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Environment
 
Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir on Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley, California
[Detail] Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir.
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Men and Nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of Nature throws out of balance also the lives of men.
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Over the long haul of life on this planet, it is the ecologists, and not the bookkeepers of business, who are the ultimate accountants.
~ Stewart L. Udall

The earth is like a spaceship that didn't come with an operating manual.
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
~ Henry David Thoreau

online resources
Especially for Teachers...

Conservation and Environment Maps - (American Memory Collection) The maps in this section of Maps Collections show early exploration and subsequent land use in various areas of the United States.

Documentary Chronology of Selected Events in the Development of the American Conservation Movement, c.1850-1920 - (Special Presentation) This timeline documents the historical formation and cultural foundations of the movement to conserve and protect America's natural heritage.

Earth As Art: A Landsat Perspective - (Exhibition) This exhibit showcases Landsat 7 images of the earth, selected primarily for their aesthetic value.

Earth Day: Science Reference Guide - (Science Reference Services) Link to Earth Day resources from the Library of Congress and beyond.

Ecology and Environment - (Special Presentation) This chapter from the Folklife Center’s Teacher’s Guide to Folklife Resources links to internet resources and curriculum materials on the topic.

Ecology and the American Environment - (Special Presentation) The sections in this presentation describe some of the important steps taken by ecologists in studying the natural environment.

Environmental Sciences - (Science Reference Services) Link to environmental resources across the Library of Congress Web site.

Everglades: Exploitation and Conservation, The - (Special Presentation) This presentation from the Historical Museum of Southern Florida documents why and how people changed the Everglades.

Garden and Forest: A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art and Forestry 1888-1897 - (American Memory Collection) Search or browse issues of the first American journal devoted to horticulture, botany, landscape design and preservation, park development, scientific forestry, and the conservation of forest resources.

Global Warming and Climate Change - (Science Reference Services) Use this list of vetted print and Internet sources to help students understand global warming issues.

Herb Garden at the National Arboretum, The - (Cybercast) Learn about the National Herb Garden in this presentation by Curator, Jim Adams.

Historical Essays on Garden and Forest - (Special Presentation) Read essays about the digitization and content of this late 1880s journal established by Charles Sprague Sargent, the founding director of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

Language of the Land: Journeys Into Literary America - (Exhibition) This exhibition offers an excursion into American literature through literary maps, photographs and quotations from works by American authors. Each section features landscape photographs and drawings.

Mapping the National Parks - (Special Presentation) View the special presentations on Acadia, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone National Parks.

Natural Disasters: A Guide to Selected Resources - (Science Reference Services) This guide includes links to many Internet resources on this topic. Be sure to explore other nature related Science Reference Guides.

Petal From the Rose, A - (Exhibition) Explore the life and work of Elizabeth Shippen Green, early 20th century illustrator. Amid Gardens and Nature illustrates her ability to incorporate complex landscape views into her drawings.

Science Tracer Bullets Online - (Science Reference Services) These research guides are helpful in locating information on a variety of science and technology subjects. For environmental related ideas, check out the Environmental Science Project tracer bullet.

Selected Internet Resources: Migration of the Monarch Butterfly - (Science Reference Services) Internet resources on the monarch migration selected by the Science Reference Services.

Selected Internet Resources: The Environment - (Science Reference Services) Internet resources on environmental topics selected by the Science Reference Services.

Story of My Boyhood and Youth, The - (Document) This 1913 book, written by John Muir shortly before his death, reveals the evolution of his scientific curiosity and the beginnings of his reverential attitude towards nature.

Today in History (April 22, 1970) Earth Day - (Today in History) Learn about the history of Earth Day.

Today in History (April 5, 1916) National Park Service - (Today in History) Conservationists, civic leaders, and government officials submitted testimony before Congress in favor of the establishment of the National Park Service on April 5 and April 6, 1916.

