is seen, felt, smelled, heard, and
tasted. It is our survival and without it, we would not exist.
Our Connections: Every time we take a breath, we have made a connection with the trees;
they make oxygen for us to inhale. When we drink a glass of milk, we are connected to the
cows and the grass needed to make that glass of milk. There are many ways in which we are
connected to the plants and animals around us. Most of the time, we do not think of these
connections. Sometimes they are hard to see. However, it is important for us to realize that
we need other living beings to survive; these connections are essential to life.
Preparation
Prepare nameplates (Handout).
Implementation
Lesson Step Length Description
Brainstorming 2-5 minutes Ask the students if they have ever heard the word
regarding the word “environment” (start off with “mediu”). Try to get enough
“environment” information from the students to form a definition.
Groups list things in 10 - 15 After defining “environment,” Tell the students that they
the environment, minutes will now play a game. Each group represents a team.
participate in a Each team must create a list of things in the
game environment. They will have 5 minutes to make the list
in their teams then each group announces the team’s
list. The teams read ALL the items on their list. The
teams get one point for every unique item on their list
that was not said by any other group. In order to keep
the students listening and attentive, you might have
them raise their hands when they hear something that
their team also said, so that they are responsible for the
amount of points the other teams get. Announce the
winning team. Note: The teacher should be writing
down the words and the Romanian translations on the
board as the students announce them. If they have
missed any important animals found in the surrounding
area, you can add them and explain the meaning (for
example, in the south I might add "stork").
Art project 10 minutes Assign each student an animal or plant (make sure to
include some of both) from the list and ask them to draw
it, quickly. You can draw water and air yourself. If they
complain about the animal that they have been given,
point out that EVERYTHING on the list is important--this
can be useful later.
Making 10 minutes Collect the pictures. Put one on the board (for example,

environmental a wolf) and ask, "What does the wolf eat?" If necessary,
connections mime eating until they understand the question. Give
them a chance to find the answer in English in their
notebooks. If you have a picture of that animal, tape it
up next to the wolf, with a line drawn in between. If not,
write the name of the animal. Do the same thing for that
animal, then for whatever plant or animal it eats, until
you are down to sun, air, water. Point out that the wolf
eats other things too--see how many they can come up
with. Don't put all the pictures up yet, though. At some
point put your hand over one of the pictures, covering it,
and ask, "what if there's no deer?"/"what if the water is
bad?" Get them to explain as best they can (in
Romanian) the consequences of these problems (ie the
wolves need to eat something else, all the animals get
sick because all of them are connected to the water).
Food web game 10 minutes Redistribute the pictures, not to the students who drew
them, and divide the class into two teams. Put up one
picture on the board and challenge one team to connect
an animal, plant, or phenomenon to it. When a student
volunteers, ask what card they have, then ask, "what's
the connection?" Help out the first couple of students:
"The bear eats the fish." Then the next team has a
chance to add a connection. The team who adds, and
articulates, the most connections wins, though individual
participation is much more important here. For
homework, assign students to write one-five (depending
on their level) sentences about the food web and
illustrate them.
Implementation Day 2
Review, game 5-10 Ask a few students to show their homework drawings
minutes and explain them as best they can using the sentences
they wrote. If they want to, and especially if you haven't
had them for a week, play a short round of the web
connection game on the board.
Art project 5 minutes Show the students a mobile you have made at home
presentation that represents the food web. From a string taped to the
hanger, there should be a picture of a carnivore (printed
out or cut from a magazine if you're not an artist). Then
beneath that a picture of a prey animal, and beneath
that a plant, then water and/or sun. Ask them to explain
for you why they are in that order, to make sure they get
it. Remind them that any animal can go on top, including
worms!
Art project 5-10 Tell them that they are going to be making their own
preparation minutes mobiles. Divide them into pairs or small groups and ask
them to write down a list of the animals that they want
on their mobile (give examples of different ones, or they

will probably just all copy yours). As they write, go
around and check their work to make sure they are
being creative and logical.
Art project 30 minutes Distribute string, tape, paper, and hangers to each
group. Each student should draw a picture of their
plant/animal/etc., which will then be attached to the
mobile. You can give them the pictures, which should be
labeled in English, to finish for homework if you run out
of time. If the kids want, they can decorate the hanger
according to the environment where the animals live (ie
with paper trees if the animals live in the forest).
Student 15 minutes Take the beginning of the next class, if necessary, to
presentations have them present their mobiles, explaining how they
made their connections. Encourage fluency and
attention by writing "Why do you have a _____?" on the
board, and ask their classmates to quiz them. Or simply
ask them yourself. Put the mobiles on the wall to refer to
in later environmental lessons.
Assessment/Evaluation (how to measure outcomes to determine if the material has been

learned)
Students can broadly define the word “environment.” Students can describe important things in
their lives that are part of the environment. Students can describe the connections of living
things within the environment, in Romanian or Engllish.
Variations
1. Students must close their eyes and imagine their favorite place/environment. Might be
beneficial to play some classical music in the background during this exercise. Have them
think of colors, smells, sights, etc. in this environment.
2. Give students time to draw their favorite place. (20 minutes)
3. Students share pictures with class and tell why they like that place. (10 minutes)
4. Hang the pictures on wall to make an environment art gallery.

Lesson 2 - The Energy Trail
Lesson Title
The Energy Trail — A lesson plan adapted from Scholastic online
(http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=1106)
Specific Topic
Natural resources, specifically oil, and how the manufacture of consumer products is linked to
pollution.
Age-level
1st – 4th grades

50 minutes / Classroom

1. Understand what oil is and how it’s used.
2. Explain how energy is used in extraction, manufacture and transportation of oil for
plastic goods.
3. Understand how the manufacture and transport of consumer goods creates pollution.

Through discussion, analysis and activities, students discover the links between the
manufacture of consumer products (specifically plastic bottles), consumption of energy
(specifically the burning of fossil fuels) and pollution.

To help students understand that the products they use on a daily basis have an effect on the
environment in their creation and delivery.
Notebook, pencil, drawing and coloring supplies, Plastic Bottle Lifecycle handout for each
student.
Vocabulary
Energy
Lifecycle
Natural resource
Oil
Products
Plastic
Pollution

