MEECS Air Quality: Five full lessons on Michigan Air Quality are available via the Michigan GoOpen platform.

• Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media

Air Quality Monitoring

• MiAir Air Quality Monitoring Data
• EGLE's Air Monitoring Sites
• EPA.gov/Students: Quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas for learning and teaching about the environment
• EPA's Air Quality Index Toolkit for Teachers - Activities around air quality for Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-8
• EPA's AirNow Air Quality Flag Program for schools includes activities and classroom curriculum for grades K-12 as well as an activity for a Girl Scout Cadettes Journey
• "Why is Coco Orange?" Picture Book - Coco has a problem. He's a chameleon, but he can't change colors, and his asthma is acting up. Read how Coco and his friends at Lizard Lick Elementary solve this mystery as they learn about air quality and how to stay healthy when the air quality is bad. This book is for all children, especially those with asthma, and their caretakers. Ages 4-8.

Radon

• EGLE: Radon - EGLE site for local information, a radon activity book for kids, sources for test kits, and more.
• RadTown: Student and Teacher Radon Resources from EPA

Open Burning in Michigan
"Open burning" is the burning of unwanted materials such as paper, trees, brush, leaves, grass, and other debris where smoke and other emissions are released directly into the air. During open burning, air pollutants do not pass through a chimney or stack.

• Wood Smoke Activity Book for kids by EPA's BurnWise Program

Ozone & Fine Particulates

• EGLE meteorologists explain: What are Clean Air Action Days?
• EGLE's Ozone and Fine Particulate real time data maps
• West Michigan Clean Air Coalition shares coloring books and air quality lesson plans for teachers around the Air Quality Flag program, the Air Quality Index, and Clean Air Action days

Climate Resources

MEECS Climate Change Unit: Fourteen full lessons on the impacts of climate change in Michigan are available via the Michigan GoOpen platform
Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media

Climate Kids is a NASA affiliated website used as a fun education resource for children to easily understand climate change and other environmental issues. It includes games, short videos, information about common green careers and green technologies, and other environmental topics kids can learn about. There is also an Educator Resources section with interactive activities to help families and teachers explain these topics to children.

NOAA’s Toolbox for teaching Climate and Energy provides supporting resources and programs for those who want to teach climate and energy science.

• Interact with climate projections using NOAA’s Climate Explorer
• NASA Global Climate and Energy Resources: To increase awareness and interest in climate science, NASA has developed a series of educator resources for all grades:
• Grades K-5: Guide to Climate Change for Kids
• Grades 5-12: Graphing Global Temperature Trends
• Grades 9-12: Future Temperature Projections Unit
• Learn about climate resilience, view climate maps and data, and explore resilience case studies with the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network – Free teaching resources, curated by scientists, designed to step students through the key principles of climate and energy. For grades K-12 through college.

 

Energy Resources

MEECS Energy Unit: Eight full lessons on Michigan’s Energy sources, uses, and conservation are available via the Michigan GoOpen Platform

• Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media

DTE Virtual Wind and Solar Park Field Trip - The 27-minute virtual field trip takes students to Michigan’s largest wind and solar parks to help students learn about how these clean energy technologies work and the important role they play in helping reduce carbon emissions.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Energy Kids program provides energy related stories, hands-on activities, and research articles for your classroom! These curriculum-based lessons are separated by age-grade.

The PBS Energy Lab investigates what energy is, how it can be converted into useful forms, and why some sources are running low.



The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Educator Resources page offers videos, 360 degree virtual tours, curriculum, coloring books, and other educational resources in English and Spanish.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Program works with National Energy Education Development (NEED)  to provide free, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned curriculum on energy topics. Explore resources by grade level or by topic on the NEED Educator Resources page.

• Topics include: the science of energy, energy sources, transportation, climate science, energy efficiency, and careers in energy.

rEV Education provides an electric vehicle (EV) education program designed to educate students on the benefits of EVs through a STEM-based multimedia curriculum.

• Students can participate in the national level rEV Challenge, creating a video to compel their friends and family to learn more about the benefits and technology of EVs. Two Michigan students won national awards in 2022!

Square One Network's Innovative Vehicle Design Challenges engage students in active engineering practices as they design and build a variety of electric vehicles from miniature to full size.

By participating in the Michigan Battle of the Buildings, schools can compete with other buildings across the state to see who can reduce their energy usage by the greatest amount in this friendly competition that encourages energy-efficient practices.

Sustainability Fact Sheets - University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems maintains a set of peer-reviewed factsheets that cover important patterns of use, life cycle impacts and sustainable solutions around topics including energy, water, food, waste, buildings, materials, and transportation systems.

 

MEECS Land Use Unit: Eight full lessons around the classification, use, and restoration of Michigan land resources are available via Michigan's GoOpen Platform.

• Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media

Ecosystem Services

• MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity Unit: Ten full lessons around the biodiversity of Michigan/s ecosystems are available via Michigan's GoOpen Platform.
• Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media
• EnviroAtlas Educational Resources from EPA - EnviroAtlas provides geospatial data, easy-to-use tools, and other resources related to ecosystem services, their chemical and non-chemical stressors, and human health. EPA developed interactive and hands-on lessons for grades K-12 around watersheds, ecosystem services, land use, ecosystems and humans health, and more, all using EnviroAtlas as a research tool. Find full lesson plans, case studies, and lesson videos at epa.gov/enviroatlas.

