EPA Resources for Educators
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with protecting human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people. The EPA leads the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. Compiled below are EPA-related resources we hope you will find useful.
Some general sites to get you started:
EE Link
EE-Link, Environmental Education on the Internet, is a resource designed to support students, teachers and professionals that support K-12 environmental education.
Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP)
This site offers educators information, resources, and links for promoting academic achievement and environmental literacy. EETAP is a national leader in the delivery of environmental education training for education professionals. EETAP Program Materials contains a list of key resource materials produced under EETAP. The links will direct you to Office of Environmental Education's resources page where detailed instructions for viewing, downloading, or ordering copies are provided.
Envirofacts Data Warehouse
This website provides access to several EPA databases to provide you with information about environmental activities that may affect air, water, and land anywhere in the United States.
EPA Publications Available for Order
This site contains a list of free EPA educational documents you may wish to order. Although not a complete list, these are publications that have proven popular with teachers.
National Environmental Education and Training Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1990, The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) is a private non-profit organization dedicated to advancing environmental education in its many forms.
The EPA’S Teaching Center
This site targets both formal and non-formal educators who wish to teach about the environment. It offers background information on a variety of topics, lesson plans, and activities that work in and out of the classroom.
Visual resources:
“After the Storm” VHS Television Program
Originally premiering on The Weather Channel on February 4, 2004, this half hour program about watersheds was co-produced by the EPA and The Weather Channel. VHS copies of this program are available from the EPA at no charge.
Endangered Species Protection Program Poster
Loss of a single species from its ecosystem affects others that rely on it. The disappearance of one plant species may affect an entire food chain. Over 1,000 different species in the United States are listed as endangered or threatened. Order this poster to educate your students!
Estuary Live
EstuaryLive, as part of National Estuaries Day, annually offers free live Internet field trips to five different estuaries around the country. Designed as interactive for classrooms, this program can be viewed by anyone.
Journey to Planet Earth Television Series and Resources
Narrated and hosted by Matt Damon, The Journey to Planet Earth is billed as a “voyage of discovery about the planet we inhabit.” The Journey to Planet Earth companion website features resources for educators, including a comprehensive learning experience on global environmental change and our health.
Regional Educational Resources:
EPA Regional Environmental Education Coordinators
This site contains the names and email addresses of the EPA’s regional EE coordinators.
EPA Grants and Awards :
Environmental Education Grants Program
The Grants Program sponsored by EPA’s Office of Environmental Education supports environmental education projects that enhance the public’s awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality.
President’s Environmental Youth Awards
Since 1971, EPA has recognized young people across America for projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Young people in all 50 states and the U.S. territories are invited to participate in the program.
EPA Opportunities for Schools and Classrooms:
Acid Rain Sourcebook
Acid rain is a serious environmental problem that affects large parts of the US and Canada. This site provides information about acid rain's causes and effects, how we measure acid rain, and what is being done to solve the problem.
Air Defenders
Air Defenders is a community education resource about open burning, air quality and asthma. In this section of the Air Defenders Web site, specifically for teachers, you'll find ways to incorporate this environmentally important information into your curriculum.
Biodiversity Education Network (BEN) Resources Page
The mission of BEN is to advance biodiversity education and awareness through collaboration, networking, and capacity-building. This web site was designed as an interactive tool for networking biodiversity professionals and their organizations, for sharing resources and tools, and for encouraging and building a community of practice.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Teacher’s Resources
BLM presents learning opportunities associated with the 261 million acres of public lands that they manage for all Americans. They have gathered information for students, teachers and adult learners to use both in the classroom, in informal outdoor settings, or in "virtual" classrooms. Additionally, they have included resources from many of their field offices scattered mostly throughout the Western United States.
Classroom Earth
Sponsored by the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF), Classroom Earth is a free Web site with key information on how educators can obtain the best and most usable environmental education programs available today.
Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wetlands Toolkit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the National Park Service and with input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, developed a kit for use when talking with the public about how climate change is affecting our nation's wildlife and public lands.
Earth Day Network Educator’s Network
Earth Day Network‘s Environmental Education Program provides tools for integrating environmental issues into core curriculum subjects. Earth Day Network provides games, interactive quizzes, and a variety of other fun and informative ways to learn about the environment.
Earthman Project Teacher’s Community
Bring music, art, and the environment into your classroom. Watch the River of Grass musical web journey on the home page and talk about the importance of caring for our environment with your students. Join the teacher’s community for lesson plans, exercises, music downloads, and other useful classroom resources.
EarthSeeds
EarthSeeds engages the world's youth to learn about global issues and share their visions of a more peaceful and sustainable world.
EcoKids Online Teacher’s Page
From daily eco-facts and calendars to activities that can involve your classroom or your entire school, the EcoKids program is delivered through this award winning web site and through seasonal packages sent to you at your school. Activities are designed so you can choose to do a project at whatever scale is best suited to you and your students.
Educating Young People about Water (EYPAW)
EYPAW guides and water curricula database provide assistance for developing a community-based, youth water education program. The EYPAW resources are full of ideas, checklists, references, partner lists, and community action education materials that will help you.