Today in History (July 12, 1817) Henry David Thoreau - (Today in History) Learn about Thoreau, his writings, philosophy, and love of nature and the environment.


  Especially for your Students...

American Treasures: Alaskan Expedition - (Exhibition) View pages from Edward Harriman’s souvenir journal documenting his 1899 expedition to Alaska. Leading artists, writers, scientists and environmentalists of the period accompanied Harriman on this expedition.

Disasters, Devastation and Destruction - (America's Library) Read stories about natural and manmade disasters

Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts From the Library of Congress - (Learning Page Activity) Students will enjoy discovering the answers to a variety of puzzling science questions. Explore mysteries related to our natural environment.

Explore the States: California Timber and Forest - (America's Library) Read about this local environmental project conducted by Humboldt County High School students.

Explore the States: Minnesota Ironwood Discovery Center - (America's Library) Learn why the Civilian Conservation Corps planted more than 25 million trees in Minnesota in the 1930s.

Explore the States: Oklahoma Dust Bowl - (America's Library) Learn about the Oklahoma dust storms of the 1930s.

Explore the States: Wyoming's Old Faithful - (America's Library) Learn more about Wyoming's famous geyser.

In the Nation's Pleasure Grounds - (Wise Guide) – Learn more about our National Park Service.

Jump Back in Time: April 10, 1872 (First Arbor Day) - (America's Library) On this date, Nebraskans celebrated the first Arbor Day by planting more than a million trees.

Jump Back in Time: April 22, 1970 (Earth Day) - (America's Library) The first Earth Day was celebrated on this date.

Jump Back in Time: April 26, 1822 (Frederick Law Olmstead) - (America's Library) America’s number one 19th century landscape architect was born on this date.

Jump Back in Time: April 3, 1837 (John Burroughs) - (America's Library) Nature writer John Burroughs was born on this date.

Jump Back in Time: February 12, 1837 (Thomas Moran) - (America's Library) Landscape painter Thomas Moran was born on this date.

Jump Back in Time: January 27, 1851 (John James Audubon) - (America's Library) Read about ornithologist John James Audubon, who died on this date.

Jump Back in Time: July 12, 1817 (Henry David Thoreau) - (America's Library) Philosopher, naturalist and writer, Henry David Thoreau was born on this date.

Jump Back in Time: July 19, 1869 (John Muir and the Sierras) - (America's Library) Read the words that early environmentalist John Muir wrote in his journal on this date.

Jump Back in Time: June 30, 1864 - (America's Library) The Yosemite Land Grant was signed on this date.

Jump Back in Time: June 8, 1867 (Frank Lloyd Wright) - (America's Library) This famous architect believed houses should be comfortable for the occupants but should also blend in with their environment.

Jump Back in Time: May 4, 1894 (Bird Day) - (America's Library) The first Bird Day was celebrated on this date.

Jump Back in Time: October 28, 1875 - (America's Library) National Geographic President Gilbert H. Grosvenor was born on this date.

Meet Amazing Americans: Theodore Roosevelt - (America's Library) Learn about America’s 26th president. His love of nature and wildlife inspired him to help conserve land and create national parks.

Seasonal Round of Activities on Coal River - (Special Presentation) Explore sound recordings and photos documenting seasonal activities in Southern West Virginia. Gardening, gathering, fishing, and hunting activities are included.


lesson plans

Use these lesson plans (created by educators for educators) to explore the environment with your students in your classroom:

Explorations - (Grades 8-12) Students are introduced to historical perspectives of nature and the environment.

Conservation at a Crossroads - (Grades 9-12) Two separate lessons for students to investigate and debate the controversies inherent in conservation programs.

Nature's Fury - (Grades 6-8) Students examine accounts by Americans from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries of their life changing experiences with nature.

Sea Changes: A Study of a New England Industry - (Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12,) Students study photographs, maps and interviews with two New England fishermen of the early 20th century, construct "found poetry", and research in Thomas to understand legislation restricting the fishing industry.