Contaminated Site Cleanup

• Cleaning up contaminated land: Learn about how EGLE works to clean up contaminated land in this short presentation.
• Brownfield Flip: This short YouTube playlist provides examples of how EGLE partners with communities across Michigan to clean up contaminated sites and turn them into community assets.
• Michigan Invasive Species: EGLE, Michigan DNR, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) collaborate on invasive species awareness and management. Learn how to identify and report invasive species, as well as the impacts they have on Michigan ecosystems.
• Michigan DNR's Nature at School programs provide a deep dive into many of Michigan's land and water resources for students in grades 3-12.
• Learn about Michigan Sand Dunes from DNR Interpreters at Hoffmaster State Park.

Hazardous Waste 101 – Learn what is a hazardous waste under Michigan’s environmental laws, how it has to be handled, and what laws apply to hazardous waste generated by businesses in Michigan.

Scrap Tires

EGLE:  Scrap Tires – Learn how scrap tires are being recycled.  Check out Into the Outdoors video on recycling tires and featuring EGLE.

Storm Debris

EGLE’s new Storm Recovery page helps property owners learn how to safely manage storm debris. 

MEECS Water Quality Unit: Nine full lessons on Michigan’s Water Quality are available via the Michigan GoOpen Platform

• Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media

The Michigan Water Stewardship Program
is a partnership of organizations led by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that provides educational assistance to Michigan's residents to identify and reduce contamination risks to water and other natural resources. The website features easy-to-find resources for a variety of ages from pre-school to adult on a wide range of water topics.

The Freshwater Literacy and Stewardship Playbook
was developed by the MiSTEM Network and the Office of the Great Lakes to cultivate environmental literacy and the capacity for stewardship of lakes, rivers, streams, and other freshwater bodies in K-12 students and educators. This resource helps educators, administrators, and community organizations establish a persistent practice of place-based education focused on freshwater resources and stewardship.

The Great Lakes Literacy Principles
provide a framework for educators teaching about the Great Lakes, helping teachers and students think about the Great Lakes as a system, rather than a set of unrelated parts. Thinking systemically can provide a greater understanding and help identify solutions to the issues threatening the region.

The Michigan Invasive Species Program is a partnership between EGLE, MDNR, and MDARD that provides resources around identification and reporting of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species.

• Be sure to also check out EGLE’s Invasive Species Playlist on YouTube and NotMISpecies Webinar Series to learn more about how to identify and prevent invasive species!

NOAA Education curates a wealth of resources
for watershed, water quality, and stewardship education for the Great Lakes Region.

• Educators can learn and practice the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) with students using these resources from NOAA.

Great Lakes NOW: Resource for Teaching
offers a collection of lesson plans that engage students with the science and study of the Great Lakes.

Michigan SeaGrant provides a host of educational resources focusing on the Great Lakes from educator training programs to lesson plans and youth activities.

Teaching Great Lakes Science
is a resource offered by Michigan SeaGrant and the Center for Great Lakes Literacy with a suite of lessons, activities, and data sets focused on the Great Lakes targeted for 4^th-12^th grades

An outstanding network of environmental education professionals exists in the state of Michigan. EGLE Classroom participates in and supports environmental education partners working statewide, including:

Professional Organizations

Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education: This statewide professional organization supports, inspires and empowers a diverse network of individuals with a passion for environmental and outdoor learning. MAEOE also administers Michigan’s Environmental Educator Certification program.

Michigan Science Teachers Association: MSTA aids and informs its members of current issues and trends in science education. It provides opportunities for teachers to present their own materials and to interact with other science teachers at an annual conference, informs members of new developments at district, state, national, and international levels, and provides mini grants for activities that foster science education and/or teacher development.

Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association: MESTA provides support to Earth and Space Science teachers through an annual conference, classroom specimens of rocks and minerals, monetary awards and mini-grants for member teachers, and a quarterly journal (The Michigan Earth Scientist).

Educator Support Networks

Environmental Fridays: Environmental Fridays is a free online guest lecture series for high school and early college students. Speakers include university professors, environmental consultants, environmental activists, environmental attorneys and government experts from the United States, Caribbean and around the world. Topics include climate change; air, water, and soil pollution; Environmental Justice; environmental health and more. An emphasis on real-world examples to inspire and influence future career choices is included.

Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative: The GLSI is a network of teachers and community partners that develops knowledgeable and active stewards of the Great Lakes and their ecosystems through place-based studies and explorations in local communities. The initiative’s approach to teaching and learning results in vibrant, hands-on experiences that increase student achievement and help young Michigan residents become lifelong stewards of the environment.

Great Lakes Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science: GLEAMS is a network of educators including classroom teachers, non-formal educators, and higher education professionals, scientists, stakeholders, and community members interested in Great Lakes education. Members work together to promote Great Lakes education and stewardship efforts to diverse groups throughout the Great Lakes watershed and beyond.

MiSTEM Network: MiSTEM convenes a statewide network of leaders in education, business and local communities to prepare learners for the vital, high-demand careers of the future and to empower the next generation of innovators. The goal is to create a vibrant STEM ecosystem that ultimately leads to more engaged students and a stronger Michigan workforce.