Earth Day is On Its Way: The Mega Resource Center

As a teacher, I think I'm a perpetual collector...of things, of files, of websites, of all kinds of goodies that might be of great use in the classroom.  Here are ten of my great "green" finds for Earth Day activities galore!!  May you be "a kid in the candy store" in the same way I am with goodies like these:

For the "Toys 'R Us" of the Earth Day Internet world, Planet Pals is where your quest should begin!  It easily could be your 1 stop shopping center for lesson plans and activities.  http://www.planetpals.com/earthday.html
 

Elmer's Glue Crew has a printable calendar of 40 days of 40 ways to be Earth Friendly.  How many items on that list can you, your family, or your class mark of as "mission completion?"

http://www.elmers.com/newsletters/GlueCrew/40daysofearthday/Calendar/calendar.pdf

The Earth Day specialists!  Tons, tons, and tons of lesson plans grades K-12 on a myriad of environmental topics.  You won't go home hungry!  http://www.earthday.net/lessonplans

 It's not "Earth Day" themed per se, yet "Meet the Greens" are focused entirely around living the green life, so any of the mini video clips you find there will definitely color your Earth Day the right shade! http://www.meetthegreens.org/

The EPA (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) has 2 websites that have loads of links and activities.  The first is very Earth Day specific, and the latter is the EPA Environmental Kids Club with neat activities for kids.  http://www.epa.gov/earthday/takehomekit.htm  and http://www.epa.gov/kids/

Seventh Generation, the company that produces many eco-friendly cleaning products, has compiled four lessons perfectly timed to share about the importance of clean air inside your home.  Their lessons are catagorized by grade level, and rich with both teacher & student activities to print.  http://www.seventhgeneration.com/give/earth-day-lesson-plan

At The Teachers' Guide you'll find lesson plans for all of the following:  "The Lorax," Earth Day lesson plans, internet/smartboard resources, printouts, clip art, and crafts.  All sorts of fun stuff. http://www.theteachersguide.com/earthdaylessonplans.htm

Another lesson plan super store is here at A to Z Teacher Stuff.  Crafts, mini units, projects and more are here for you...appropriate grade levels are listed.

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Earth_Day/ 

Here you'll find a lesson plan storehouse where you can search any topic.  The Earth Day section is well-organized with lesson plans by theme (rainforest, national parks, garbage and recycling, environmental injustice, general Earth Day ideas, and general environmental awareness issues.  There's also a video section.  Boatloads of links!

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/EarthDay.htm

And then, of course, there's my own April 2010 Green Team Gazette, complete with Jeopardy game.  http://www.gics.org/Green%20Team%20Gazettes/Green%20Team%20Gazette%2004_10.pdf

 Okay... just because there's more....Here's #11 from Green Schools Initiatives. The "resources" page is huge!  http://www.greenschools.net/article.php?id=160 

Earth Day is on Its Way: The Movement

Yesterday, my class of all boys and I had a rare and wonderful opportunity to take a video tour through the landmarks of Civil Rights Movement.  No, not an online adventure, but an escorted adventure through the pictures & places Mr. Charles ("Tank") Duckett has been.  Tank, a friend of Eagle Cove School and a guest to our classroom, shared his digital photo journal of his his trip to Civil Rights landmarks such as the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the Rosa Parks Library, Martin Luther King, Jr's home and grave site, Dexter Avenue Memorial Baptist Church, Little Rock's Central High, Fisk University....just to name a few!  My boys heard for the first time the African American National Anthem, and they also got to hear Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winning acceptance speech.

What's the correlation to Earth Day, you ask?  It all got me thinking about parallels and connections.  Tank was talking to my boys about how the Civil Rights Movement began with young people who were eager to take a stand and to take steps to move people forward.  He spoke to them about coming together respectfully to be leaders, to build bridges.  Powerful words to hear as a 3rd grader...more powerful too if they're taken to heart!

Am I saying that the Environmental Movement rivals The Civil Rights Movement?  Oh my word!!  Heavens no! Not one bit!!  What I am saying is that it is through people being committed to something greater than themselves that leaders are made.  It is through small steps--backed by passion--that create change.  From here, we are driven to progress.  That IS the point of Earth Day...or any movement!

