London & South East Schools Eco-Network spring-summer 2020
Environmental education remote teaching and learning resources
Notes:
- Weblinks correct at time of circulation (03/04-04/06/2020).
- Below recommendations do not equate to endorsement or backing of any particular organisation.
- Please read through resources carefully to decide if appropriate before using them with children.
- Compiled by Jessica Tipton. Please email jessica.tipton@spgs.org if you have any problems with links, any comments or suggestions of additional resources.
- With many thanks for lots of useful links from Sarah Lardner, Engagement Officer Sustainability Team | Economy & Infrastructure Directorate |Solihull MBC (added on 6 April 2020) and many other experts in environmental education.
Contents
General home learning eco-resources
Links to other websites with lots of excellent resources
Sustainability and carbon reduction
Racial, social and environmental justice
Biodiversity, trees and nature
Other waste/recycling websites and articles
Travel, noise and air pollution
Climate action / People saving the planet
Sustainability successes around the world
Petitions on environmental themes
Book, film, podcast and social media recommendations
Fun and useful Twitter accounts suitable for all the family to follow
Real-time lessons & conferences on environment/sustainability
Competitions, careers & volunteering
Teacher training on environment/sustainability
Archive: Eco Website Tweets of the Day
Eco Website Tweet of the Day!Monday 1 June Have you seen bats in your #garden? Why not take part in a Sunset/Sunrise survey. Take a look and find out how you can bet involved https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme/surveys/sunset-sunrise-survey #springwatch If you have a bat detector you can also listen to their calls |
General home learning eco-resources | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
Free teaching and learning resources from Ashden charity working in sustainable energy and regional development. Find out more about climate solutions, sustainable energy and how people live and work around the world. These quizzes and activities are perfect for geography, science, art, english and PSHE lessons. | Primary | |
ASE's special coronavirus resources portal - a collection of resources and links designed to assist our members, the science education community at large and the general public over the coming weeks and months. | All | |
Ideas added each day for how to teach children to be more resourceful, less wasteful and more environmentally-aware (and wildly creative to boot). Includes making stinging nettle pesto, edible face masks, bath bombs and plantable paper. | Primary | |
Cambridge University Press environmental publications free access | Free access to Cambridge University Press Earth and Environmental Sciences publications for duration of Coronavirus lockdown | KS5+ |
Many of these worksheets have environmental themes as a way of teaching basic numeracy, English and science | KS1-2 with adult supervision | |
Cambridge International Resource Plus Secondary Teaching Resources | Resource Plus from Cambridge International gives you access to high quality videos, ready-made lesson plans and teaching materials. Resources for secondary include sciences and biology. Free to access for duration of Coronavirus lockdown. | KS3+ |
Whether you’re keen to use your time at home to learn more about solutions to the climate and biodiversity emergency or are looking for fun wildlife activities to keep the kids connected to nature, we’ve got lots of online resources to help. And if you’d like to delve a bit deeper, we have online courses too. | KS3+ | |
Resource pack with environment activities for lockdown produced by global IT group CGI | Primary | |
An online platform with daily ‘editions’ of content featuring videos, surveys, info sheets and craft activities to engage young people with the natural world. Subscription-based but schools can apply for a discount code for free access. | Nursery Primary | |
Every Tuesday at 8.00pm for 10 weeks Eco-Schools will be releasing a new topic handout with 5 different topic related tasks that for home and school. Topics so far: Biodiversity; Energy; Global Citizenship. | Nursery Primary Secondary | |
Futerra is a change agency. We join the magic of creative and the logic of strategy to make sustainability happen. Beautiful campaigns based on visuals, stories & emotions. | KS3+ | |
The Geographical Association has made all of its teaching resources available for all members of the public to access during the Coronavirus outbreak. | KS1-5 | |
The Harmony in Education Teachers’ Guide charts the development of an educational framework based on Nature’s principles of Harmony at Ashley CofE Primary School over 10 years, providing inspiration and practical information for schools, MATs and teachers. | Primary | |
Three free online courses from Harvard on the science of the weather, energy within environmental constraints and the health effects of climate change. | KS5+ | |
https://www.iwill.org.uk/coronavirus-response-resources#yp-resources | The #iwill campaign wants to make participation in social action the norm for young people under 20. Information and resources for young people and the sectors that support them from #iwill partners and wider networks. | Secondary |
Climate-based maths questions for students and teachers from the Environmental Change Institute University of Oxford | GCSE and A Level | |
Collection of resources for lockdown from charity supporting education for sustainable development. Includes curriculum guides, journals, blogs, bursaries, webwatch & news. | Aimed at teachers | |
The National Schools Partnership - A Unique Education Network | The National Schools Partnership exists to make life easier for educators, providing free inspirational learning materials in one place. The Partnership (run by youth engagement agency, We are Futures) is made up of a unique network of teachers and education experts. Members gain access to free, innovative teaching resources including digital and physical materials, free samples, immersive events, competitions and prizes – all designed to engage young people, their families and educators. | Aimed at teachers |
E-books, virtual tours & apps, podcasts, videos and other activities for kids & families, including ‘Be a Scientist’. | All | |
Practical Action Education Resources | Free STEM, design and technology resources focused on global issues including climate change, energy, food security and the Sustainable Development Goals. Teacher guides, pupil worksheets, PowerPoints, posters, images, videos, games and careers materials. | KS2-3 |
Various activities, including ‘Upcycling for nature’, ‘Build a bird bath’, ‘Make a hedgehog cafe’, ‘Build a minibeast hotel’, ‘Count your wild miles’ and ‘Sounds/signs of spring’. | Focus on younger | |
https://www.springernature.com/gp/campaign/earth-environment | Springer Nature works hard to support the United Nations' SDGs across our publishing and services and across disciplines, our aim is to help researchers make the world a better place for future generations. Access our curated key content resources, including interviews with experts, latest research, tools and resources to share with your students. | KS5+ & staff |
From Surfers Against Sewage. Extensive 14-week timetable of resources covering topics related to the marine environment including ‘Rock pool raps & rhymes’, ‘Marine food chains’, ‘Circular Economies’, ‘Marine protected areas’ culminating in a summer holiday project. | KS1-3 | |
Resources curated by UK charity Seed (Sustainability & Environmental Education). April newsletter with news, events & resources | All | |
