The Green Teacher magazine, North American edition, has been published since 1991 by Gail Littlejohn and Tim Grant, high school teachers from Ontario. The magazine has an strong environmental focus. As described on their website www.greenteacher.com, "each issue of Green Teacher offers perspectives on the role of education in creating a sustainable future, practical cross-curricular activities for various grade levels, and reviews of the latest teaching resources."
The subscription fee is modest for four issues a year and to further decrease your environmental footprint, an electronic subscription is available or you can opt for a paper version, or both. Back issues are available to order or ask at your local library to see if they carry Green Teacher. A sample of the magazine can be viewed on their website, as well as some of the activities that have appeared in the magazine www.greenteacher.com/articles.html.
Check it out.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
One Ocean
David Suzuki's One Ocean is an elaborate website, http://oneocean.cbc.ca . You can watch the 4 part series online which aired in March 2010, play the online game "The Biosphere", take the One Ocean Pledge, delve into the depths or the past, or take an ocean tour using Google Earth.
The One Ocean Pledge has information about ocean issues and lets you develop your own pledge to protect oceans. "The Earth's ocean and atmosphere are closely linked, making the ocean part of our lives no matter where we live. Everything we do on land has an effect on our immense global ocean. Do your part to make better choices. Pledge to make a difference."
Why only one ocean? Aren't there five oceans? Alan Villiers, author of Oceans of the World published in 1963 explains: "The sea is One - unified, world-embracing. It is in fact one ocean - one ocean with five great names and a thousand little ones. There is no real boundary to any sea, save continental land. The waters mingle everywhere and the names are geographic, for convenience only."
By protecting the ocean, right whales may have a chance to recover from a species teetering on the brink. With a little over 400 right whales in the North Atlantic, they are critically endangered. Compared to southern right whales who are successfully rebuilding their population after protection from whaling, North Atlantic right whales face enormous challenges living along and in an industrialized coastline. North Pacific right whales are probably in a much worse state because of illegal whaling which extended in to the 1960s, even though they were protected from whaling since the 1930s.
The One Ocean Pledge has information about ocean issues and lets you develop your own pledge to protect oceans. "The Earth's ocean and atmosphere are closely linked, making the ocean part of our lives no matter where we live. Everything we do on land has an effect on our immense global ocean. Do your part to make better choices. Pledge to make a difference."
Why only one ocean? Aren't there five oceans? Alan Villiers, author of Oceans of the World published in 1963 explains: "The sea is One - unified, world-embracing. It is in fact one ocean - one ocean with five great names and a thousand little ones. There is no real boundary to any sea, save continental land. The waters mingle everywhere and the names are geographic, for convenience only."
By protecting the ocean, right whales may have a chance to recover from a species teetering on the brink. With a little over 400 right whales in the North Atlantic, they are critically endangered. Compared to southern right whales who are successfully rebuilding their population after protection from whaling, North Atlantic right whales face enormous challenges living along and in an industrialized coastline. North Pacific right whales are probably in a much worse state because of illegal whaling which extended in to the 1960s, even though they were protected from whaling since the 1930s.
Marinebio.org
Marinebio.org is a diverse site that has multitudes of resources from over 3000 species descriptions to information about careers in Marine Biology to quizzes to videos.
Under Marine Conservation, they have a list of 100 Ways to make a Difference and remind you to "Keep things in perspective. Be mindful of the big problems, but focus on solving them through the little things you can do everyday to help reduce them". They divide the actions into several categories:
Under Marine Conservation, they have a list of 100 Ways to make a Difference and remind you to "Keep things in perspective. Be mindful of the big problems, but focus on solving them through the little things you can do everyday to help reduce them". They divide the actions into several categories:
- What you can do to protect the oceans
- Things you can do inside the home
- Things you can do outside
- Food for thought
- Make it a lifestyle
The marine conservation section covers many topics that affect right whales. There is also a species fact sheet and a few photos.
Blue School Program
A great resource for teachers can be found at www.wildeducation.org and their Blue School program www.wildeducation.org/program/blue_school/oceneduc.asp The Blue School initiative began in 1998 for the International Year of the Ocean and is part of the Wild School initiative.
Their overview states: "If there's just one lesson to learn from our extraordinary Ocean Education program it's that all of us are ocean creatures. Marine ecosystems are critical to the well-being of every life form on this blue planet. No matter where we live, from the dampest shorelands and marshlands to the direst grasslands and timberlands, our everyday actions impact on the oceans that give us life."
Students can download the Canadian Wildlife Federation Ocean Day class-room ready thematic units and learn more about the oceans. Ocean Day is June 8.
Or after meeting one or more of specific criteria students can register their school as a Blue School or join a network of other Blue Schools. Limited funding is also available on a classroom or school basis to help "with the purchase of non-capital equipment and supplies needed specifically for Ocean Education projects".
Their overview states: "If there's just one lesson to learn from our extraordinary Ocean Education program it's that all of us are ocean creatures. Marine ecosystems are critical to the well-being of every life form on this blue planet. No matter where we live, from the dampest shorelands and marshlands to the direst grasslands and timberlands, our everyday actions impact on the oceans that give us life."
Students can download the Canadian Wildlife Federation Ocean Day class-room ready thematic units and learn more about the oceans. Ocean Day is June 8.
Or after meeting one or more of specific criteria students can register their school as a Blue School or join a network of other Blue Schools. Limited funding is also available on a classroom or school basis to help "with the purchase of non-capital equipment and supplies needed specifically for Ocean Education projects".
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Earth Hour - March 27, 8:30 PM local time
Earth Hour is fast coming upon us. http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx Log on to the official site (for Canada http://wwf.ca/earthhour/) and count yourself in. It is a small thing to do to help the environment and once a year is a small sacrifice but if you build it into your daily lives, more lights can be turned off and appliances unplugged, etc.
The less energy we use, the less need there is for tidal, wind, hydo or other traditional power mega-projects in remote areas including places like the Bay of Fundy, a critical habitat for the North Atlantic right whale.
Can't turn off your lights, convert them to LED which uses even less energy than the compact fluorescent light bulbs.
The less energy we use, the less need there is for tidal, wind, hydo or other traditional power mega-projects in remote areas including places like the Bay of Fundy, a critical habitat for the North Atlantic right whale.
Can't turn off your lights, convert them to LED which uses even less energy than the compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Live Blue Pledge
The New England Aquarium right whale research team has been studying right whales in the Bay of Fundy since 1980. The Aquarium has added a new feature, their Live Blue Initiative Pledge, http://liveblueinitiative.org/
Visit the site and make an “I live blue because” pledge for right whales. You can pick your own spot to protect in the Bay of Fundy (where right whales feed, socialize and also bring their calves) or the Southeastern United States (where right whales have their calves) or both places. They state: “Your pledge to live blue will help protect the calving, feeding and nursery grounds of the world’s most endangered species, the North Atlantic right whale.”
The pledge can be simple, such as walking or biking to work or school, recycling or buying locally. And remember to follow through on your pledge. Every little bit counts.
Visit the site and make an “I live blue because” pledge for right whales. You can pick your own spot to protect in the Bay of Fundy (where right whales feed, socialize and also bring their calves) or the Southeastern United States (where right whales have their calves) or both places. They state: “Your pledge to live blue will help protect the calving, feeding and nursery grounds of the world’s most endangered species, the North Atlantic right whale.”
The pledge can be simple, such as walking or biking to work or school, recycling or buying locally. And remember to follow through on your pledge. Every little bit counts.
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