I was struck especially with this quote in Dr. King's 1964 acceptance speech: 

"I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him."

Perhaps it caught my attention because flotsom and jetsom are nautical word--words for environmental waste here a week from Earth Day.  Words that describe what David de Rothschild of the Plastiki will most certainly find in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Yet more so, I was struck by the small similarity that we have a 40-year old environmental movement that was also started by few, scoffed at by many.  Both movements were fueled by passion.  Both movements have grown from the vision of people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, to be out there, to do it step-sometimes-by-little-step.  And then there are some, like David de Rothschild, who take bold risks.  The Civil Rights Movement most certainly gained it's momentum by amazing men and women who took bold risks every day, risking their lives and sometimes their families' lives for equality, truth, and justice that were long over due...for a purpose greater than themselves.  Both movement have grown from people who are willing to be true leaders, creating new leaders every day--often amongst the youngest out there.

Returning to Earth Day, it was the brainstorm of John McConnell, and it started in the U.S. in 1970.  Now it has evolved into an annual world-wide celebration to commemorate and concentrate on the Earth, doing all we can to maintain & improve the health of our planet.  From the first Earth Day April 22, 1970, the movement gained momentum in that the Clean Air Act was written to address air pollution (and was later rewritten in 1990) and Congress created the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).  Given the enormous activism of the 1960's and the Civil Rights Movement, perhaps it was only natural that other issues (including the environment) started becoming focal points for change as well.

To visit Mr. Duckett's website, click the link above or go to http://charlesrduckettandassociates.com/ .

To see the lyrics & hear the music for the Black National Anthem "Lift Ev'ry Voice & Sing," go to http://www.black-network.com/anthem.htm .

To join the "Earth Day 2010 Campaign:  Billion Acts of Green," go to http://www.earthday.org/ .

Picture from http://www.artisanartsonline.com/product_info.php/cPath/312/products_id/3007  and shared today by Mr. Duckett.  The quote:  "When your belief is strong and your purpose just, no obstacle can stand in your way."  Good advice regardless your mission.

Earth Day is on its Way: Disappearing Acts

Newsweek is offering up in their latest Special Edition:  100 Places to Remember Before They Disappear. In it, there are 100 photographic reasons why this planet is an amazing place...and 100 places globally that are in danger of doing a disappearing act due to climate change.  Each photograph comes with a synopsis of each location's beauty and wonder, as well as its current risk due to rising temperatures.  Not only are the visuals amazing, but there's a bounty of geography and map skills built in as well as the potential for some great Earth Day discussion on human impact to the world around us. 

To take the virtual visit, click the title above or go to http://www.newsweek.com/id/236064 or go to http://www.100places.com/en/

Image from http://www.100places.com/de/shop/

Earth Day is on the Way: Great Reads

Reading, especially with kids, is a great way to get big messages across.  With Earth Day on the Way (T minus 11 days), there are some really fabulous books out there to get kids thinking on ways they can be tending our planet.

One of my favorites is "Michael Recycle" by Ellie Bethel.  A superhero donning a colander as a helmet & his tell-tale green cape, Michael goes about cleaning up his town.  There's also a sequel "Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug."  The lilting rhyme & pictures instantly draw in kids of any age.

Then there's the classic which you'd be remiss if you skipped:  Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax."  Best line ever:  "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."  At the end of reading this, your youngsters and you might be "speaking for the trees," just like the Lorax.

Jennifer Keats Curtis also has written some wonderful books that discuss some environmental issues that involve our own backyards & the animals that live there.  We're lucky to have Jennifer coming to Eagle Cove School next Monday, the first day of our "Bay Week," to share her newest book "Baby Owl Rescue." Can't wait!  To learn more about her and her other books including "Turtles in My Sandbox" and "Osprey Adventure," check out http://www.jenniferkeatscurtis.com/ .