A quality-rated resource hub to help teachers bring environmental action into the classroom from a charity working for a green and thriving planet where we can live happily without ruining the Earth we depend on. | All | |
Downloadable picture books on themes relating to the Sustainable Development Goals produced for the World’s Largest Lesson by UNESCO and UNICEF. | Primary | |
Teachit Geography is a growing collection of tried and tested resources to save you reinventing the wheel. You’ll find varied and interesting approaches to teaching the subject at KS3-5 including worksheets, interactive resources and games all carefully crafted and edited by Geography teachers. Free to all during Coronavirus outbreak. | KS3-5 | |
UNEP and TED-Ed – with an incredible array of educators and partners (including WWF, BBC & National Geographic) – have launched Earth School. 30 days of nature-focused content and environmental adventures for all ages. Each Quest includes a discovery video and quiz with a series of engaging resources — all curated by environmental experts. Weekly topics include The Nature of Our Stuff, Society, Nature, Change, Individual & Collective Action. | All | |
Skills-based curriculum that invites students to think deeply about the things that really matter, practise empathy and critical thinking to help explore their own beliefs and values and develop as engaged and empowered citizens. Now offering free daily inquiries with home-based activities to help children deepen their relationships with themselves, others and the natural world. | All | |
Wise up: resources we love for learning about climate change | Digest of key resources for learning about climate change. | KS3+ |
WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) have launched a new home learning hub to help hard-pressed parents teach their primary school aged children key parts of the science curriculum. New resources, covering different science topics, will be released on a Monday morning each week. Families will have access to lesson plans, written specifically with this audience in mind, divided up into bite-sized chunks, including an outdoors element for those with access to outdoor space. These are supported by instructional videos, fun ‘make it’ activities and a quiz to show how much they’ve learnt each week. | Primary | |
Plenty of activities including Awesome Articles, Fantastic Films on the YouTube Channel, Activity and Spotter Guides, Great Things to Do and Make, Wild Webcams, Wildlife Yoga and Freaky Fungi. | All | |
Activities from WWF to do at home, including craft, quizzes, videos and a wide range of educational resources. | All but many aimed at younger | |
Educational resources including live webinars with experts and topic-based activities. | Older children | |
Home learning packs compiled by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment to support parents and carers whilst their children are at home. A new pack will be released every Friday for the duration of the lockdown. | Primary focus | |
The world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research, which includes research linked to climate change and conservation. Students can take part in identifying different animals in camera trap photos, for example, or transcribe old weather data to help determine a baseline for analysing climate change patterns. It’s very straightforward to use. | Secondary | |
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CyoIg-HxJZX0tCAS2wP9fU76EjV37UyV | Loads of amazing resources and lesson plans for various classroom subjects through lens of climate change put together by primary teacher and NEU climate change lead practitioner Harriet Neville | All Some with primary focus |
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16yFbi8UcIAC5xehQQdiRMeF1LJkTrxMN7W7zXTQk9iw/edit?usp=sharing | Google doc compiled by Sarah Lardner of the Solihull Sustainability Team with tons of resources on topics of Biodiversity, Food and Farming. Contact slardner@solihull.gov.uk to suggest any other resources | All |
http://childreninpermaculture.com/catalogue-of-resources/ | A list of useful resources (books, websites, and more) and their relevance to different aspects of sustainability includes whether they are translated into Romanian, Slovenian, Italian and Czech. | All |
Over 800 activities to do with children organised into themes of living nature, design, growing food, built environment and resource use, social permaculture and introducing permaculture. Also a book, case studies, videos, songs. | Focus on ages 3-12 | |
Links to other websites with lots of excellent resourcesNote: if you use any of the below, please add comments with particular activities to try
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Sustainability and carbon reduction | ||
Credit: Natural History Museum | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
100s of easy eco tips, covering zero waste & carbon footprint reduction plus news, facts and quotes on topics like climate change, plastic pollution, energy savings & recycling (Instagram & website) | All | |
Tips, links, products and companies | All | |
SUSTAINABILITY AWARE | Environmental education apps for kids | Series of curriculum-aligned educational apps made to inform and engage kids about our environment and how our way of life impacts the Earth. It takes an informed, realistic approach to the issues and offers practical, everyday suggestions for how we can all live more sustainable lifestyles. | 8-12 year olds |
9 Well-Intentioned Efforts That Actually Aren't Environmentally Friendly | 9 Well-Intentioned Efforts That Actually Aren't Environmentally Friendly It's not that easy being green. By Anna FunkApril 19, 2020 | KS4+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=0jnSKDCV4cw&feature=emb_logo (03:42) | BBC News video clip about family in Lapland living off the land (16/08/2019) | |
Giki sustainable lifestyle virtual lesson plans and home sessions | Giki Zero is a free step by step guide to a sustainable lifestyle. We are providing virtual lessons for teachers, teach-ins for anyone at home and workshops for community groups. Get a sneak peek before it’s launched publicly. In just one session, get on the path to cut your footprint in half. | KS3+ |
BedZED - the UK's first large-scale eco-village Major energy savings and lower bills, abundant green space, a friendly community and continued above-market sale prices keep the iconic BedZED village in South London an inspiration for zero-carbon homes worldwide | KS3-5 | |
One Tonne of Carbon per Year – This is what net zero carbon looks like | Check out Independent London Mayoral Candidate’s journal about living on one tonne of carbon per year (net zero carbon), based on best available calculations of daily activities. | KS3+ |
Cross-curriculum climate change education from consortium of universities in Wales including coding & creative writing. Online games, education resources and teacher pack now free to access. Workshops 2-3 are online and workshop 1 will be by 17/04/2020. | Years 8-10 | |
Find out more about climate solutions, sustainable energy and how people live and work around the world from Ashden. | Primary & secondary | |
WE ARE WOMEN & GIRLS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE PLANET BUILDING A LIFESTYLE REVOLUTION TO FIGHT THE CLIMATE CRISIS. WE NEED YOU. WILL YOU JOIN THE MOVEMENT? | KS4+ | |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=BA0FvxUrWHQ&feature=emb_logo | Stanley finds out that leading a sustainable lifestyle can be difficult. His neighbour Doug, consumes to his heart’s content and his life looks easier, flashier and even more fun. (from UNEP) | KS3+ |
All the information and inspiration you need to revolutionise the way you spend, save and live. Join thousands of others and become an ethical consumer today. Learn how to use your spending power to help change the world for the better. | KS3+ and families | |