Transportation
Procedure
Background for the teacher
Energy is used to produce all manufactured goods, from cars, snow machines, tables, and
desks to smaller items such as computers, CD players, and toys. And energy is used at every
stage of production and distribution — to extract raw materials, to process them into finished
goods and to package and ship them around the planet.
Even the food we eat is planted, cultivated, harvested, packaged, and transported with the aid
of machines that burn fossil fuels.
Billions of liters of fossil fuel are burned to generate electricity, to power equipment and to
make the products we use every day. Since just one liter of gas produces 2.36 kgs of carbon
dioxide (carbon from the fuel combines with oxygen from the air when the fuel burns), this
means that tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are going into the atmosphere
every day. The human appetite for more products is changing our climate.
The more stuff that we buy and consume, the more energy is used, the more fossil fuel is
burned, the more carbon dioxide is put into our atmosphere, and the more our climate will
change. According to the European Environment Agency*, in 1990, each person in Romania
produced over 10 tons of damaging greenhouse gases per year. This number has since gone
down and in 2006, each person produced just over 7 tons, which is still a significant amount of
greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. One of the main reasons for Romania’s decline
in greenhouse gas emissions is that after the revolution much of Romania’s heavy industry shut
down and was replaced by lighter industry**. This trend was seen in many ex-Soviet countries.
If we do not want to change our climate, it is important for all of us to reduce the amount of stuff
we buy and make good use of what we have. To reduce greenhouse gas production, we need
to make careful consumer choices, use and reuse what we have, recycle what we do not need
anymore, and waste as little as possible.
* http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate/ghg-country-profiles/tp-report-country-profiles/romania-greenhouse-
gas-profile-summary-1990-2020.pdf
**Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than
business-oriented (i.e., most light industry products are produced for end users rather than as intermediates for
use by other industries). Light industry facilities typically have less environmental impact than those associated
with heavy industry, and zoning laws are more likely to permit light industry near residential areas. It is the
production of small consumer goods. One economic definition states that light industry is a "manufacturing activity
that uses moderate amounts of partially processed materials to produce items of relatively high value per unit
weight.” Examples of light industries include the manufacture of clothes, shoes, furniture, consumer electronics,
and household items. Conversely, transatlantic freighter shipbuilding would fall under heavy industry. (Wikipedia)
Implementation

Discuss bottled 5 minutes Place a plastic bottle of water on the desk and ask the
water consumption students to: Raise your hand if you drink bottled water.
Do you recycle the bottles when you are finished? Do
you think that new plastic bottles can be made from

recycled bottles? (No, but they are used to make fleece
and carpets). Discuss whether there is another way you
can get water. Instruct students to raise their hands if
they feel drinking bottled water is an environmentally
wise choice.
Discuss natural 10 minutes Explain that a natural resource, oil, is used to make
resources and oil plastic, including plastic water bottles. All plastic
products are made from oil.
Have the students draw a picture of something made out

of or that uses oil (anything plastic, or cars and trucks,
etc). Each student will present their work.
Discuss how plastic 5 - 10 Tell the students they are going to explore the life cycle
water bottles are minutes of a plastic water bottle. Hand out a Plastic Bottle
created and Lifecycle sheet to each student and go over the steps
delivered with them. After explaining, let them color in the pictures.
1. Oil is extracted from the ground and sent to a refinery

to be converted into petroleum.
2. The petroleum is shipped to a factory to be made into
plastic bottles.
3. The empty plastic bottles are sent to the water source
to be filled.
4. The bottled water is shipped, sometimes great
distances, to stores throughout the country (if not the
world) where it can be purchased.
5. The water bottles are purchased and driven home by
their new owners, where they will be consumed
6. The empty bottle is then hopefully recycled, being
turned into a fleece sweater or a rug, or is tossed in the
trash and will remain in the dump until it decomposes,
approximately 450 years later.
Relating the water 20 minutes Explain that when energy, especially oil, is consumed
bottle life cycle to and burned, pollution is created. Pollution hurts animals,
pollution – A plants and humans. Ask for some examples of the
Pollution Orchestra pollution created during the plastic bottle lifecycle (car
exhaust, factory exhaust, etc). Divide the class into six
groups. Assign each group one of the water bottle
lifecycle steps and ask them to come up with a sound
(i.e. a clap, a whistle, a foot stamp, a sigh). The sound is
meant to represent the pollution created during the step.
Have each group demonstrate their sound with every

group member participating and what their sound
represents.
Explain that the class is going to create a Pollution

Orchestra by going through the bottle lifecycle using only
the sounds of the pollution and will start by creating one
bottle at a time. Establish signals, such as when you

point to a group every member immediately starts
making the sound and when you put your hand up, all
members are immediately silent. Practice this a few
times and make it a game to see which group can be the
quickest to get going and to stop. Once they are ready,
go through the lifecycle one group at a time (steps 1 –
6), slowly.
Explain that the demand in water bottles has gone up, so

the bottles need to be produced faster. Speed up the
pace of the sounds (clap faster, stomp faster, etc.) and
of the cycle (point faster). Increase the pace in
increments until it can’t go any faster. Ask them what
kind of effect this had on the pollution. Was more
pollution (sound) created? How was the environment
impacted?
The demand has once again gone up, but instead of

going faster, steps will happen simultaneously. Start out
by pointing at group one, but when you point at group
two, continue pointing at group one with your other hand
and continue doing this all the way through, pointing at
two steps at a time.
For the final increase in demand, all steps happen

together, simultaneously. Again, increase the pace in
increments, but stop before chaos ensues.
Conclusions 5 minutes What happened when the demand for water bottles went
up? The sounds may have been fun to make, but did
they make the classroom a difficult place to learn and
focus? Would you want to go to school next to a water
bottle factory, or any factory, that made so much
pollution? What would have happened if a high amount
of pollution continued to be produced? How was the
environment and surroundings affected?

learned)
Ask students to describe ways they could reduce their plastic use. Ask students to describe
why plastic is bad for the environment.
Variations
Explain the oil creation process – the remains of aquatic plants and animals are covered by
layers of mud. Over time, the pressure and heat turns the plants and animals into oil. Have
students draw a picture of this process.
Outside Resources & Links
Information on recycling, reducing, reusing:
http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/sw.htm
Information on product life cycle:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD5569.html

Lesson 3 — Where in the World
Lesson Title
Where in the World
Specific Topic
Identifying extreme habitats and their importance
Age-level
1st – 4th Grades


1. Identify extreme habitats.
2. Identify animals in each habitat.

Students take a trip to different ecosystems by joining in a classroom journey with their teacher.

There are many different kinds of ecosystems in the world, all of which play important roles as
species’ habitats. Tropical rainforests are home to half of the world’s plants and animals, and
surprisingly, the Earth’s deserts are also rich in biodiversity, second only to the tropical
rainforests. Exploring the world opens one’s mind and makes the Earth seem a bit smaller.
Paper, art supplies. Handouts needed: Lesson 3 — Where in the World
Vocabulary
Ecosystem
Desert
Rainforest
Wetlands
Arctic
Cure
Hot
Dry
Wet
Cold

Procedure
Background
This lesson serves to enhance the students’ knowledge of some of the Earth’s ecosystems and
their importance. Through skits or classroom journeys, the students will travel to the desert in
the heat of the midday sun, run sled dogs through the arctic tundra, discover all the richness of
the life in the tropical rainforests, and wade in the wetlands carefully searching for alligators.
Enjoy your journey!
Implementation
Warm-up 10 minutes Teacher defines ecosystem. Class identifies and discusses
different ecosystems. Students name all of the animals that
they know.
Implementation 30 minutes Teacher reads, “Journeys into the Unknown” (Lesson 3
Handout 2), one trip at a time. (5 minutes each journey).
Students and teacher act out journeys as if they were really
there.
Categorizing 10 minutes Teacher introduces list of animals to the students, then

decide as a class which ecosystem each animal belongs in.

learned)
Evaluate the students based on how well they portrayed the information given to them on the
ecosystem card through their skits.
Variations for less advanced English classes

1. After each journey, the teacher points out where the class has traveled on a map and asks
for questions and comments (Q&C) from the class about the place that they visited. Alternate
trip and Q&C sessions. (5 minutes for each Q&C session)
2. Give each student a piece of paper. Allow them to draw their favorite journey. (10 minutes)

Lesson 4 - Endangered Species
Lesson Title
Endangered Species. Adapted from a lesson plan by Cara Bafile from Education World.
Specific Topic
Identification of some endangered species and possible causes as to why.
Age-level
1st – 4th grades

50 minutes / classroom

1. Identify endangered species.

2. Mimic the behaviors of an endangered species.

Introduce young students to the variety of endangered species with a game of charades.