Visions in the Dust - (Grades 5-8) Students gain an understanding of Dust Bowl history through the eyes of a child, using Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust.

Twain's Hannibal - (Grades 9-12) Using both primary source documents and print materials, students analyze life around Hannibal, Missouri, during the latter half of the 19th century to determine what effects this location had on the writings of Mark Twain. Students can investigate the impact of a river environment on employment, social life, economy, transportation, family life, and politics.

Artifact Road Show - (Grades 3-5) Students act as historians, analyzing different artifacts. The fourth grade student activity - Linking Rare Finds - focuses on the Nashua River from an environmental perspective.


bibliography

Is there a title (or two) that you always read to (or with) your students when teaching about the environment? Are there invaluable reference books that you use when working with this theme? Staff from The Library of Congress have generously donated favorite titles for the Environment theme. We hope you will contribute your favorite titles to our growing bibliography!

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collection connections

Create your own collaborative lesson plans using material related to this month's theme assembled from The Learning Page Collection Connections:

American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920: A Study Collection from the Harvard Graduate School of Design" - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Use this collection to explore the relationship between man and his natural environment. Included are over 500 images of projects created by Frederick Law Olmstead, landscape architect and city designer.

American Environmental Photographs, 1891-1936: Images from the University of Chicago Library - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Over 4,500 photographs document the natural environment, ecology and plant communities in the United States during this period.

Evolution of the Conservation Movement: 1850-1920, The - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Explore the history of the conservation movement.

First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820, The - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Read accounts of professional and amateur scientists who documented and cataloged specimens of plants and animals and monitored patterns of weather and climate as they traveled West.

Mapping the National Parks - (Summary and Teaching Resources) This collection of approximately 200 maps dating from the 17th century to the present documents the history, culture, and geological formations of areas that eventually became United States National Parks.

Tending the Commons: Folk life and Landscape in Southern West Virginia - (Summary Only) Explore the Big Coal River Valley environment.

Reclaiming the Everglades: South Florida's Natural History, 1884-1934 - (Summary Only) This collection documents the development of the modern conservation movement, the establishment of the Everglades National Park and the role of state and federal governments in the development of a national park.

Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920 - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Photographs by artists like William Henry Jackson document both the natural landscape and the industrial development that altered it.

Traveling Culture: Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Use the terms "nature" or "naturalists" to search this collection for entries related to the environment.

Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco, 1897-1916 - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Seven films in the collection capture the devastation resulting from the 1906 earthquake and fires that followed.

Westward by Sea: A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890 - (Summary and Teaching Resources) This collection presents diaries, letters, logbooks, photographs and other materials that document sea travel and the role of maritime events in the westward expansion of the United States.

History of the American West: 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Search this collection using terms like "landscape", "mountains", or "national parks" for environmentally related photographs.

Voices from the Dust Bowl: the Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection, 1940-1941 - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Students can research the agricultural conditions that led to the Dust Bowl.

Map Collections - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Be sure to visit the Conservation and Environment Maps page.

Nineteenth Century in Print: Periodicals, The - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Browse issues of Garden and Forest published from 1888-1897.

Atlantic World: American and the Netherlands - (Summary Only)

search terms

These terms may be useful when searching for items related to this theme in the American Memory collections.

Acid rainForestsNaturalist
Arbor DayGeologyNature
Audubon, JamesHabitatOlmsted, Frederick
Burroughs, JohnHetch HetchyOrnithologist
BiodiversityLandscapeOrnithology
Bird DayLeopold, AldoPesticide
Carson, RachelMuir, JohnPeterson, Roger Tory
Civilian Conservation CorpsNames of animalsPinchot, Gifford
ConservationNames of landformsPollution
Earth DayNames of peopleThoreau, Henry David
EcologyNames of placesVegetation
Endangered speciesNames of plantsWetland
ErosionNational ParksWilderness
EnvironmentNatural resourcesWildlife

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Last updated 06/01/2005