Ethical banks & buildings societies comparison table | KS5+ and families | |
Carbon footprint calculators
New book There is No Planet B by Mike Berners-Lee (published by Cambridge University Press Feb 2020), author of How Bad are Bananas: The Carbon Footprint of Everything | ||
Coronavirus and the planet | ||
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Weblink | Details | Suitability |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5KQMXDiM4&feature=emb_logo | Powerful message on learning from the virus for the future of humanity & the planet in form of bedtime story (1.5m views 03/05/20) | All |
Sensitive and practical tips for eco-conscious protection from viruses (Greenpeace Philippines; 12/03/2020) | All | |
Greener habits to save the money and the planet during self-isolation for all the family | All | |
Costing the Earth podcast on the environmental impact of Coronavirus | Tom Heap talks through the environmental issues emerging during the coronavirus pandemic and asks what the legacy might be. He's joined by climate change expert Dr Tamsin Edwards from King's College, London (14/04/2020). | KS4+ |
Ten Lessons The Coronavirus Has Taught Us About The Planet by Nishan Degnarain (13/04/2020) | KS3+ | |
Greenpeace article written by professor of biology in Greece (10/04/2020) | KS3+ | |
https://blog.euromonitor.com/podcast/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-sustainability-initiatives/ | Podcast by Maria Coronado Robles: The Impact of Coronavirus on Sustainability Initiatives (16/04/2020) | KS3+ |
Could the coronavirus actually be saving lives in some parts of the world because of reduced pollution? (17/03/2020) | KS3+ | |
Guardian report on pollution reduction during lockdown (27/03/2020) | KS3+ | |
Air pollution may be ‘key contributor’ to Covid-19 deaths – study | Guardian (20/04/2020) | KS4+ |
Video showing Auckland during lockdown has gone viral around the world | A stunning video that captures the beauty and stillness of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is being shared across the world. Produced by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development while New Zealand is in lockdown. | All |
Viral images of animals 'returning' to canals of Venice are false | Swans and dolphins in Venice canals (18/03/2020) | All |
Three good things: animals that have staged an unlikely comeback - Positive News | From blue whales to Notre Dame's bees, these imperiled animals are bouncing back from the brink (10/04/2020) | KS3+ |
What does COVID-19 have to do with nature? These 5 articles explain | What does COVID-19 have to do with nature? These 5 articles explain (01/04/2020) | KS4+ |
You use paper towels to dry your hands every day, but chances are, you're doing it wrong. In this enlightening and funny short talk, Joe Smith reveals the trick to perfect paper towel technique. | KS2+ | |
Racial, social and environmental justice | ||
KS4+ | ||
7-mins watch Dr Cornell West on the George Floyd atrocity | KS4+ | |
Mireille Charper offers these steps as a brief summary, gleaned from her own experience, activism and learning to 'allies and anyone else who was seeking advice but didn't know where to turn'. | KS4+ | |
Getting It Together Before It's Too Late: Solidarity Across Race and Class | 90 mins video interview Roger Hallam in conversation with Ian Haney Lopez (author of Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections and Saving America) and Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper (antiracism researcher and campaigner). They discuss the strategic racism of reactionary elites and building a multi-racial, class-conscious solidarity. | KS4+ |
WOW: Angela Davis in Conversation | 85-mins interview and Q&A - Women of the World Festival, 2017 Angela Davis talks about a life of activism, taking in a range of subjects including the civil rights movement, feminism, intersectionality, state violence and the Black Lives Matter movement. A 3-min clip of her campaigning in 1969 | KS4+ |
3-mins video "It is essential to change the face of anglo-environmentalism and amplify the real leaders and game-changers that are making a difference and fighting for our planet and the future for the next generations to come" - Leo Cerda. | KS4+ | |
2-min video: Shut it down | When Black Lives Matter Occupied London City Airport In 2016, this action by Black Lives Matter drew attention to the climate crisis being a racist crisis. | KS4+ |
2-min watch Gloria Walton (SCOPE) says climate solutions require an intersectional approach because the climate problems we face are rooted in different kinds of systemic oppression. | KS4+ | |
Climate Crisis - Racist Crisis: Alexandra Wanjiku Kelbert | 75-min watch In this talk, Alexandra Wanjiku Kelbert (Black Lives Matter; Wretched of the Earth) outlines the relationship between climate change and colonialism/extractivism and the way communities are resisting, creating a global movement for climate justice. | KS4+ |
5-min read 'We love to tell ourselves that it all started with the Industrial Revolution. But we're telling ourselves a lie. It started with conquests, genocides, slavery, and colonialism ... the climate justice movement is inextricably linked to Black Lives Matter and the movements for Indigenous rights and for immigrant rights ...' | KS4+ | |
34-min webinar Hosted by XR Youth, this illuminating discussion exposes the truth about the conservation industry's eco-fascism and racism. Stephen Correy, director of Survival International; Fiore Longo, research and advocacy officer, Survival International (Congo) and Mordecai Orgada, Kenyan ecologist and author of The Big Conservation Lie provide a wake-up call. | KS4+ | |
1-hr listen Esther Stanford-Xosei talks about the work of XR's International Solidarity Network, alliances that have been formed and the work going on, particularly involving youth, within international struggles for liberation and climate justice. Essential connections are being formed: a true 'movement of movements'. | KS4+ | |
34-mins video Vanessa Nakate, a young Ugandan climate activist, shares her passion for activism and advocates for other young women to join the movement. She explains how the climate crisis is already threatening water and food supply in Africa and highlights the plight of the Congo rainforest. She also talks about environmental racism including her own experience of the media cutting out her image. | KS4+ | |
What if we actually pulled off a Green New Deal? What would the future look like? The Intercept presents a short film narrated by US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. | KS4+ | |
Why Every Environmentalist Should Be Anti-Racist (Vogue) | As a Black environmentalist, I’ve long wondered: Why is fighting for my humanity considered an optional or special add-on to climate justice? | KS4+ |
Biodiversity, trees and naturePosted on Twitter by @eco_geog | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16yFbi8UcIAC5xehQQdiRMeF1LJkTrxMN7W7zXTQk9iw/edit?usp=sharing | Google doc compiled by Sarah Lardner of the Solihull Sustainability Team with tons of resources on topics of Biodiversity, Food and Farming. Contact slardner@solihull.gov.uk to suggest any other resources | All |
Whole series of Netflix Our Planet released for free on YouTube | KS2+ | |
Activities to inspire children to learn to love nature from WWF for the week of 18-22 May | Primary | |