Environmental Education for Kids (EEK!) Teacher’s Page
EEK! (Environmental Education for Kids!) is an electronic magazine for kids in grades 4-8. This site is designed to help you help your students use the EEK! website and provides teaching activities and additional resources.
Environmental Literacy Council
The ELC’s Environmental Science Teacher Page contains labs, teaching tips, rubrics, and other tools. On this page you can find a collection of labs and activities that have been developed by a group of experienced environmental science teachers, in collaboration with the College Board.
Facing the Future: People and the Planet Teacher’s Corner
Here you’ll find Facing the Future’s lessons and activities for teaching about global issues and solutions.
GLOBE
GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program. For students, GLOBE provides the opportunity to learn by taking scientifically valid measurements in the fields of atmosphere, hydrology, soils, and land cover/phenology. For teachers, GLOBE provides assistance through training at professional development workshops; Teacher's Guides, "how-to" videos, and other materials; continuing support from a Help Desk, scientists, and partners; and contact with other teachers, students, and scientists worldwide.
Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN)
This website is designed to provide water monitors and students with a place to store their water monitoring data, track their water monitoring projects, and to provide you with educational resources you need to successfully implement a school-based water monitoring program.
HAZ-ED - Classroom Activities for Understanding Hazardous Waste
Hazed is a compilation of interdisciplinary activities that focus on the often complicated and sometimes controversial scientific, technical, and policy issues related to hazardous waste sites and Superfund.
Keep America Beautiful Teacher’s Resource Page
Keep America Beautiful's curricula teach the fundamentals of litter prevention, preserving our resources, responsible solid waste management, and how to reduce, reuse and recycle. All programs are designed to be locally adaptable to meet the needs of individual communities.
National Wildlife Federation’s Outdoor Classroom
NWF's Schoolyard Habitats program provides resources, training, and curriculum support to participating schools (K-12), day care centers, nature centers and community groups. Turning your school or facility grounds into a National Wildlife Federation certified Schoolyard Habitats site is easy and fun!
Project A.I.R.E - (Air Information Resources for Educators)
Project A.I.R.E packages encourage students to think more critically and creatively about air pollution problems and the alternatives for resolving them. Topics covered include: air quality, rainforests, radon, the creation of environmental laws, the greenhouse effect and ozone.
Project Learning Tree
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-grade 12. PLT, a program of the American Forest Foundation, is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad.
Project WILD
Project WILD is a wildlife focused conservation education program for K-12 educators and their students. Project WILD is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school.
Quest for Less Activities
Designed for teachers in grades K-8, Quest for Less provides hands-on lessons and activities, enrichment ideas, journal writing assignments, and other educational tools related to preventing and reducing waste.
Science Fair Fun
This booklet is intended to provide students in grades 6-8 with ideas and resources for developing environmental science fair projects, specifically in the areas of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials.
Science NetLinks
Providing a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators, Science NetLinks is your guide to meaningful standards-based Internet experiences for students.
SunWise Program
The SunWise Program is an environmental and health education program that aims to teach the public how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun through the use of classroom-based, school-based, and community-based components.
The Global Water Sampling Project
Join us in this annual collaborative project to compare the water quality of your local river, stream, lake or pond with other fresh water sources around the world. The focus of the project is to assess the quality of water based on physical characteristics and chemical substances and to look for relationships and trends among the data collected by all project participants.
The Groundwater Foundation
The Groundwater Foundation provides access to activities, brochures, kits and models, and educational games and tools. In addition, sign up for its workshops and seminars!
The Water Sourcebooks
The Water Sourcebooks contain 324 activities for grades K-12 divided into four sections: K-2, 3-5, 5-8, and 9-12. This program explains the water management cycle using a balanced approach showing how it affects all aspects of the environment. All activities contain hands-on investigations, fact sheets, reference materials, and a glossary of terms.
WET (Water Education for Teachers) in the City
WET in the City engages K-12 youth in hands-on activities that creatively explore the science of water, its cultural context, and complex issues surrounding its management and stewardship. The program is delivered at the local level, city by city, and targets urban educators with relevant, localized water education through a network of city partners.
Wetlands Education
This EPA site provides activities, curriculum guides, education programs, teaching tools, and links to other useful sites to educate your students about wetlands.
EPA Workshops and Summer Programs for Teachers:
EPA Opportunities for College Graduates
Opportunities include the EPA Intern Program, the Federal Career Intern Program, the Presidential Management Fellows Program and the Office of Research and Development Post Doctoral Program.
Alice Ferguson Foundation
Teachers can learn how to bring the environment into the classroom with by attending our teacher institutes (including plans that have been created and implemented by local teachers) and school action project resources.
The Watershed Project
Educating and inspiring communities to protect their local watersheds, The Watershed Projects offers many workshops and community programs to accomplish that task.
US EPA Summer Faculty Fellowship Program
The EPA Office of Research and Development leads these opportunities in order to perform research and development, interpret and integrate scientific information and provide national leadership. Programs are located in a variety of locations including North Carolina, Las Vegas, Ohio, Oregon and Georgia.
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