Green Teacher 61, Summer 2000

Building with Straw...pp.8-13.
by Gilbert Di Santo
A resilient and annually renewable material, the humble straw bale is enjoying a revival in building construction and a debut in education. This lead article also features complete instructions for building the quintessential introductory project: a straw bale bench. In addition, four short companion articles describe youth built straw bale building projects, two in Canada, and two in the United States.

 

Measuring Your School's Ecological Footprint... pp.14-19.
by Julie Sawchuk and Tim Cameron
A two-part activity for determining the environmental impact of high schools and exploring routes to greener, more sustainable practices.

 

Discouraging Vandalism in Schoolyard Habitats ... pp.20-22
by Beth Stout
This article provides useful ideas that emphasize thoughtful design and community support to help keep your schoolyard off the hit list.

Getting an Early Start: Young Children and the Natural Environment... pp.23-24.
by Ruth A. Wilson
Children are never too young to begin learning about the natural world. The author offers some guidelines for getting started.

Climate Change: Good for Us?... pp.25-27.
by Jackie Oblak
An activity designed to encourage students to consider objectively how various changes in climate could affect their daily lives and influence the economy in their region.

The Numbered Forest... pp.28-29.
by Emily Kissner
Numbering the trees in the schoolyard or a nearby woodland opens the door to a variety of mapping, mathematics and environmental monitoring activities.

Valley Quest: Educational Treasure Hunts... pp.30-34.
by David Sobel
Community treasure hunts promote an appreciation of local heritage and land.

Planet Earth Pages: Patterns in Nature... pp.35-37.
by Paul DeCampo, Cheryl Dixon, Emily Kissner, Sue Thera
This issue's Planet Earth Pages feature activities that explore the great variety of patterns in nature. Because patterns are all around us, they are an excellent concept to use to integrate subjects. The activities are presented in three grade level categories, but there may well be activities in one of the adjacent age categories that can be adapted to your class. (You can find the complete text of this issue's Planet Earth Pages by clicking "On-line Articles" at our main page.)

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