To mark World Earth Day, WasteAid has launched a VIRTUAL SAFARI, where you can put your daily exercise to good use, visit Lake Naivasha in Kenya and learn more about local communities. You will also get to enjoy the local nature and learn about the wildlife. The SAFARI can be great fun for the families with kids and adults alike. WasteAid, the NGO providing waste management training in low/ middle income countries. The Safari is free to join and if you are happy to donate, you will be supporting waste management and waste education projects in communities where it is having a serious impact on environment and public health. | All | |
www.facebook.com/lizziedalywildlife | Lizzie Daly Wildlife TV daily lessons 🌎 EARTH LIVE LESSONS 🌎 ❌ 100 speakers from across the world ❌ Inspiring scientists, conservationists & wildlife filmmakers ❌ 20 minute lessons every single day and ❗️LIVE❗️ | All (especially primary?) |
Winners of the 2020 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition | All | |
Pick up your camera and wow us with your amazing photography, taken in either your home or garden. From houseplants to houseflies, garden birds to buzzing bees, the possibilities are literally endless. Now is the time to concentrate on the wildlife you might normally take for granted. This is also a chance for your work to be viewed by some pretty cool judges. | Category for Under 12s but open to all 12pm | |
Are you a teacher, an educator or a parent looking for some optimistic stories and resources tailored for children? We’ve got you covered with those Conservation Optimism posters (in various languages)! We hope these can serve as inspiration for drawings/ stories/play-doh and more- please send us photos of artwork these stories have inspired! | KS1-3 (and in foreign languages for linguists KS4-5) | |
Think you might be a bird of prey, or elegant antelope? Find out which of our Conservation Optimism creatures you are, and the story behind their conservation success. | All | |
https://www.mccrimmons.com/library/files/BTC-Colouring-v3.pdf | Beautiful black & white line drawings taken from the ‘Be the Change’ collection of colour images on environmental themes drawn by Dr Clare Campbell, headteacher of a Salford primary. | Primary or anyone! |
https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme/surveys/sunset-sunrise-survey | National bat monitoring survey April-September. Spend an hour looking for bats and other nocturnal creatures. | All |
Learning through Landscapes: Outdoor Learning and Play Charity | Main website for charity Learning through Landscapes. See below for Facebook groups to join for outdoor learning ideas during lockdown. | KS1+ |
Range of fun nature creative activities from the Suntrap Forest Centre in Epping Forest, including flower pressing, making a wildlife documentary, wildflower hunt, minibeast maths, making a wormery, dyeing spring eggs and more. | KS1+ | |
Kew Gardens’ free online learning platform | KS1-5 | |
The Wildlife Trusts and the RHS set up Wild About Gardens to celebrate wildlife gardening and to encourage people to use their gardens to take action to help support nature. | All | |
How to make and use a nature journal to record your wildlife observations | From the Natural History Museum Your findings could even help scientists monitor wildlife changes. | KS2+ |
Wide range of activities for home learning, including colouring, games, posters, animal guides and videos. | KS1+ | |
Live webcams from Edinburgh Zoo | All | |
Live webcams from sites all around the world, from USA to Africa | All | |
https://www.scoonews.com/news/here-s-how-you-can-travel-the-world-virtually-during-lockdown | Visit Zoos, Museums, Aquariums around the world | All |
Knepp Wildland estate video clip (01:26) Wilding book by Isabella Tree, owner of Knepp | Largest rewilding project in Europe, only 1 hour from London in W Sussex on once intensively farmed land. Extremely rare species like turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons and purple emperor butterflies are now breeding here; and populations of more common species are rocketing. | All |
Protecting the Snow Leopard video clip (01:00) | The endangered snow leopard lives in the mountains of Central Asia, a habitat feeling the pressures of climate change, fragmentation, and human-wildlife conflict. | All |
Sharks webinars for children | Various | |
Bat Conservation Trust online resources including ‘What Bat is That’ guide | All | |
The project comes in two folds; first is increasing the bee population in Hammersmith and Fulham, and second is supporting refugees interested in beekeeping and permaculture. | KS3+ | |
Now in its fourth year, and running through spring and summer, the Great British Wildflower Hunt is about seeing the wild flowers that surround us every day. Whether in town, local woodland or the countryside, get to know their names and faces… Please keep safe and follow Government advice on travel and social distancing. Take part in the Hunt only as part of your daily exercise. | KS2+ | |
Every Flower Counts will take place this year from 23rd to 31st May. When it comes to providing vital nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects, every flower counts. And your lawn can help provide that feast. By taking part in this brand new citizen science action, we will show you how much nectar the flowers in your lawn are producing. From your results, we will calculate a National Nectar Index to show how lawns across Britain are helping to feed our pollinators. We’ll also reveal the top ten lawn flowers in Britain and show you how to increase the number of flowers in your lawn. | KS3+ | |
The X-Polli:Nation National Geographic project aims to get communities buzzing by sharing approaches and tools between the public, scientists, technologists and educators to support pollinators, people and citizen science. Resources added for home learning. | KS2+ | |
Bring the forest into your home and keep the kids occupied with our FREE activity sheets for children. Gruffalo, Zog, Highway rat and James and the Giant Peach activity sheets | Primary | |
Learning Resource for Teachers Of EYFS, Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2 arranged by season | KS1-2 | |
Plant a tree for free, every day, in less than a minute. Choose which reforestation project to support; Answer 3 questions about sustainable brands; Plant your tree with just a tap; Track your global impact & personal carbon footprint | KS3+ | |
Can you help us build an urban canopy cover map for Britain by measuring the canopy cover in your local area? Trees for Cities, Brillianto and Forest Research are hosting a citizen science project to map out the canopy cover of Britain’s towns and cities. 30% is complete so far. | Older students or families | |
Suggestions for how you can still engage with nature and connect with others through iNaturalist while in or around your home. Includes kid-friendly and privacy-focused Seek by iNaturalist app to explore and earn badges for finding common species! And a Teacher's Guide plus a forum for teachers Using iNaturalist with Students, Especially Remotely - General | Teachers and mostly primary focus but suitable for all ages | |
How about having a go at identifying or agreeing to some of these older observations on ispot citizen science nature app/website. Some of them are quite tricky but others relatively easy and have just been missed. UK and global. | KS4+ | |
Field Studies Council activities for children to do at home, to help them learn while also having fun, including a scavenger hunt, weather diary and mapping sounds around you. | Primary | |
Downloadable files covering different aspects of natural history to help people and families connect with nature and learn how to identify some of the commoner species close to home. | All | |
Twinning programme brings together schools in Brazil and the UK to build sapling nurseries. Students support and mirror each other's efforts to reforest and re-wild their surroundings and develop relationships. | KS2+ | |