To understand that some animals are endangered species and identify possible causes.
• slips of paper with names of endangered species and/or pictures

• container to hold papers
Vocabulary
Endangered
Species
Charades
Animals
Procedure
Preparation
Prepare a list of animals that are endangered (with or without pictures) and cut the list apart.
Fold the slips of paper and put them into a container or paper bag so that students may draw
from them. A few types of species that have members that are endangered include: alligator,
whale, sheep, elephant, hummingbird, shark, eagle, wolf, panda, tiger, rattlesnake,
grasshopper, fly, polar bear, rhino, gorilla, turtle, snail, panther, butterfly, dolphin, rabbit, frog,
and iguana.
Implementation

Introduction to 10 minutes Discuss the term "endangered species" and what students know about it.
endangered species What animals do your students recognize as "endangered"? What do they
believe causes animals to become extinct?
Charades 30 minutes Explain that many kinds of animals your students find interesting are in
danger of disappearing altogether. Tell students that they are going to
pretend to be some endangered species and have their classmates try to
guess what these animals are. As in the formal game of charades, students
are not permitted to talk, but they may pantomime the behaviors of the
animals. (If you have a large group of students, you may choose to
separate the group into two teams and have individual students pantomime
as their team members guess. If they cannot guess the name of the animal,
the other team may try.)
Review/discussion 10 minutes After the game, talk about the animals they acted out and why some of them are
endangered. What animals on the endangered list surprised the students?

learned)
Teachers will observe students as they play the game of charades. Satisfactory participation
includes active watching, listening, and logical and appropriate pantomiming as play
progresses.

ThinkQuest competition on the page Definition of Endangered Species.
Education World

Lesson 5 - Go With the Flow
Lesson Title
Go With the Flow — A lesson plan adapted from The Watercourse and the Council for
Environmental Education: http://www.montana.edu/wwwwet/journey.html and And the Green
Leaves Grow, an environmental education manual in cooperation with Retezat National Park
and Peace Corps.
Specific Topic
Description and demonstration of the water cycle.
Age-level
1st – 4th grades


1. Describe the basic movement of water within the water cycle.
2. Identify the forms and bodies of water.

By drawing, the students learn the basic components of the water cycle. By creating a play
using the drawings the children learn the basic water cycle.

Young children are aware of water, but do not connect its basic forms, nor are they aware of
the water cycle. By helping them learn about the basic forms of water and how water flows
from one form to another, like a circle, they will be more aware of the importance of water in the
environment around them.
Paper, drawing and coloring material. Handouts and worksheets needed: Lesson 5 — Go
with the Flow
Vocabulary
Water Evaporation (Gas)
Rain Drop of Water
Snow Rivers
Wet Lakes
Dry Woods
Cloud Fields
Sun

Procedure
Preparation
All of life on Earth depends on water. The rain falls down nourishing plants and animals.
Wetlands, rivers, lakes, and streams are habitats to many species. All of the water on Earth is
connected in a cycle; it is this cycle that enables life to exist on this planet.
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the water cycle. They will examine each part and
take a journey through this very important cycle.
WATER CYCLE TERMS

Sun: The sun heats up the water on the surface of the earth and on the surface of rivers,
lakes and oceans.
Evaporation (Gas): Individual water molecules that are so spread out that they cannot be
seen and they can float up into the air. This can happen when the air is dry and the weather
is warm. Students can visualize the molecules as drops of water so small that they cannot
be seen even with a magnifying glass.
Clouds. Water gas goes into the sky. Clouds form when the water cools and changes from
a gas into drops of liquid. Students can visualize rain drops as made up of many of the tiny
molecule drops clinging together so that the rain drop can be seen, and is heavy enough to
fall out of the air.
Snow and Rain: Water falls from the clouds down to the Earth. It may fall in the form of
rain, snow, hail, or sleet.
Water: Water that flows in lake, rivers and oceans, or off of the woods and fields after a rain
or snow melt. Students can visualize this as many, many rain drops put together.
Land, Woods, Rivers and Lakes: Where you can find water after it rains or snows and
before it changes into a gas again.
Implementation
Discuss Water Cycle 10 minutes Ask the students if they know why water is so important. They
should be able to give the answer that water is needed to
survive or something similar to this.
Draw a diagram on the board of the “traditional” water cycle,

using the terms above. Have the students help with this. Write
the terms in Romanian first.
Teach the basic English vocabulary of the water cycle during

this part of the exercise. Write the English word next to the
Romanian word.
Drawing parts of the 10 minutes Assign each student to color pictures from the handouts (sun,
Water Cycle and cloud, woods-fields, lake, and water droplet). Explain that they
Places you find will be coloring pictures to use in a play that they will do about
Water the water cycle. Assign a student each to draw the sun, the
cloud, the woods-field and the lake. All the students should

decorate and color a water droplet. The students can label the
pictures in English.
Acting out the Water 15 minutes Explain to the students that they will be acting out the water
Cycle cycle. There will be three stations in the water cycle: A cloud,
woods-field, and lake. These pictures should be posted on
separate walls of the class room.
You will be the Sun and the students will be the water droplets
moving between all of these stations.
Explain the conditions that make water move, such as gravity

and heat from the sun. Sometimes water does not go anywhere
at all, but stays where it is for a long period of time.
Start all the students standing at the "lake". Tell them that you
are the Sun and if you come over to the "lake" and touch one of
the students, that student becomes gas and must go over to the
cloud. Students turned into gas walk alone.
Any three students in the "cloud" can form a water droplet.

Once they are a water droplet, they are now rain, and they can
walk together to the "field".
Any five students in the "field" can form a puddle and "flow"
downhill to the "lake".
When all of the students are back in the "lake", the activity ends.
Drawing the Water 10 minutes Have each student demonstrate what they have learned by
Cycle coloring the handout of the simple water cycle and label the
parts (e.g. sun, cloud, woods, lake, rain) in English
Activities reinforcing 5 minutes After the students have drawn the water cycle, finish with
the vocabulary and activities reinforcing the vocabulary and concepts, such as
concepts discussing other places that you can find water in their village,
comuna or city (in the ground, wells, springs; plants and
animals; glaciers and ice caps; storage, water towers, bottles;
etc.; or singing "The Itsybitsy Spider went up the Rain Spout",
etc.

learned)
The individual student's drawing of the water cycle and labeling of the parts in English. Student
discussion of other places that water can be found.