A fabulous resource for parents and teachers alike lives at the National Environmental Education Foundation's Website.  They have a very comprehensive list of Green Reads for children.  The book lists are sorted by elementary, middle, and high school....and there's a whole other page of resources for educators. This is one of those sites to bookmark because there's so much there you'll want to return to often!   

http://www.eeweek.org/resources/green_reading.htm

And if you're like me, and you can never quite get enough,  there's always Amazon.com of course, which is a super place to go and browse.  They have a whole section on "Green Books, Movies & Music"  Check it out here:   

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Books-Music-TV-Movies/b/ref=amb_link_7284772_2?ie=UTF8&node=554382011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0AG73X1NJQV7KQTSACW8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=424683901&pf_rd_i=554382011

Book images from www.amazon.com

Food For Thought, Part Cinq

I'm from the midwest & lived in the cornbelt.  Summer driving always had us checking out the landscape, trying to decide if the corn plants were "knee high by the Fourth of July."  Typically they were.  Corn is the landscape of my childhood. 

But....I have experienced the difficulty of shopping with a roommate years ago who was allergic to corn.  Corn is in EVERYTHING!  Beyond the obvious: corn...it is also in corn syrup (esp the "high fructose" variety), corn starch, dextrose, maltodextrin, MSG (monosodium glutamate), and GDL (glucona delta lactone) which is an additive in cured meats.  Gee...aren't those a lot of the preservatives in the 2-inch list on processed foods?!

It's also in our hair.  Our hair?!?   We consume so much food with all of the above (plus we eat meat with either corn filler or from corn-fed cattle/poultry), that we are essentially made of corn.  An amazing movie that starts with a hair analysis that elicits a verdict of corn, follows 2 guys fresh out of college to the heartland where they decide to harvest an acre of corn, harvesting a lot of corn facts a long the way (some of which are very disturbing).  "King Corn" is that movie, and it totally changes the way you look at the corn industry.  It's a great chaser to "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution!"

To see the trailer for "King Corn" and learn a little more about the movie...go to  http://www.kingcorn.net/ or click the title above.  Follow it up by renting it!  It's a fabulous, eye-opening movie!!

For a great website on some kid-friendly corn (not corny!) facts, check out http://www.campsilos.org/mod3/students/index.shtml


Corn picture from http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/how-stuff-works/corn.html

Food For Thought, Part Quatre

"French fries are a vegetable."

This quote is a quote from the 3rd episode of  "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."  Anyone who has watched 2 minutes of this show can imagine Jamie's thoughts on this subject.  And he's right.  It's a ludicrous comment, yet it came from the county's nutrition director because it was "in the book."  It's comments such as this--married with the high schoolers in this episode that were cooking an amazing fundraising dinner--that had Tim Decker, our Eagle Cove School science teacher, comment the following:  

"I have to tell you that I really connect with this show mostly because I've been where he's been.  I grew up in that exact same area.  I know these people.  And it really hurts. I tried to change them environmentally and I ran into the same folks and the same ignorance that he's running into.  And it hurts.  But this episode ... where he gets the kids to do things (third graders can't use power tools ... second graders can't pull up a several hundred pound osprey stand ... fifth graders can't build a greenhouse ...)  This one really hits home."

Clearly it's been doing some "hitting home" with me as well.  Since watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I'm sure it's a surprise to no one that I'm looking at everything I'm eating.  Doesn't hurt too that I wouldn't mind dropping a pound or two. After only 3 episodes (and a slight obsession), I'm finding myself eating a whole lot more fruits and vegetables...and doing a remarkable job of staying away from my kids' Easter candy.

How?  My new mantra is "Do I want that food inside of me?"  9 times out of 10, the answer is no.  The preservatives, and accompanying calories, aren't worth it.  Interesting too, my scale is starting to move the right direction.  So...if/when my resolve & willpower start to waver, may visions of Jamie Oliver & the ludicrous-ness of the comment "french fries are a vegetable" knock some sense back into me!   