Wildlife myths: the things you thought you knew | KS3+ | |
How to make a bee house | KS2+ with adult | |
Count penguins in remote regions to help us understand their lives and environment. | KS1+ | |
We're opening up the 2020 Great Bug Hunt to all primary pupils | Run every year since 2005 by the ASE in partnership with the Royal Entomological Society, the ever popular Great Bug Hunt competition was created to take science learning out of the Primary classroom and brings it to life in the outdoors. | Primary |
Woodland Trust newly centralised online learning hub with schools' resources and the most popular Nature Detectives activities in one place. | Primary focus | |
Our printable tree ID guides are a fantastic way to help children learn about trees. Take them outside and use them in your garden, school or local wood. They cover all four seasons so youngsters can discover how trees change throughout the year. Use them to identify leaves, winter twigs, spring blossom and autumn fruits. | All | |
Live TV stream with Chris Packham during self-isolation | KS2+ | |
WildEarth Youtube Channel | During lockdown, Kruger National Park in South Africa are showing two game drives a day live on YouTube. Morning drive is 5.30-8.30am and afternoon drive is 3.30-6.30pm (South African time). Interesting and informative, and questions pop up and are answered by the game rangers. They've discovered a hyena who has 3/4 day old pups which they check on each drive. | All |
Live webcams of several bird nests around the UK, including ospreys, kittiwakes and barn owls. | All | |
The RSPB Wildlife Charity: Nature Reserves & Wildlife Conservation | Daily wildlife challenges with RSPB | All |
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BreakfastBirdwatch&src=hashtag_click | #BreakfastBirdwatch on Twitter with RSPB, weekdays 8-9am | All |
ShakeUp Music recomposed Mozart’s Magic Flute ‘Papageno/Papagena Duet’ into an audiovisual bird song aria. | All | |
Help Butterfly Conservation and Bumblebee Conservation Trust end the insect crisis. Join Channel 5’s Dr Amir Khan's mission to create an Insect A&E in your garden - become a Nature Doctor today. | KS2+ with help from adult | |
12 Family-Friendly Nature Documentaries “March of the Penguins,” “Monkey Kingdom” and more illuminate the wonders of our planet from the safety of your couch. | All | |
19 Free Zoom backgrounds from Greenpeace for the coronavirus lockdown | Dramatic images of the natural world from the Greenpeace photo library to use for your video call backgrounds. | Older children and families |
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/celebrate-your-love-ocean-virtually | Home school with a virtual dive into the ocean (from the United Nations Environment Programme) | All |
https://twitter.com/TreesforCities/status/1247105270725124096 | Competition time: We'd love to see your painting or drawing of WILDLIFE AND TREES! The winner will receive this lovely robin print from @torirats Tag us in your art piece or send it to info@treesforcities.org by 12 April. | All |
Waste and energy | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg_9_Dz1FMc&feature=emb_logo | Innovative global recycling company working with companies to provide free & paid solutions for hard-to-recycle items e.g. crisp & snack wrappers, pens, beauty & dental products. Any school, organisation or household can collect. Lots of collection hubs already exist (though many on pause during Coronavirus outbreak) so you can collect and transfer to nearby hub when we are back to ‘normal’. | Great for involving children but need adults to oversee. |
Food waste is a leading contributor to climate change. While 1/3 of all food produced is wasted a staggering 820 million people are hungry. City Harvest believes young people are the key to raising awareness of this issue to promote a sustainable future. The City Harvest Iris Goldsmith Awards celebrates young local heroes who are taking action and protecting the planet. | Deadline for nominations by schools of 1st May. | |
Activities include step-by-step visual guides to counting & analysing your own waste, make your own bee hotel, compost, worm fertiliser, using waste oil | KS3+ | |
Can you guess which of these items secretly contain plastic? Very few get them all right… | All | |
Up-cycling can be fun, it can be creative, it can even save you money as you turn something you don’t want into something useful that you do! There are lots of items at home that can be easily up-cycled. We’ve selected a few to get you started. | KS2+ | |
https://www.sas.org.uk/news/one-schools-journey-to-becoming-plastic-free/ | Story of Canon Burrows Primary School’s journey to becoming Plastic Free. | Primary |
Electronic cards that still contribute to charity | KS3+ and families | |
https://climatecare.org/infographic-the-carbon-footprint-of-the-internet | Ever wondered how many carbon emissions are generated by online activity? This infographic by Custom Made shows the level of CO2 emissions generated through emails, searches and cloud storage. | KS3+ |
Great British ‘Spring’ Clean and concurrent Great Big School Clean 2020 Rescheduled to 11-27 Sept 2020. | Schools and individual volunteers | |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj5jVx4xw2c&feature=emb_logo (17:24) | ‘Where our energy comes from and how we use energy’ - Chris Stark, Committee on Climate Change, filmed at The Climate Assembly UK (26/01/2020) | KS4-5 |
Teaching and home resources for WWF Global Earth Hour 28 March 2020 | KS1-5 | |
Empower your school to save, inspire and thrive | Solar for Schools | Solar for Schools | From initial review to long term management and carbon literacy provision, we work with schools, councils, dioceses and trusts to make solar power possible at no risk to the school. We can also source grants and funding. | Staff & bursars. Some materials for teaching |
Energy efficiency and other energy activities for schools and individuals. | KS1-5 | |
Spark learning with renewable energy lessons in Minecraft: Education Edition for Earth Day | The gaming programmes will encourage students learning from home during coronavirus-related school closures to manage a sustainable city | All |
ECO2 Smart Schools provides resources to help you create practical and engaging learning experiences exploring energy, climate change and the environment throughout the curriculum. | All pupils, teachers and senior leadership. | |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=OagTXWfaXEo&feature=emb_logo (07:16) | 10 Ways to Reduce Waste | Zero Waste for Beginners | KS3+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF72px2R3Hg&feature=emb_logo (13:30) | Why I live a zero waste life | Lauren Singer | TEDxTeen | KS3+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZP8Kqr_bcw&feature=emb_logo (10:34) | To eliminate waste, we need to rediscover thrift | Andrew Dent | KS3+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO76q932VOo&feature=emb_logo (09:22) | Zero Waste Is Not the Only Solution - 4 Tips to Have a Bigger Impact | KS3+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FMBSblpcrc&feature=emb_logo (04:27) | How to use one paper towel | Joe Smith | TEDxConcordiaUPortland | KS2+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg_ObYlXZUM&feature=emb_logo (02:16) | Recycling: A Social Experiment | RECYCLE WEEK 2018 | KS3+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4hS9haGnA&feature=emb_logo (00:15) | Bathroom plastics | KS2+ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=xUXLFtdsptA&feature=emb_logo (01:20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQYsXxHKgMk&feature=emb_logo (01:13) | Introducing Ecobricks How to make Ecobricks | KS2+ |
