Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA’s Make a Difference Campaign seeks to educate middle school students about steps they can take to promote resource conservation and environmental protection. The campaign includes Your Life, Your World, Your Choices, a kit that helps guide students in making informed, environmentally aware decisions. The kit includes posters, booklets, flyers, and brochures, many available in Spanish, as well as a CD-ROM with 275 EPA publications on solid waste. The print materials cover everything from “green-scaping” the yard, to “green shopping,” to tracing the life cycle of a cell phone. To obtain the kit, go to http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/education/teach_curric.htm, and scroll down to the “Make a Difference” section.

The President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) recognize K–12 students across America for projects that demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Individual students, classes, or youth groups, sponsored by an adult, submit completed projects to their local EPA regional office. Awards are presented in each of the EPA's regions, and one project from each region will receive a national award in Washington, D.C. Guidelines and deadlines are available at http://epa.gov/enviroed/awards.html.

This 15-minute video, appropriate for grades four and up, explores the problems that can be caused by shallow disposal systems, a source of dangerous industrial chemicals that can contaminate community wells. In the video, citizens and local officials from Great Falls, Virginia; Española, New Mexico; and Missoula, Montana, discuss their efforts to maintain a clean, safe water supply. The video is available in either English or Spanish. Request a free copy at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/videos.html.

Nonpoint source pollution (also known as polluted runoff) comes from rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground and carrying with it pollutants that eventually wind up in waterways and underground sources of drinking water. Because this type of pollution results from various human behaviors that can be changed, the EPA has created seven lessons that can help middle school students understand the problem and do what they can to remedy it.
Lessons consist of several separate activities that take about 45 minutes to complete, and they feature correlations to standards, vocabulary lists, activity sheets, and links to related websites. Titles include “Whatzzzzup-Stream?” and “Stop Pointless Personal Pollution.” View and download the lesson materials at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/nps_edu/index.html.

This interactive website offers a range of educational activities, including individual and group project ideas; information on awards, careers, internships, and scholarships; and numerous links to related resources. Children in grades preK–4 may also join the Kids Club, which fosters interest in the environment and guides students in doing environmental projects. Membership is free and includes a membership card, certificate, and access to games, pictures, and stories on http://www.epa.gov/kids.

Radiation is a part of everyday life, from x-rays at the doctor’s office to laser lightshows at the stadium. In recognition of that fact, the EPA has launched a new website, RadTown USA, located at http://www.epa.gov/radtown. The site conveys basic information on radiation in the environment by examining an animated town. RadTown is a virtual community featuring a school, a stadium, a construction site, a plane flying overhead, a passing train, and other elements to highlight and explain common sources of radiation. The information is organized in a series of easy-to-understand fact sheets, with links to additional resources. Every fact sheet presents the types of radiation sources at a given location; the important roles that federal, state, and local governments play in protecting citizens and monitoring radiation; and steps that individuals can take to protect themselves, such as applying sunblock or installing household radon detectors. Resources for additional information are also included.

Climate CHECK, a step-by-step greenhouse gas inventory tool for schools, has a climate-change curriculum built in. Designed primarily for high schools, Climate CHeck allows students to investigate the connections among everyday actions at their school, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change; they can then conceptualize ways to mitigate their school’s impact on the environment and can even submit the results of their school’s emission inventory to the school district. For more information, see http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html.