May it begin to hit home with you too.  And if it hasn't, here's the nutritional value of one 9-ounce bag of frozen french fries:

If you still haven't seen any of the shows, click the title above for Episode 3, or go to http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/episode-guide/episode-103/411801

Picture from http://www.ryanseacrest.com/blog/food-revolution

"Message in a Bottle" Day 19

Watch the Good Morning America video bit from David de Rothschild from the Plastiki about some of the finds he's finding in the ocean here, 19 days in!


Click the title above, or go to http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Green/david-de-rothschild-sailing-australia-plastiki-boat-made/story?id=10300495

Picture from http://cocoecomag.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Plastiki004_600.jpg

Food For Thought, Part Trois

I completely feel like I'm on an endless expedition.

Not to mention, is it just me, or is it ironic that two 11-year old girls are the heart of a documentary called "What's on Your Plate"--a year's analysis of NYC's food system?  AND, they're essentially finding/drawing conclusions & attention to the same observations that Jamie Oliver is finding in Huntington, WV.  Plus, there's a USA first lady out there running a "Let's Move" campaign on obesity. 

And then there's Oprah Winfrey & Ryan Seacrest.  On the March 26, 2010 episode of "Oprah," Ryan Seacrest was there talking about his new project, my favorite, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."  Out of their conversation came the quote, "You have to believe in something greater than yourself, or you can never do anything greater than yourself."   As Ryan spoke out about being a little overweight at the age of 11 or so, he spoke strongly of Jamie Oliver's Mission.  Jamie too came on, speaking the same, even boldly stating that consistently feeding unhealthy food to children is akin to child abuse.  Jamie is hoping "to inspire American parents to have an opinion for themselves" and talking about how he hoped people would open their eyes and support both his and Michelle Obama's mission.

Here's the part of the program where I say environmentalism  (in every sense of the word) truly isn't about politics.  It doesn't matter if you are Republican or Democrat.  What matters is that we in America have a problem with obesity (among other things)...and it's starting younger and younger.  It's not just food, but inactivity, and the lifestyle we've developed here in America that's more "behind the screen [the TV, computer, PSP, etc]" than "out in the green." We can't argue this--it's out there in the CDC facts, these documentaries, these movements, and more.  Did anyone see "Wall-E?"  It was there, with the overweight humans riding their hovercrafts. 

So it's "out there"....and maybe even closer to you in your home.  So what? And "now what?"  To take action or gain information, check out one of the following:

• For a list of 62 great "Store Cupboard Essentials" compiled by Jamie Oliver for the Oprah show, go to http://static.oprah.com/pdf/store-cupboard-essentials-list.pdf

• To check out "What's on My Plate" click the title above or investigate http://www.whatsonyourplateproject.org/

• For Michelle Obama's anti-obesity site, go to http://www.letsmove.gov/%20

• Or rewatch "Wall-E" with a new vision.

Image from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilH6TUL47jDhMYIFu8C9ZXm4BcFC0VBAPPTy0twVv-jvYIs0oa8L0hU22DUyslG2IesRnU_VO2uvSae7-4h3dCTCjUF5EVDAfrLZsPeadZs4BsfT77Mm0bnz7Vzhzr0LU7Hheu2fpYtQ/s320/Fat+Human.jpg

Food For Thought, Part Deux

Reality shows aren't really my thing...however I've got to say, I'm hooked.

After taking on the UK's school lunch program, Jamie Oliver has now set his sights for Huntington, West Virginia.  Why here?  Huntington has received the moniker of "Unhealthiest City in America" with it's 50% obesity rate as well as the alarmingly high numbers of people there with diabetes and heart disease.  His goal?  Healthy lunches in all schools not only in Huntington, but beyond.  He's working on slimming down a very-overweight America, beginning with it's youngest consumers!

Click the title above (or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAo-DtS-tRc) to see what I find to be the most powerful 10 minute snippet of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" I've seen thus far.  This clip is from Episode 2, and it gives you a new perspective on chicken nuggets.  Watching a handful of 2nd or 3rd graders watch Jamie cut apart a roaster chicken and then use the carcass to make a chicken patty--and watching their reaction--is chilling.  It will make you think long and hard about eating processed "anything!"  In my opinion, watching this should be akin to required reading!