Lesson 6 — Sum of the Parts
Lesson Title
Sum of the Parts - Lesson plan adapted from Project Wet: Sum of the Parts Lesson
Specific Topic
How human activity contributes to pollution of a river, and how the pollution can be reduced.
Age-level
1st – 4th grades


1 identify what is pollution in bodies of water.
2. recognize that everyone contributes to and is responsible for a river or lake’s water quality.
3. identify some basic steps to reduce pollution.

Individual students will receive and color pictures representing different uses of land along a
section of a river. As a group, the students will assemble the individual sections of the river
and discuss the pollution caused to the river by these uses, how the effect is cumulative
downstream, and how they might change the use of the land to reduce pollution of the river.

To demonstrate how human activity creates pollution; to identify the cumulative effect of
pollution on a water shed; and to encourage students to identify ways they can reduce water
pollution in Romanian rivers.
Print the pages of river sections with different types of land use (house, factory, park, woods,
animals, trash pile (dump)). Other items needed: Different items of pollution that would get
into a river from those land uses. E.g. plastic bottles from a park; parts of trees from a woods;
dirty water from a factory. Students will provide coloring and writing supplies for themselves.
Vocabulary
Basic Vocabulary: Woods
Pollution House
Stream Factory
River Dump
Lake Animals
Soil Paper
Park Plastic
Farm Bags

Procedure
Background
The quality of water in a river or lake is closely related to land uses and natural factors found in
its watershed. Natural factors could include easily erodible soil in the watershed which flows
into the river causing sediment and turbidity problems. Human use factors within a watershed
could include such activities as plowing the land, cutting forests, mining, or building cities.
Everyone bears responsibility for the health of a watershed and the water systems (rivers,
lakes, wetlands etc.) within the watershed. Individual actions, both negative and positive add
up. Understanding a river or lake’s water quality and quantity involves investigating the
condition of the contributing watershed. If the watershed is polluted, the river will likely be
polluted.
Preparation
Print off handouts of sections of river, one for each student. The "uses" should be varied.
Each section will include a bit of river and a picture of a use. The number of sections should
correspond with the number of students or groups of students working together. Number the
upper half of the sections (those on the "north" side of the river) in sequential order. Put
matching numbers on the "south" half of each section. You will end up with paired sections, a
section north of the river and a section south, each with the same number.
Implementation
Warm up 10 minutes Determine student knowledge about watersheds by first
asking them about whether water flows uphill or downhill
(the effect of gravity), and then asking them to name
stages by which water flows into bigger and bigger
water bodies (ditch to stream to river to lake). Draw a
"watershed" and lable some of the basic parts in
English.
Creation of a 10 minutes Pass out “pieces” of property. Each student gets either
watershed sources a "north" half or a "south" half of one section. Explain
of pollution that the area between the wavy line and the edge of the
paper is water and the rest that has the picture of a land
use is land they own.
They color their "use" of the land.

Reconstruction of 15 minutes When the students have colored their pictures, ask them
the “developed” to look for the number that was written on their
watershed and river.
property. Explain that each piece is actually a part of a
Conceptualizing how
each land use in a puzzle. Starting with the number one sections, and
watershed proceeding sequentially, have the students assemble
contributes to their pieces. They will thereby construct the river
pollution, and how pathway and adjacent land area in proper order.
the effect is
cumulative

downstream. Now give each student a pollution item representing the
type of pollution that can get into the water stream as a
result of their use of their land. Discuss why their uses
produce this pollution.
Demonstration of 5 minutes Tell the students to take their pollution items and line up
river pollution in the same order as their pieces of river front property.
They are going to pass their items which represent
pollution downstream, with the number one sections
being the furthest upstream, and the last numbered
sections the furthest downstream.
Have them announce what kind of pollutant they are

holding before they pass it on. So the number one
sections will pass their items to the twos, the twos will
pass everything to the threes, and so on, until the last
students are holding all the items.
Wrap up 10 minutes Discuss the activity. How did those students toward the
middle or at the end of the river feel? Could a student
downstream be affected by the actions of a student
upstream? Could upstream users alter the water quality
for those downstream?
Have students name different types of pollution that are

found in bodies of water in their area, and where that
pollution comes from. Make a list on the board. Lable
some of the items of pollution in English also, as is
appropriate for the competency level of the students.

learned)
Have students talk about examples of pollution from their community that end up in the local
watershed; have students discuss actions that can be taken to protect water quality.

Lesson 7 - Littering
Lesson Title
Littering
Specific Topic
What kinds of litter are found in the schoolyard and what can be done about it.
Age-level
1st-4th grades

50 minutes / Classroom and school yard

Students will see how much litter there is in their vicinity and find out the proper way to deal
with different types of litter.

A competition will energize the students to pick up litter and identify it.

Students should be aware of the effects of their behavior.
Plastic bags and rubber gloves for 1/2 of the number of students in the class. Large bags or
boxes marked plastic, paper, metal, organic, glass and non recyclable stuff.
Vocabulary
Basic Vocabulary: Cotton
(To) Litter Glass
Trash Cardboard
Decompose Bag
Never Bottle
Pledge Reduce
Plastic Reuse
Tin Recycle
Procedure
Implementation
Introduction 7-10 Talk about littering. What is littering, what kinds of
minutes things people throw on the ground in their town/village,
and what kinds of things are thrown on the ground in the

school yard. Have students give reasons why they think
people may choose to litter.
Use the lists to have students consider/give ideas of why

it is bad or undesirable to have these things on the
ground.
(Pollutes water, soil, harms animals, makes the town
look dirty and unattractive. Fill in these answers and
discuss if students don't think of them themselves.)
Activity explanation 10 minutes Explain to the students that the next activity will be to go
and preparation out in the schoolyard and collect the trash there. Split
the students into pairs, and give each pair one trash bag
and one pair of gloves.
Trash gathering 10 minutes In the schoolyard, one student will hold the bag, and the
competition other will wear the gloves and pick up trash items off the
ground. The winners of this part of the lesson will be the
pairs of students who 1) pick up the most trash off the
ground, and 2) who get the most diverse collection of
trash. Teachers should accompany students outside and
observe to ensure that they are working and being
careful.
Inventory 5 minutes Have the students do a brief inventory of what they have
collected (paper, cello wraps, milk cups, cigarette butts,
seed shells, etc.) and discuss what the different types of
trash are (plastic, paper, organic, metal, glass).
Trash sorting 10 minutes Have students come up and put their trash into the
correct bins. With students watching carefully to make
sure trash is separated for recycling.--5-10 min. based
on class size
Wrap-up 5 minutes Discussion: what can we do instead of throwing litter on
the ground?

learned)
Students will throw less trash on their school grounds, both in and out of the building. They will
also talk with younger students about not littering on school grounds.

Lesson 8 - It’s in the Air
Lesson Title
It’s in the Air
Specific Topic
Identify air pollution and some sources.
Age-level
1st-4th grades


Students will:
1. Be informed that breathing dirty air is unhealthful to the lungs and body.
2. Be informed if our community has an unhealthful air pollution problem.
3. Discuss what air pollution is and what causes air pollution.