Other waste/recycling websites and articlesRecycle more: what can I recycle Waste & Resources Action Plan (WRAP) Use non-recyclable plastic to make ecobricks Menstrual cups: cutting period poverty and reducing waste USELESS zero waste shops in London Co-op introduce environmentally-friendly healthy snack range Packaging-free trial at Waitrose Oxford How to make biodegradable plastic from cactus juice The zero-waste revolution: shops around the UK Tesco reports 17% fall in food waste Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on reducing plastic waste Scotland's food waste producing more emissions than plastic BBC One War on Plastics programme Patagonia’s “Buy Less” Campaign May Lead to More Revenue Worn Wear Patagonia outdoor clothing | ||
Food and gardening | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16yFbi8UcIAC5xehQQdiRMeF1LJkTrxMN7W7zXTQk9iw/edit?usp=sharing | Google doc compiled by Sarah Lardner of the Solihull Sustainability Team with tons of resources on topics of Biodiversity, Food and Farming. Contact slardner@solihull.gov.uk to suggest any other resources | All |
Eating Our Way Out of Climate Change | Sarah Bridle | TEDxManchester | “Take a Bite out of Climate Change” project aims to make children and families more aware of how their dietary choices contribute to greenhouse gases based on evidence from an academic team. Programme of activity throughout June with different themes each week. | KS2-3 |
Giki sustainable shopping app to know impact of UK supermarket products plus blog, videos & tips | All (volunteering for older students) | |
6 Steps to a more sustainable diet (from Giki) | Our diet makes up 25% of our total carbon footprint, so if you’re keen to lighten your impact on the planet, looking at what you eat is a great start. | Secondary |
How to check for palm oil in our supermarkets (from Giki) | We have picked some of the shelves in the local supermarket where palm oil is used most extensively and also show what proportion of this palm oil is produced sustainably, based on Giki’s strict criteria, drawn from our database of 280,000 UK supermarket products. | Secondary |
Info & suggestions for avoiding palm oil | All | |
City Harvest London - Giving Food Another Life City Harvest YouTube clip (01:47) | London food redistribution charity Competition for secondary pupils (01/05/20 deadline) | All Comp for Yrs 9-13 |
The Felix Project collects fresh, nutritious food that cannot be sold to deliver to charities and schools so they can provide healthy meals and help the most vulnerable in our society. | All | |
Insects as food! | All | |
Video clip following American living one year without buying food (11/11/2019) | All | |
https://eatfarmnow.com/category/lockdown-learning/ | Follow Farmer Tom around his farm to see what he grows for us to eat – barley for beer and Maltesers, beans for food and animal feed, linseed for bead-making, oats for cereals and horse feed, peas for human and animal consumption, and wheat for bread-making. | All |
Little Green Space green lifestyle magazine | Little Green Space | Little Green Space is an award-winning magazine and project highlighting and inspiring green living and environmental action. Tips for attracting birds & pollinators, easy to grow veg. | KS2+ |
No soil, seeds or space? No problem! A beginner's guide to growing vegetables It’s possible to help keep your household stocked with fresh greens, even if you don’t have a garden. Here’s how to get started | Older children & families | |
Practical advice and activities for all ages on how to start and maintain an organic food growing garden. | All | |
Reduce waste, save money, and build self-sufficiency with this handy guide to growing real food from scraps. | All | |
In this video we look at how simple it is to make a mini wildlife pond or wildlife barrel. We will look at the best plants to use, how to plant your pond and the best way to maintain it. We will also look at what animals you can expect to find visiting. | Older children & families | |
Leave your mower in the shed for #NoMowMay and let the flowers grow! You can even make a #Scaremow to protect them. Then count the flowers on your lawn and find out how many bees it can support. When it comes to providing vital nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects, every flower counts. | Every Flower Counts will take place from 23rd to 31st May 2020. | |
LEAF Open Farm Sunday posters, videos and activities about UK farming and its relationship with sustainability, soil, water and biodiversity (for a variety of ages). Lots of the activities can be done at home. | All | |
The Wildlife Trusts and the RHS set up Wild About Gardens to celebrate wildlife gardening and to encourage people to use their gardens to take action to help support nature. Competition to pledge a patch to butterflies closes 30 April. | All | |
Website with lots of gardening tips, including for during lockdown and involving children | All | |
RHS School Gardening resources Choose from activities, projects, lesson plans & other resources suited to your educational needs. | All | |
Every Friday we are going to be setting you a very special lockdown challenge. This week's challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to design a new species of plant with an important purpose. Share your plant on social media with a short description of its cool qualities and we’ll post some of our favourites. You have until lunch time on Wednesday 14th April. Good luck! | Young people | |
https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/Competitions/The-Secret-Garden | RHS Design a Secret Garden Competition (plus activity sheets) Unlock your imagination with our new partnership to celebrate the release of The Secret Garden film. Due to the film release date being moved, the deadline for entries is TBC. | Up to 16 years of age |
During these challenging times The Gardeners’ World Team would love to know what you are doing to keep yourself and family busy in the garden; what you are growing on your balcony or window sill? Something that will inspire the nation to get gardening. | Family project | |
Travel, noise and air pollution | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
From Global Action Plan. Everything you need to know about air pollution in one place | KS2+ | |
How to see the world without leaving your home, including elephants in South Africa, Lapland, gorillas in Africa and Norway by train. | All | |
Materials from the United States Environmental Protection Agency | KS2-4 | |
Climate action / People saving the planet | ||
Weblink | Details | Suitability |
Packed 3 day livestream (22-24 April; recording available) from USA for the future of humanity and our planet with high profile musicians, scientists, youth activists, even conjurors. | KS3+ | |
Footage of the Assembly, transcripts & speakers’ presentations available at: https://www.climateassembly.uk/meetings/ Topics range from the science, ethics & principles of climate change, its impacts, mitigation & adaptation to energy, travel, food and farming, what we buy and waste. | The Citizens’ Climate Assembly UK will give the government an idea of how people think the country should achieve its climate goal to hit net zero emissions by 2050. Picked from 30k random invitees, the 110 citizens represent a fair sample of the UK population. They met for 3 out of 4 weekends for detailed briefings and Q&A with dozens of experts. Postponed in March due to the Coronavirus situation. | KS4-5 UK experts delivering brief & clear presentations to the general public so perfect for lessons at home. |
Weekly bulletins with climate success stories to prove that solutions are working and are ready to be scaled. | KS3+ | |
Kids Climate Action Network (Kids CAN) is a coalition of Oxford-based organisations and individuals working to create safe, fact-based and empowering climate change resources and information for children, and to support the adults around them. | All | |