To find out more, get recipes, or sign the petition, go to http://www.jamieoliver.com/%20 .

To find out when to watch, go to http://abc.go.com/schedule.  (This week's episode 4 is scheduled to run this Friday at 9 pm EST on ABC.)  You can also find it at http://www.hulu.com/jamie-olivers-food-revolution .

Picture from http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/01/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-takes-on-americas-unhealthiest-city/ where you can see a different 2 minute promo/review of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution"

Food For Thought Part 1.5

Have an Egg-cellent Easter....from my side of  the planet to yours!

(Image à la my Easter basket!)

Food For Thought

Life = synchronicity.  Last weekend I watched the first 2 episodes of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," caught the first 10 minutes of "What's On Your Plate" and knew I needed to record it to watch, and added in a chaser of watching "Food, Inc." (the book of which is also on my bedside table).  Also, as I've been tracking the Plastiki (who, at this writing, is on Day 15 and 1,251 nautical miles into their journey), I find it interesting that their "Word of the Week" this week is "Food." 

Clearly, I have "Food" on the brain!

And let me tell you, with all of the viewing of the above mentioned shows, my eyes are still a little wide open from all of it.  Shock, horror, amazement wide-open.  I foresee "Food" being the word du jour for me awhile too.

If it's on your brain too, check out the following:

--Watch full episode of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution"  http://abc.go.com/watch/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/250784?cid=fullepisodeaccess

--Find out more about the movie "Food, Inc."   http://www.foodincmovie.com/

--Learn more about "What's on Your Plate:  The Documentary Film About Kids and Food Politics"  http://www.whatsonyourplateproject.org/

--Go to You Tube and search "Child Nutrition Act Celebrity PSA" and you'll find several endorsements like the one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmR6t7M7_5U&feature=PlayList&p=AA4DBE5ABC0FB623&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=6

--Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign pro-nutrition/anti-obesity  http://www.letsmove.gov/

Thanks to The Plastiki's Blog for the image  http://www.theplastiki.com/2010/03/word-of-the-week-food/

April's Green Team Gazette

April's Green Team Gazette "Earth Day Edition" is hot off the presses!  Find out about Sun Chips new compostable bag, play some Earth Day Jeopardy, or celebrate Jane Goodall's 75th bday!

Click the title above or go to website http://www.gics.org/Green%20Team%20Gazettes/Green%20Team%20Gazette%2004_10.pdf

The World is Our Oyster Part Deux

 

As with anything...timing is everything.  

2 days ago, my "guest blog" article "The World is Our Oyster" ran in http://blog.baybackpack.com/.  That day too at school, our science teacher Tim Decker gave my class a grand announcement:  Chesapeake Bay Foundation had an open-spot for today for us to release our oyster spat we'd been raising this year.  With a forecast for near 70 degrees, who could argue with that plan, even if it was only 2 days notice??  So dressed in our layers and life jackets, we met the boat at our dock for a day on the Magothy River.  

Oyster Graduation Day was here!

 

It was a full day!  With Captain Dave & Tiffany we talked phytoplankton & zooplankton, even "catching" some of the latter and taking a close-up look in some viewing scopes.  We trawled for fish, catching 7 perch (and returning them to sea, of course, but not until after we sketched their fins to learn more about what that tells us). During our ship-board picnic, we talked about the Plastiki & the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, and all we had to do was look around at the wealth that surrounded us to know why we needed to have a firm grasp on our chip bags, granola wraps & reusable containers!)

 

We listed all the critters we encountered along the way.  We donned binoculars to spy osprey & the bald eagle nest on Gibson Island...complete with a bald eagle perched nearby!  Some of my boys were remarking how they'd never ever seen one "live and in person."  This of course was a double treat as our students were still getting used to our 2-month old new name:  Eagle Cove School.

 

Then there were the oysters.  We measured the salinity, the dissolved oxygen, and found the right depth and the right hard shelled sea bottom of the river.  Then we said our goodbyes and sent the oysters overboard to join many others in the protected oyster sanctuary.  All the while, math skills were at play, as were our spelling, map reading, critical thinking, and teamwork skills.