Teacher explains air pollution. As a class, the students brainstorm the causes of air pollution.
Two short experiments to demonstrate that air pollution exists and the effects it has on your
health.

How important is taking a breath? The truth is that plants and animals cannot survive without
some type of air “to breathe”. Plants need a gas called carbon dioxide to make their food and
continue living. Human beings, as well as other animal species, breathe in oxygen, which is
also a gas. Both carbon dioxide and oxygen occur naturally in clean air (21% O2 and less
than1% CO2). Sadly though, people and their actions are continuously polluting the air all over
the world. Polluted air is dirty air; it has “things”, called pollutants, in it that cause harm to living
species and the environment. The good news is since people cause most of the air pollution;
people can change their actions and help restore clean air.
In this lesson students identify some of the causes of air pollution, the effects of those
pollutants, and ways in which they can reduce their personal contribution to global air pollution.
2 sheets of Paper. Vaseline. Sealed plastic bag (Ziploc). Balloons and Straws. ½ sheets of
paper for class and pencils or crayons.
Vocabulary

Basic Vocabulary: Straws
Air Pollution
Wood Advanced Vocabulary:
Gas Cough
Factory Cold
Balloons Headache
Procedure
Preparation
With students a day or more before the lesson, coat two sheets of paper with petroleum jelly,
such as Vaseline. Put one paper in a sealed container (Ziploc bag) so the air pollutants will not
stick to it and leave the other one out.
Implementation

Pollutant trap 5 minutes After at least a day and preferably at least 2 examine with
students the pollutant trap and compare it to the one that
was sealed.
Brainstorm 10 minutes Ask Students what they think is in the Pollutant Trap?
Ask students where they think the pollution came from?
List down all their ideas.
Causes of air pollution 15minutes Discuss with students the following:
Air pollution is air that has become dirty and can harm
human health, animals or the environment.
Dirty air is caused by burning fuels like gasoline and by

agricultural processes like field burning or soil tilling.
Air pollution is caused by activities that people and

machines do every day.
Can you think of some causes of air pollution?
Causes of Air Pollution

1. Driving cars
2. Fires
3. Smoking
4. Spraying chemicals
5. Factory emissions
6. Burning trash household products
7. Burning fields
Discuss effects of air pollution 10 minutes Breathing dirty air can make you feel sick and hurt your
lungs. Have you ever felt sick on a smoggy day? How did

you feel?
Short-Term Health Effects
1. Irritated eyes
2. Sore throat
3. Cough
4. Feel tired
5. Headache
Long-Term Health Effects
1. Less lung power (harder to blow up balloons)

2. colds
3. asthma
Balloon experiment 10 minutes Kids blow up a balloon using a straw to model having
less lung power.

learned)
On a half sheet of paper have students draw a picture showing at least one way people cause
air pollution. Post the best drawings up with the pollutant traps in the classroom for the
students to see. The pollutant trap will continue to get dirtier as time goes by.

Lesson 9 — What Do We Do? What Can We Do?
Lesson Title
What Do We Do? What Can We Do?
Specific Topic
Human impact on the environment and how to lessen it.
Age-level
1st-4th grades

45 minutes; Classroom
Students will begin to understand that their actions impact the environment.

Students learn about their impact by looking at and creating simple drawings.

To teach students that they do not live in a vacuum.
Paper and markers for drawing, cartoons printed in advance, chart paper.
Drawings Needed: Lesson 9 — What Do We Do?
Vocabulary
Basic Vocabulary:
Impact
Effect
Change
Activities
Helper
Procedure
Background
Everything affects the environment. Some things affect the environment in big ways such as oil
spills, ozone depletion, and natural phenomenon. Others leave only small imprints. Everyone
affects the environment in different ways. How much do we personally affect the environment?
Students will take a trip through their daily routines and discover ways in which they make an
impact. After identifying personal impacts, the students will find ways to change their routines
in order to lessen their environmental impact. Although they will be making small steps
individually, as a group of dedicated, passionate people willing to help, they will be greatly

helping the environment. Together they will make a promise to continue to help the Earth live a
healthier life.
Implementation
Pictures of Daily 15 minutes Have students draw a picture of the things they do in the
Activities morning when they get up, in the afternoon when they
get home from school, and at night before going to bed.
Give them three pieces of scrap paper or one piece
separated into three sections with a line — whatever you
feel is adequate.
Sharing of personal 10 minutes As a class, discuss the activities they do everyday. Stick
impacts the pictures on the board so that all the students can see
them. Count the number of students doing that activity
as a class.
Group brainstorm 5-10 Teacher helps students to brainstorm ways they can
minutes change their activities to help the environment. Teacher
may need to mime several of these activities (ie
encouraging a friend to pick up litter, not wasting paper,
not letting water run, turning off lights etc).
Assessment 15 minutes Look at good/bad cartoons. Ask them to decide if the
drawing represents something that is good or bad for the
environment, then, try to get them to tell you why. If time
allows after this, ask them to draw a sign for their home,
to remind them and their families to save energy.

learned)
Students can list several ways that they can impact the environment.
Variations
1. Have them pledge to be “Environmental Helpers”. They will each have to trace the earth
below onto a piece of scrap paper, color it, and write “Environmental Helper” and their name
onto the earth (like a badge). (5-10 minutes)
2. Collect the badges that the students made, punch holes in the top, and put a piece of string
through the holes so that the badge will go around the students’ necks like a necklace. Hand
them out to the students during the next class period. Announce that they are the new
‘Environmental Helpers’ for the Earth.
3. Follow-up this activity by having 5-10 minutes of a day a week for a student to tell what
he/she has done to help the environment or just invite them to all talk about what they’ve seen
or done as environmental helpers.

www.zerofootprintkids.com — Carbon Calculator plus great resources for students and
teachers.

Appendix
Lesson Plan Handouts and Worksheets
The following section contains handouts and worksheets that correspond to the lesson
plans. Each lesson plan indicates whether or not a class handout is needed in the
Materials section. Every lesson plan has at least one corresponding worksheet, which
will provide extra written activities for your class to do and focus on listening and reading
comprehension.