The world’s leading resource for evidence-based climate solutions | KS3+ | |
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_ucwzm5MfjprKxYqrr5mX8AVX2sS4SSh-O4hR9pQAyWaX1Q/viewform | Climate Change - Ignorance Test (2020) Test how much you know about the Climate Emergency and expose any misconceptions you might hold. Take the 20 questions. Thanks, #teachersagainstclimatebreakdown | KS3+ |
The world's only evidence-based climate change photography resource | All Particularly useful for teachers | |
https://www.bemari.co.uk/blog/29/4/new-is-well-forgotten-old | Brilliant illustrated article showcasing some of the resourceful ways citizens of the Soviet Union practised reduce, reuse, recycle | KS3+ |
We’ve been talking to teachers about climate anxiety – their students’, their own. Our campaign 'Turning Anxiety into Action' will help teachers feel ready and resilient in the face of a challenge that didn’t come with the training. | KS3+ | |
Greta wasn't the first to demand climate action. Meet more young activists. | Meet more child climate change activists | KS3+ |
https://wickedweatherwatch.org.uk | Inspiring teachers and pupils to act on climate change. Resources available for free while schools are closed for teachers and parents to have fun learning about climate change and the Arctic through structured ‘lessons’ or one-off activities. | KS1-2 |
10 online tasks to help slow climate change. Includes:
| KS2+ | |
Working from home resources from Birmingham Youth Strike for Climate | Climate-related activities to do at home arranged by school subject and age from the Birmingham youth strikers. | Aimed at secondary but some adaptable for younger |
A programme of lessons educating your learners about climate change from the latest scientific information from Durham university and beyond, take action and spread the word. Also includes a carbon footprint quiz. | All | |
What if we actually pulled off a Green New Deal? What would the future look like? The Intercept presents a film narrated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and illustrated by Molly Crabapple (17/04/2019). | KS3/4+ | |
Climate progress video clip (03:08) | We have the technology and know-how to solve climate change, we just need to scale it up. Here are 10 signs of incredible progress in 2018. | KS3+ |
Costa Rica video clip (02:45) | Carbon neutral Costa Rica | KS2+ |
Bhutan video clip (18:54) | Carbon negative Bhutan | KS3+ |
Scotland video clip (00:43) | Scotland Plants 22 Million Trees to Fight Climate Change | All |
Film 2040 trailer (02:15) (various video clips for taking action) Full film now on Amazon | From director Damon Gameau, 2040 is an aspirational journey to discover what the future could look like if we simply embraced the best that exists today. As cinemas shut, you can contact the company to buy a licence for showing to virtual school audiences. | KS3+ |
(03:45) | Animated Overview of the Sharing Economy | KS3+ |
Youth for Climate Action video clip (02:30) | Youth for Climate Action. Reuben and Yande, from Zambia, are tired of inaction. (UN Climate Change:Learn) | KS3+ |
Sustainability successes around the world
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Petitions on environmental themesUK Government and Parliament petitions: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions?q=environment&state=all https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions?q=%22climate+change%22&state=all https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions?q=wildlife&state=all Change.org petitions: https://www.change.org/search?q=wildlife https://www.change.org/search?q=environment https://www.change.org/search?q=nature | ||
Surveyshttps://www.transform-our-world.org/youth-survey - Care for our Natural World Youth Survey | ||
Book, film, podcast and social media recommendations | |
Details (title, author, weblink etc.) | Recommended by |
My top commute eco podcasts: Radio 4 - Costing the Earth - Downloads World Service - People Fixing the World - Downloads Science in Action Radio 4 - Beyond Today - Downloads Radio Wales - Country Focus - Downloads Overheard at National Geographic https://rebellion.earth/category/podcasts/ https://www.economist.com/podcasts/ https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus UK Student Climate Network podcast on Spotify One-off radio programmes: Fallout - BBC Radio 4 The Future for the Environment (after Covid-19) A special edition of the Mindful Mix with David Attenborough | Jess Tipton (March 2020) |
https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/podcasts - creative thoughtful conversations between climate psychologists and our friends about the climate and biodiversity crisis. | XR Educators |
https://twitter.com/BadmintonGeog (Geography Department at Badminton School) | |
https://beachangemaker.blog/2020/04/12/bookshelf-environmental-sustainability/ | |
https://www.bigdreamslittlefootprints.org/our-throwaway-society | |
The Butterfly Brothers | |
Crowdfunder to create a collection of fun and educational activity books to help children understand Sustainability Science and their impact on the world | Anna Strand, Maintenant Now |
https://www.clickview.co.uk/tv/ Lots of films and documentaries on eco themes for example: How to Change the World Horizon: How many people can live on Planet Earth The Planet Earth series The Blue Planet series Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood An Inconvenient Truth | Kerri Hicks |
Friends of the Earth | |
Top 100 films on environment, sustainability and ecology - Films for the Earth | Films for the Earth |
Greenpeace | |
https://togetherfilms.org/2040-home - 2040 film now available to rent or buy on all the usual platforms | Jess Tipton |
Best YouTube Channels for children [more than below if you follow the link] | Paul Tyler |
Fun and useful Twitter accounts suitable for all the family to followLittle Green Space 🐝 (@LGSpace) RSPB Learning (@RSPB_Learning) Dara McAnulty 🌍 (@NaturalistDara) - 16 yo autistic naturalist & writer Holly Gillibrand (@HollyWildChild) - 14 yo environmentalist, activist & writer National Trust (@nationaltrust) LizzieRDaly (@LizzieRDaly) - host of BBC Earth KidLit4Climate 🌍 (@kidlit4climate) - kids’ illustrators & authors for climate justice Chester Zoo Learning (@LearnatCZ) The School Gardener (@GrowingTeacher) NAEE in the UK (@NAEE_UK) - National Association for Environmental Education The Wombles (@womblesofficial) - Rethink, Reuse, Recycle with the Wombles #BeekeepersHour (@BeekeepersHour) | Twitter - 9-10pm daily beekeepers hour Climate Assembly UK (@NetZeroUK) FYEG (@FYEG) - Federation of Young European Greens Eddie the Elephant (@EddietheElepha3) - baby elephant who loves animals London National Park City Schools* (@LondonNpcs) Charlie Burrell (@kneppcastle) - owner of Knepp rewilded estate JAGS_Eco (@JAGS_Eco) - James Allen’s Girls’ School eco-team Darrell Wakelam (@DarrellWakelam) - freelance artist working with children https://twitter.com/RHSSchools -Royal Horticulture Society schools programme https://twitter.com/GreenTheGrid - London Front Garden Friendly group https://twitter.com/RareBirdAlertUK - UK’s longest running instant bird news service https://twitter.com/goateetiger - pictures of birds from ex-postman’s garden https://twitter.com/AnyaHartDyke - creator of eco resources for children | Jess Tipton (April, 2020) |
Facebook pagesLearning through Landscapes introduce their Home Learning and Play. Weekly guides to help you through this challenging time. Join one of the Facebook groups:- For parents https://www.facebook.com/groups/2947052738685771/ For teachers https://www.facebook.com/groups/learning.through.landscapes Daily eco project ideas for children: https://www.facebook.com/Ecowam-100990328237543/ | |
