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Volume 2, No. 17                     4 April, 2003

[To view this newsletter on line:
http://www.emck.net/eline/03_04_04.htm.]
Don't forget...
...for 2003! Look to the Kentucky Teacher Academies Webpage for more information.

Earth Flag on the South PoleEarth Day 2003

Like a lot of significant events in history, Earth Day is not without controversy. Two competing Earth Days were both first celebrated in 1970. Established in San Francisco by political and environmental activist John McConnell, one occurs on the vernal equinox, March 22, as a celebration of planet Earth's position in the cosmos. Mr. McConnell is credited with the design of the Earth Flag (visible at left as it appeared in the South Pole Millennium Expedition of 2000). Here's a printable version of the flag in PDF format. Mr. McConnell's day is generally called International Earth Day, and ceremonies are often based at the United Nations.

The second - originally titled "Environmental Teach-In" and occurring on April 22 - was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Here's a kid-friendly history on KidsDomain. (Watch out for pop-up ads! See Software Resources below.) It was this celebration that ultimately came to be embraced by schools as Earth Day - an opportunity for educators to discuss the Environment, global conservation, resource management, food production, and other global interests. There are literally thousands of resources online tied to the interests of Earth Day.

On-line Lesson Planning Earth Day NetworkEarth Day Network

http://www.earthday.net/

The not-for-profit foundation Earth Day Network is chaired by Senator Nelson's original Earth Day coordinator, Denis Hayes. On their site are resources specifically for educators - registration is required, but is free, as are all materials. A former Carnegie Mellon EarthLinkUniversity freshman created EnviroLink, whose Earth Day page provides a calendar of Earth Day events (look to the bottom of the calendar page for a by-location list link).
Content Area Resources
The Arts

Earth Day Groceries ProjectEarth Day Groceries Project


http://www.earthdaybags.org/

Authentic, hands-on, relevant, community-based - it's all here! Now in its 10th year, the Earth Day Groceries Project is a simple idea - a collaboration between students and any local grocery store to use student-decorated paper grocery bags spreading the Earth Day message of thoughtful resource use! Great as a interdisciplinary project!
Mathematics

Our Growing PlanetOur Growing Planet

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lesson-plans/lesson-7779.html

This PDF-format article is provided by the National Science Teacher's Association. It includes several excellent lesson ideas appropriate to the mathematics and science classroom. It's aimed at K-6, but could easily be used for older kids as well. (The article is not free on NSTA's site, but it is on TeacherVision's - just watch out for their pop-up ads! See Software Sources below.) [editor's note: the PDF now requires registration with TeacherVision, but is still free, 7/5/04.]
Reading Kid's DomainWhat Can I Do?

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/cando.html

Here's a story by a student, Kim Moon, around the subject of involvement in Earth Day. There's a set of reading comprehension questions linked at the bottom of this page, making this a quick reading assignment. (Watch out for pop-up ads! See Software Sources below.)
Science

The SunWindows to the Universe

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/

Sponsored by the non-profit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, this wonderful resource has loads of stuff for teachers, plus streaming videos of the sun and other heavenly bodies, some in real time. The site allows you to select between "Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced." Here's a Sun-Earth Day page with masses of resources and media!
Social Studies LetsNetEarth Day Trash Survey

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/letsnet/noframes/subjects/ss/b4u3.html

Courtesy of the Computer Technology Laboratory of Michigan State University's LetsNet Project, here's a good math/social studies integration unit based on collecting and inventorying trash, and using the data to draw inferences.  It comes complete with objectives, standards, and a series of lessons with resources.
Writing Earth FoundationEarth Foundation Projects

http://www.earthfound.com/resources/

This cluster of lessons (one based on a scavenger hunt, the other on recycled paper) could be used in a number of other content areas. We've included it here because there are several suggestions for writing - letters to the editor, persuasive writing, reporting. Provided by Earth Foundation, a web project based in Houston, with all proceeds going to rainforest land acquisition.
Software Sources SnapFilesPop-up Ad Killers from SnapFiles

http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/misctools/fwpopblock.html

It's official - the Internet has gotten irritating! Many free resource sites (including TeacherVision and KidsDomain above) finance their services through pop-up and pop-behind ads. Free pop-up ad killers (small programs that simply suppress such windows as they are formed, thereby saving bandwidth as well as irritation) are now readily available, and SnapFiles has provided this page of freeware ad killers for download, with evaluations. Warning: The Help Desk has not used any of these products. Our challenge to you, the members of The Help Desk community: download, install, and use any, and let us know what you think!

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