Lesson 2 - The Energy Trail – Handout

Lesson 3 — Where in the World — Handouts
Lesson 3 Handout 1 — Extreme Ecosystem Description Cards
Rambling in the Rainforest

There are two types of rainforests in the world, tropical and temperate; both are in danger.
Every minute, 133,546 square meters of trees are cut in the world’s tropical rainforests;
scientists estimate that at the current rate of deforestation, nearly all tropical rainforest
ecosystems will be destroyed in the next 30 years. In the United State’s temperate
rainforests, only 3% of the original forest remains, mostly inside Olympic National Park.
Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator. Fifty-seven percent of the
tropical rainforests are found in Central and South America. The largest temperate
rainforests are found in Pacific North America. Both ecosystems share a lush and wet
environment with rich biodiversity. However, tropical rainforest are warm and moist and
have annual precipitation of about 1016 cm, and temperate rainforests are cool and get
about an average of 254 cm of precipitation per year.
These very important ecosystems are home to over half of the Earth’s plant and
animal species; this includes a number of people. It is thought that we may never
discover all of the species that exist in the tropical rainforests, as there are so many living
in this ecosystem and the rainforests are disappearing rapidly. Some of the species living
in the tropical forests are the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, Indian cobra, bamboo,
sugar cane, and rubber trees. It is also thought that there may be unknown cures to be
found in the tropical rainforests. Perhaps an unfound plant species holds the cure for
cancer within its roots. In the Pacific Northwest cougars, black bears, lichen, and elk
inhabit the temperate rainforests. Rainforests are beautiful places and totally extreme
ecosystems!
Welcome to the Wetlands

The wetlands are known as the Earth’s kidneys; they have extraordinary cleansing
powers and help control the flow of water around the globe. They are almost always in
transition between land and water, but are sometimes both land and water. They may be
covered or soaked by water year-round or exist seasonally or temporarily. Due to their
transitory state, they are very hard to define, and this lack of a clear definition makes
them hard to protect. However, because of their global importance in the water cycle,
their protection should be of a top priority to all.
They are home to many species such as turtles and frogs, and are regularly used
as resting places for migratory birds. Wetland plants add oxygen to the waterways and
act as shelter and food for many animals. In addition to being a great habitat, wetlands
help stop flooding by acting as a sponge and soaking up extra water. They also purify
water and can even detoxify water; they also help control the flow of water.
Sadly, though, the wetlands are in danger. They were never thought to be
important to people. So human beings began destroying the swamps, marshes, bogs,
and flood plains and turning them into “good, useable land.” In fact, humans have turned
over half of the wetlands into land to be used for their purpose. After all, who needs a
smelly swamp infested with mosquitoes in their backyard? The truth is we do! One
hundred and twenty hectares of wetland disappears each year to be used for
development or farmlands. However, we are still learning about the importance they play
in the water cycle and how we cannot live without them. We must protect them soon!
They are an extremely important ecosystem.

Dabbling in the Desert
The desert is the land of extremes, extreme heat and extreme dryness. Temperatures
during the day can exceed 38C, which is not uncommon for a desert day. It rarely rains
or snows; the typical annual precipitation is less than 25 cm. Due to the desert dryness,
there is no moisture in the air to help trap the sun’s heat during the day. Therefore,
desert nights can be very cold, somewhere between 5 and 10C.
There are two types of deserts, hot and cold. In the hot deserts, precipitation falls
in the form of rain. The largest desert in the world is a hot desert, the Sahara Desert in
North Africa. The second largest desert is the Gobi Desert in Northern China and
Southern Mongolia; it is a cold desert. Cold deserts get snow instead of rain.
The Earth’s deserts are second only to tropical rainforests in the variety of plant
and animal species. Every plant and animal living in the deserts has evolved to live in
such an extreme environment. Desert plants have the ability to collect and store water
and also have features that prevent water loss. Water is a big issue in the desert
because there is little of it to go around. Some of the animals never drink water, but get
their water by eating seeds and plants. Heat is also a concern for desert species. Many
animal species avoid the heat because they are nocturnal, that is, they are only active
only at night. Others live primarily underground also avoiding the heat of the sun.
Deserts are hot and dry, but are the homes of many animals and plants. If
traveling to the desert, remember to take cover from the sun and bring lots and lots of
water! The desert is an ecosystem of extremes.
Traveling to the Tundra

The arctic tundra is located around the North Pole and covers 1/5 of the Earth’s surface.
Except for the top layer of soil, the ground is frozen all year round; this is called
permafrost. Water is not available for most of the year, as the average annual
precipitation is less than 25 cm, which is equivalent to a desert’s annual rain or snowfall.
The average annual temperature is between –12C and –6C. However, temperatures can
be as “high” as 0C in the summer and as low as –51C in the coldest of winters! Can you
imagine living in such a cold place?
Surprisingly, some people do live here. In fact, there are many different groups
of people living in the arctic tundra. The Inuit’s, who live mostly in Northern Canada, have
a 5000-year-old history. Some of the other groups of people living in the tundra are the
Yupik and Inupiat of Alaska and Russia and the Aleut, but there are many more who
thrive in the Arctic.
The truth is that the species living in the arctic tundra have a hard life, but they
are well adapted to their frigid home environment. For example, the arctic fox is able to
withstand temperatures of –50C, and therefore, does not hibernate. Other animal
species, besides people and foxes, who call the tundra home are the polar bear, golden
eagle, grey wolf, and caribou.
The plants in the arctic tundra have a short growing season during the summer.
They usually grow fast in tight clumps, which are low to the ground, in order to avoid the
cold. Some of the groups of plants resemble little cushions and are referred to as
“cushion plants”. Other plants have evolved red leaves because the red pigment in the
cells allows the plant to absorb more heat from the sun. The arctic tundra is cold, has
little water, and long winters, yet many call it home. It is truly an extreme environment!

Lesson 3 Handout 2 — Journeys into the Unknown
Tundra
Okay, kids here we go. We are traveling to the Arctic Tundra. What will it be like
there and how will we prepare? Bundle up because it will be cold. The temperatures
rarely go over 0C. Protect your face, hands, eyes, head, body, and feet. Come on let’s
dress for the cold. Let’s pack some water because it rarely snows or rains in the tundra,
and we’ll need to take some food because food is hard to find in all the snow and ice.
How will we get around in the snow and ice? We are going to use a sled and some dogs
to pull us; that is how some of the native people do it. So jump on your sled and let’s take
a ride. Bring your camera and binoculars. Maybe we will see a polar bear or a reindeer.
Let’s mush! It’s not so cold when you are all bundled up. This place is beautiful and very,
very white.
Tropical Rainforest
Now it’s time to enter the tropical rainforests of Brazil in South America. Unlike
the tundra it is very warm here and rains all of the time. We still must dress appropriately.
Take off your warm winter jackets and hats. Bring umbrellas and wear raincoats or
ponchos; it’s going to rain and rain. We still must pack food and water because we are
not used to finding these things in the rainforest. There are so many different kinds of
plants and animals we must be careful about where we walk and what we do. We don’t
want to crush a plant or bother an animal. So walk carefully in a single file line. We have
hired a native guide to take us through, as it would be very easy to get lost in such a thick
forest. So follow me and I’ll follow the guide. Bring your cameras and binoculars there
will be lots to see: huge trees, animals of all kinds, and plants with amazing colors and
leaves. Now lets climb to the canopy, above the trees. This is where most of the
rainforest species live. What a trip!
Wetlands
Welcome to the wetlands, one of the most important ecosystems on Earth. They
are responsible for cleaning the water system, help in controlling the water flow on the
planet, and act as resting places for migratory birds. We are going to visit the Everglades
in Florida State. You must dress appropriately. You may need the raincoats, but more
importantly, you will need a mosquito net for your body. Mosquitoes love the swampy
water. If you want to wade in the water, you may need rubber boots, but don’t wade for
too long. The Everglades are home to the American Alligator. Yikes! We will bring food
and water. So pack a snack. How will we get around? We’ll ask some of the locals to
take us in their rowboats. Come on. Get into your boats and explore the wetlands.
Watch out for seemingly harmless logs that maybe alligators. Have fun and help row the
boat. Remember to take pictures and look for things with your binoculars.
Desert
Our last trip and this will be a tough one. We are headed to the largest desert in
the world called the Sahara Desert. It lies in Northern Africa and is a hot desert, which
means that when it gets water it comes in the form of rain. We must wear light clothing
that covers our entire body and a hat that shades our head. Also, pack some warmer
clothes for the cold nights. Bring lots and lots of water because it is almost impossible to
find. Pack food too. We cannot walk in the deserts for a long time with everything that
we have packed, so we are going to ride on camels’ backs. Camels are able to go a very
long time without water because they have adapted to their environment. So get onto
your camel and thank the camel for taking you for a trip in the desert. Let’s go explore!
We have lots to see. Surprisingly, deserts are filled with plants and animals of many
different types. Bring your cameras and binoculars.