Did you know that one adult oyster can filter about 50 gallons of water in one day?  To learn even more about oysters, click on the title above to visit Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Oyster Fact Sheet (or go to http://www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=511).  

Yep, the world was our oyster once again today! 

From Light To Dark

Great Earth Hour Pics!  Click the pics at the title link or at http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/03/earth_hour_2010.html and watch the lights fade!

Pictues from http://assets.wwf.org.uk/img/wwf_s_earth_hour_lightwriting_at_giants_causeway_2_7484.jpg

The World is Our Oyster

I was asked to be a guest blogger by www.baybackpack.com (which is an excellent resource for teachers for learning resources about the Chesapeake Bay area).  The article below is what you will find at http://blog.baybackpack.com/

The World is Our Oyster

March 29th, 2010 by Vicki

Fourth and fifth graders wade into the river to get ready for their oyster cage delivery.

There’s no where I’d rather be than where I am—teaching third grade at Eagle Cove School (formerly Gibson Island Country School) in Pasadena, Maryland. Not only do I have an fabulous view of the Magothy River out of my classroom window (where on clear days I can even see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge), but I know that I’m in an amazing school dedicated to the environment. As a Maryland Green School since 2006, Eagle Cove School provides so many opportunities to our preK to 5th grade students.

Pre-K students unload their oyster cages from Magothy River Association's boat.

At Eagle Cove School, we recycle everything Anne Arundel County does, with bins in every class room right next to near-empty waste baskets. As a school community we also recycle batteries, cell phones, printer cartridges, and burnt-out compact-fluorescent light bulbs for our parent body.  On campus have rain barrels painted in art class as well as bird houses and fish observation tanks built in science class.  Students have hiked our nature trail, seined the river, and built rain gardens and a geodesic dome greenhouse.  We raise oysters, eels, terrapins, and bay grasses to be returned to the Chesapeake Bay.  We watch butterfly eggs turn to caterpillars, then chrysalises, then to monarchs in our butterfly garden.  It is hard to be in this setting, building these habits and having these experiences, and not be active toward our environment.

During Eagle Cove's Third Grade field trip students released their oysters back into the river.

The world truly is our oyster in 3rd grade. After a-half-dozen years of being affiliated with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Oyster Gardening Program, it has been our third grade tradition to help raise oysters and return these natural filters to the Bay. All year long, students raise oyster spat, weekly checking the water’s temperature, salinity, and clarity while also measuring, monitoring, and charting the spat’s growth. Donning life jackets, students trek down to the dock each week to tend to this routine chore—but hardly a chore it is seen to be!

The third graders return from a hard day's work cleaning up the bay one little oyster at a time.

To culminate this year long activity of nurturing our oyster babies, we go on a full-day field trip in the spring which begins at our school dock. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s captain and first mate onboard-educators pick us up by boat and take us out on the Magothy River. Once on the water, our guides have us navigating maps, searching for signs of diversified wildlife, and finding all the right oyster-loving conditions—all the while sea spray hits us as we go.
The pinnacle of the trip is using our water condition data that we collect as we go to drop anchor and release our ready oysters out to sea. It’s an exuberant “oysters be free” moment of thrusting the oysters overboard by the handful. In my 18 years of teaching, it is by far the best, most exhilarating field trip I have ever attended!
For this year’s third graders it will be especially meaningful in that the first Friday of our school year, the entire school body united with the Magothy River Association to take part in the “Marylanders Grow Oysters” Program through the Department of Natural Resources and the Oyster Recovery Partnership. Our school was one of the pickup points for Marylanders to get their own oyster spat. Of course, to be a pick up point, we had to first get the 320 cages off trucks, down to the dock, and placed on pallets in the river for 2 weeks until the pickup date. Amazing how quickly that can take place when you have a whole community of school children (even the youngest 3 and 4 year olds) ready to step right up and do their part!
As we soak up nature from the campus that surrounds us at Eagle Cove, we learn both as students and as teachers. The world is our oyster, and we take advantage of it every day! No doubt, the planet will benefit from the budding citizens that make up our Eagle Cove’s student body.
Additional Resources:

• Oyster Teaching Resources – Bay Backpack
• Eagle Cove School’s Environmental Program
• Oyster Gardening Program – Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Gibson Island School: Synergy at Work – Maryland Gazette Article

Filed under: School Spotlight
Tags: Green School, oyster, student action

Vicki Dabrowka is a Third Grade Teacher and Co-“Green Team” Leader at Eagle Cove School in Pasadena, Maryland. She is also the author of “The Green Team Gazette,” a blog on green living & green educating.

Daylight Peeks Back at Last Night's Earth Hour

 A day later, in the light of day, the Earth Hour numbers start coming in.

• On the Supporter map on Earth Hour's website, 5,665,278 supporters signed up world-wide. (http://www.earthhour.org/SupportersMap.aspx)  
•  Earth Hour's Facebook fans numbered 338,816 followers
• 126 countries/regions including over 4,000 cities/towns/municipalities on all 7 of the continents took part in the hour of darkness to support climate change.
• 1,387 iconic landmarks diminished their lights (like the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids at Gaza, and The Sydney Opera House)

And from http://earthhour.panda.org/photos/category/participation, here are just a smattering of the countries/cities connected based solely on the photos that were uploaded. What a global smorgasbord! Click on any of the names below to go to those pics!

Abu Dhabi * ALBANIA * Albany * Amman * Amsterdam * Antananarivo * ARGENTINA * ARMENIA * ATHENS * Atlanta * Auckland * Australia * B.C.S. * Baja California Sur * Bandar Seri Begawan * Beijing * Belfast * BOLIVIA *Brasília * BRAZIL * brighton * Brisbane * BRUNEI DARUSSALAM * Bucharest *Buenos Aires * BULGARIA * Busan * Cairo * Campo Grande * Canada * CANCUN * Cape Town * Capetown * cardiff * Casablanca * Celje * Central * Chatham Islands * Chengdu *Chiang Mai * Chicago * China * Colombo * Curitiba * CYPRUS * Druskininkai * Dubai * Dunedin * ECUADOR * Edinburgh * EGYPT * EL SALVADOR * ESTONIA * Falkirk * Fiji * Forbidden City * France * Fujairah * Garapan * Glasgow * GREECE * GUATEMALA * Guatemala City * Guayaquil * Halifax * Hamilton * Hiroshima * Hong Kong * INDIA * INDONESIA * INVERNESS * İstanbul * ITALY * Jakarta * JAPAN *JORDAN * Khon Khen * KhonKhen * Kiev * KOREA * KOSOVO * La Antigua Guatemala * La Paz * LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC * Las Vegas * LATVIA * Lima * Lithuania * London * Los Angeles * MADAGASCAR * Madrid * Melbourne * Mexico * Mexico City * MOROCCO * Moscow * NETHERLANDS * new delhi * New York City * New Zealand * Niagara Falls * Nicosia * NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS * NORWAY * Oslo * Ottawa * Paris * Patras * Perth * PERU * PLURINATIONAL STATE OF * Pristina * Puerto Ayora Santa Cruz Galapagos * PUERTO RICO * Quito * Riga * Rincon * ROMANIA * Rome * RUSSIAN FEDERATION * SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS * san salvador * Santa Cruz * Santa Cruz Galapagos * Scotland * Seattle * Sheffield * Singapore * SLOVENIA * Sofia * South Africa * Spain * SRI LANKA * St Andrews * St. Louis * Stockholm * Suva * SWEDEN *SWITZERLAND * Sydney * Tartu * THAILAND * Thessaloniki * Tokyo * Toronto * Tsim Sha Tsui * TURKEY * UKRAINE * UNITED ARAB EMIRATES * United Kingdom * United States * Vancouver * Velenje * Vientiane * Washington DC * Wellington * Yerevan * Zuerich * Zurich

 

(The view from our house, Earth Hour 2010.)