Lesson 5 - Go With the Flow — Handouts and Worksheets
Lesson 5 Handout 1 — Coloring Sheets

Lesson 6 – Sum of the Parts — Handouts and Worksheets
Lesson 6 Handout 1 — River Sections

Lesson 9 — What Do We Do? What Can We Do? - Cartoons
Lesson 9 Cartoons

Lesson Plan Alternatives
The following activities provide alternatives for some of the lesson plans that correlate
directly with and were designed specifically for the lesson.
Lesson 1 - The Environment and How Are We Connected Alternatives:
Alternate Activity 1
As a class discuss what all humans need in order to live: food, water, oxygen, and
shelter. Have students work in groups. Assign each group either “food” or “shelter.”
They must make a list of “connections” involved in the subject they were assigned. They
have to think about what they eat or where they live and figure out how those things are
linked with plants and animals. For example, if they drink milk — they would write “milk”-
“cow”-“grass.”
Give each group a piece of large poster paper or 4 pieces of smaller paper taped
together. Have the groups create a picture of all their connections. For example, a cow
chewing grass under a tree which is making oxygen for the cow and the person who is in
her wooden house (the wood was provided by the trees) drinking the milk from the cow
and so on. Later, hang the pictures in the classroom environmental art gallery.
1. Tell the students they are now going to play a game. Clear a big enough space
for the activity. This game will show them that sometimes the environment
appears to be very chaotic and have no order. However, it can be looked at
differently with a little “twisting and turning” of their minds.
2. Give each student a “nameplate” copied from the Handout section. Each
nameplate has a type of plant or animal on it. If the class is studying a specific
type of ecosystem at this time, you may want to create your own nameplates for
that ecosystem i.e., rainforest or desert.
3. Separate the students into groups of ten (or approx. ten); the group MUST have
an even number of students. The teacher should participate if the number is not
even. Have the groups stand close in a circle together. There will probably be
two or three big circles depending on how many students in the class.
4. Begin by telling the students the rules of the game.
5. Each student must hold two different people’s hands.
6. Before repeating a person, everyone must have one hand taken in a connection.
7. Now it’s time to start making connections. One of the students starts the game
by saying what animal or plant he/she represents. Then looking around the
circle, he/she takes the hand of another student who represents something
needed to survive for the first student or something that depends on what the first
student represents. For example, the first student is “grass,” that student can
hold hands with the “cow” or a “worm.” The grass needs the worm to put air in
the soil for better growth and the cow needs the grass for food. This goes on
until all hands have made connections.
8. Tell the students to look at the tangle they’ve made by connecting hands; it’s the
connection knot. It should indeed appear to be tangled. Without letting go of the
connections, the students must untangle themselves to form a circle again. Warn
them not to hurt themselves, but tell them it can be done if they all work together.

9. Once back in a circle form, have the students observe again (some students may
have to face outside the circle due to the tangling). This is the circle of
connection they made out of the tangled knot. Sometimes it’s hard to see the
connections we make each and every day. However, if one is aware of the
connections they become very clear and almost simple.
Lesson 2 — The Energy Trail Alternatives:
Alternative Activity 1
1. Have each student think of their favorite object. It cannot be living. Tell them not
to tell anyone because it needs to be a secret to play the game that they will play
later.
2. Students should spread out all over the room so they can work without anyone
else seeing their objects, which they will draw on a sheet of paper. They can
build little barriers out of books if necessary to allow for more privacy while
drawing.
3. Now have them draw their favorite object on a sheet of paper.
4. The aim of the game is for the class to guess a student’s favorite object by asking
yes or no questions.
5. After the item has been correctly identified, discuss with the class what the item is
made out of and if its creation and distribution has any impact on the
environment.
6. Have the students write a thank you note to the Earth for their favourite objects.
(5 minutes, optional)
Lesson 5 — Go With the Flow Alternatives:
Alternative Activity 1:
Get the students to act out the water cycle for other members of the school or for their
families. Is anyone else surprised the water cycle is so complex?

Additional Activities
The following activities can be used in addition to lessons, as time fillers, as substitutes or
can be the basis for a new lesson. They are organized by grade appropriateness and
indicate which lesson(s) they would work well with.
Activities suitable for Classes K – 4th

Nature Walk (Lesson 1)
Mosquito, Salmon, Bear (Lessons 1 & 3)
Picture of Daily Schedule and Environmental Effect (Lesson 9)
Endangered Species Poster (Lesson 4)
Activities suitable for Classes K – 8th

What if we slept for 100 years? (Lesson 9)
Nature Scavenger Hunt (Lesson 1)
Nature Scatagories (Adaptable to all lessons)
Trash Pie (Lesson 8)
Find the Pairs (Adaptable to all lessons, especially lessons 1, 3, & 5)
Making a volcano eruption (Lesson 8)
Plastic Bag Dispenser (Lessons 7 & 9)

K – 4th Nature Walk (Lesson 1)
Walk through the forest with kids and point out various species of trees, animals, birds,
etc. In a small area, see how many different species of life they can find. Encourage
them to use all their senses. Sit down by a tree and close your eyes and do nothing but
listen to nature.
K – 4th Mosquito, Salmon, Bear (Lessons 1 and 3)
This works great for large groups. Lay down two long pieces of string about 3 meters
apart from each other. Split group in two. Instruct each group to walk away from their
line and discuss IN SECRET, in a circle. Each group is to choose one animal: a
Mosquito, a salmon, or a bear. Each group chooses by predicting what the opposite team
will choose.
Bear eats the Salmon, Salmon eats the Mosquito, and the Mosquito stings the bear.
When each team has chosen, instruct them to walk to their line. On the count of 3, they
are to reveal their animal. The Mosquito’s “buzzzzzzz,” the Salmon put their hands up to
act like gills on a fish, and the bear “grrrrrrr.” Whichever team wins chases the other team
and tries to tag them. The losing team tries to run to a safe area (designated by
facilitator). Any members of the losing team that are tagged switch teams. Continue until
there is only 1 team.
K – 4th Picture of Daily Schedule and Environmental Effect (Lesson 9)
1. Have the students draw a picture of the things they do in the morning when they
get up, in the afternoon when they get home from school, and at night before
going to bed. Give them three pieces of scrap paper or one piece separated into
three sections with a line — whatever you feel is adequate. Allow 15 minutes for
this section — 5 for each picture.
2. As a class, discuss the activities they do everyday. Put them on the same type of
chart as above so that all the students can see them. Count the number of
students doing that activity as a class. (10 minutes)
3. Next, discuss the effects each of these activities can have on the environment.
Ask questions so that the students participate but help them discover the effects.
(10 minutes)
4. Make a list, on the chart, of simple things that they can do as environmental
helpers to change their effect on the environment. (10 minutes)
5. Have them pledge to be “Environmental Helpers,” They will each have to trace
the earth below onto a piece of scrap paper, color it, and write “Environmental
Helper” and their name onto the earth (like a badge). (5-10 minutes)
6. Collect the badges that the students made, punch holes in the top, and put a
piece of string through the holes so that the badge will go around the student’s
neck like a necklace. Hand them out to the students during the next class
period. Announcing that they are the new “Environmental Helpers” for the Earth.

7. Follow-up this activity by having 5-10 minutes of a day a week for a student to tell
what he/she has done to help the environment or just invite them to all talk about
what they’ve seen or done as environmental helpers.
K – 4th Endangered Species Poster (Lesson 4)
Make a poster on one of the world’s endangered species. Include information on the
animal’s lifestyle and habitat, the dangers it faces and the products made from it. Show
your posters to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out about similar
animals or things?
K – 8th What if we slept for 100 years? (Lesson 9)
If we slept for 100 years, what would the world look like and what would we do?
Individuals or groups can dream, draw, write, act, discuss, etc. possible scenarios. Such
activities help people to envisage new possibilities for more sustainable relations with
nature.
Materials: Pen and Paper, coloring materials
K – 8th Nature Scavenger Hunt (Lesson 1)
One way to run a nature scavenger hunt is to hand out an egg carton and a list of 12
items to collect - e.g., natural items which are: soft, spiky, blue, strong, beautiful, old,
fragile, yummy, sharp, smooth, closed, open, wet, dry, from an animal, dead, etc. (be
creative).
Materials: printed list of items, something to put gathered material
K – 8th Nature Scatagories (Adaptable to all lessons)
1. In the given amount of time, students make a list pertaining to a topic or subject.
2. One student reads an answer aloud.
3. If even one student matches the answer then all students having the answer
must mark it out. If no other student matches the answer, the student "keeps" the
answer.
4. The next student reads an answer aloud. Follow step three.
5. Continue the process until all answers have been read aloud.
6. Students count the total number of answers that he/she was able to "keep" to
determine the winner.
K – 8th Trash Pie (Lesson 8)
Talk about what ends up in a landfill-make a pie chart and have them glue “pieces of
trash” in the sections of the pie chart.

K – 8th Find the Pairs (Adaptable to all lessons, especially Lessons 1, 3
and 5)
About 50-100 photos have to be printed in pairs. Put the photos facedown on a table.
Participants have to stand around this table. Each participant flips 2 pictures in order to
find the pair. If she or he didn't find the pair, she or he will put the pictures back in the
same place and the next one will turn over two pictures, taking in account the position of
the pictures that already were turned over. Participants can help each other. When the
group finds a pair, they take those pictures out of the game after is explained what the
picture represents. The participants have to flip all the pair as soon as they can.
K – 8th Making a volcano eruption (Lesson 8)
Ingredients.
– small drink bottle.
– 60 ml water.
– 1 tablespoon baking soda.
– 1/4 cup vinegar
– orange food coloring
– few drops of dishwashing detergent
– Small square of tissue
Making the eruption
Place the water, soap, food coloring and vinegar in the drink bottle. Wrap the baking soda
in the tissue and drop into the bottle. The volcano will then erupt.
For extra realism
The volcano can be made more realistic by enclosing the structure in a home made play
dough.
Mix 6 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, 4 tablespoons of cooking oil, and 2 cups of water in a
large bowl.
Mix the ingredients by hand until smooth and firm. Add more water to make the mixture if
necessary.
Build up the mixture around the drink bottle to create the mountain.
Lava channels and vegetation can be built around the volcano.
The chemical reaction.
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH --> Na+ + H2O + CO2 + CH3COO Carbon dioxide is released
creating the fizz.
K – 8th Plastic Bag Dispenser (Lessons 7 and 9)
You are recycling to make it and it helps to recycle those plastic bags we all end up
with…
Supplies:
Long Sleeved Shirt (you no longer want/need)
Ribbon
Sewing Needle
Thread
1. Cut one sleeve off or cut both off if you want to make one for a friend.

2. Fold down the fabric of the sleeve (from where it was attached to the shirt) and
stitch in place.
3. Now attach the ribbon with a few stitches. Voila! Bag Dispenser! Simply fill with
plastic bags and hang. Pull out bags from the cuffed end.

ENV - ED 1 - 4 - English PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

ENV - ED 1 - 4 - English PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

U.S.

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 1

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 2

A series of additional or alternative activities is contained in the Appendix. Activities for

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 3

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 4

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 5

Lesson Length / Space Requirements

Instructional Goal (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon

Method (general description of the content of the lesson)

Rationale (brief justification for the lesson)

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 6

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 7

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 8

Assessment/Evaluation (how to measure outcomes to determine if the material has been

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 9

Lesson Length / Space Requirements

Instructional Goal (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon

Method (general description of the content of the lesson)

Rationale (brief justification for the lesson)

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 10

Lesson Step Length Description

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 11

Have the students draw a picture of something made out

1. Oil is extracted from the ground and sent to a refinery

Have each group demonstrate their sound with every

Explain that the class is going to create a Pollution

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 12

Explain that the demand in water bottles has gone up, so

The demand has once again gone up, but instead of

For the final increase in demand, all steps happen

Assessment/Evaluation (how to measure outcomes to determine if the material has been

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 13

Lesson Length / Space Requirements

Instructional Goal (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon

Method (general description of the content of the lesson)

Rationale (brief justification for the lesson)

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 14

Categorizing 10 minutes Teacher introduces list of animals to the students, then

Assessment/Evaluation (how to measure outcomes to determine if the material has been

Variations for less advanced English classes

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 15

Lesson Length / Space Requirements

Instructional Goal (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon

1. Identify endangered species.

Method (general description of the content of the lesson)

Rationale (brief justification for the lesson)

• slips of paper with names of endangered species and/or pictures

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 16

Assessment/Evaluation (how to measure outcomes to determine if the material has been

Outside Resources & Links

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 17

Lesson Length / Space Requirements

Instructional Goal (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon

Method (general description of the content of the lesson)

Rationale (brief justification for the lesson)

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 18

WATER CYCLE TERMS

Draw a diagram on the board of the “traditional” water cycle,

Teach the basic English vocabulary of the water cycle during

August 2009 PCRO EEC Manual Grades 1-4 19

Explain the conditions that make water move, such as gravity

Any three students in the "cloud" can form a water droplet.