Instagram accountsWildlife, activism, social Fashion & Design @fas_rev | Alex Wrigglesworth (May 2020) |
Real-time lessons & conferences on environment/sustainability | ||
Weblink | Details | Date, format, price |
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/ https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/get-involved/register-event | Website for World Environment Day on Fri 5 June with Earth School, quizzes, competitions and opportunity to register any global digital event on the day. | Fri 5 June Free Plethora of global activities |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8slBPXTtATE&feature=youtu.be | Live webinar series for young people on the circular economy from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation. Recordings of past webinars available on YouTube | Free 7 weeks Starts Thurs 7 May |
Free, live, interactive lessons (age 8 - adult) from inspiring teachers during COVID-19. Any student with a computer of smartphone can ask questions live, respond to challenges and steer the learning! Subjects include geography & science. | Free KS2+ Live schedule & recorded | |
Leadership in Global Change is a Social Enterprise supporting teenagers (aged 15 - 18) and their teachers to thrive in the face of significant global changes. It is a collaboration between the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University, and a team of Oxford based educators and experts in sustainability. We are partnering with amazing organisations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to inspire young people to get involved to shape their own futures. | 15-18 year olds Summer Schools (postponed for 2020) | |
Ex Situ is Operation Wallacea’s virtual lecture series highlighting the work of some of the amazing scientists and naturalists that we’ve been involved with over the last 25 years. | Free Online weekly Live Q&A videos every Tuesday at 4pm | |
https://www.field-studies-council.org/2020/03/20/fsc-to-launch-fieldworklive-with-encounter-edu/ | #Fieldworklive will be a fortnight of free live lessons which will take place from , focussing on a range of Geography and Science content aimed at Primary (Ages 7-11), KS3 (Ages 11-14), GCSE (Ages 14-16), Progress GCSE to A Level (Ages 16-18). | Monday 20th April – Friday 1st May 2020 Live lessons delivered using YouTube Live and hosted through Encounter Edu. The sessions will be supported by a resource pack and follow-up webinars for teachers. |
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/national-youth-climate-summit-2020-tickets-93497013083 Recordings of talks at https://www.transform-our-world.org/national-youth-climate-summit-2020 | National Youth Climate Summit 2020 Organised by Robert Ferguson Primary School Schools and youth activists from across the UK are invited to come together to take part in our live-streamed, video conference. | Wed 22 April 2020 12:00 to 15:00 |
Digital events and resources for World Earth Day 2020 | Wednesday 22 April 2020 | |
https://montessori-mun.org/blog/2020/04/werthefuture-online-discussion-forum-progam/ Contact barbara.isaacs@montessori.org.uk to get login info | ||
Bring learning to life, and connect your students to the frontiers of knowledge, interacting directly with explorers and scientists. Each live lesson combines video-links, with teacher resources, videos and virtual reality content to create an engaging and integrated approach to learning. | Many free live lessons on various topics including ‘Science Club Live’ (6-16 April), ‘Fieldwork Live’ (20 Apr-1 May), ‘Arctic Live’ (May) and many more through 2020 | |
Fantastic series of online events with Project Drawdown | Several dates in April and May | |
The Sustainable Development Series: COVID-19 is making the future happen faster – and we need to adapt. How will our priorities change? Does fighting the virus mean neglecting the economy? What does this mean for our fight against climate change? Is there anything can we do on a personal level to help? These are just some of the questions our industry experts will answer. | Starting the week of 13th April 2020. 3 weeks of twice weekly free live lectures for high schoolers. All participants will receive a certificate upon completion of all six sessions. | |
April 22 (World Earth Day) The 24 hours of this webinar is being split into 6 sessions. Please view the timing and lists of networks presenting for each session below before registering. If you want to view the entire 24 hours, you will need to register for all sessions. | ||
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day 2020, join us online for an Earth Optimism digital event that will showcase stories of both small and large-scale actions that frame the conversation and demonstrate that success is possible. The same speakers, the same content -- digitally! | April 22-26 Now a digital event Suitable for all but teens and up would benefit most | |
Cools Seas Webinars from the Marine Conservation Society | Various dates in the summer term | |
Competitions, careers & volunteering | ||
Weblink | Details | Who for, timing |
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/latest/featured-updates | Photo competition and Essay competition for World Environment Day | Deadlines: 5 June (essay) - aged 14-24 2 Sept (photo) - any age? |
Food waste is a leading contributor to climate change. While 1/3 of all food produced is wasted a staggering 820 million people are hungry. City Harvest believes young people are the key to raising awareness of this issue to promote a sustainable future. The City Harvest Iris Goldsmith Awards celebrates young local heroes who are taking action and protecting the planet. | Schools’ nominations will recognise students (aged 13 to 18 / Years 9 to 13) who engage in projects that make a difference in reducing food waste as a tool to battle climate change. Deadline for nominations (maximum of 3 per school) by schools of 1st May. | |
Do you have a great idea in mind to improve your local community or a regional/national issue? You could set up a project yourself, with a group of friends. The project could focus on climate change, gender equality, democratic engagement, or other topics. | Groups of at least five young people anywhere in the UK. UK counts as a EU Member State. The project can last from two to 12 months and it can be part-time. You could choose to work with an experienced organisation when applying for funding or find a coach to support the group. | |
What should the London City Region look like in 20 years? Now imagine what it could and should look like. What if it was radically greener, healthier, wilder and more beautiful? What would it look like? What would it be like? We’re calling for optimists to help visualise a hopeful and possible future for the region. | You can enter on your own or in a team as a: Professional team School team University team Community team Individual aged over 21 Individual aged 21 or under Deadline 31 Oct 2020 | |
Posters, entry form and learning resources at https://www.sussexgreenliving.co.uk/environmental-education-for-lockdown-victims | Environmental education competition 'Clean-up and Create' a Bright New Future with 16 x £150 prizes to be won! Launched by Sussex Green Living and the South Downs National Park Trust. Entrants can choose to focus on littering, cleaning up the oceans or climate change - they can interpret cleaning up the world in whatever way inspires them. No size limit on their art! Deadline 10 July (might be reviewed). Any queries contact Carrie at cort@sussexgreenliving.co.uk | Suitable for schools, uniformed groups and children/young people at home. 5-16 year old categories Guides and scouts - If you take part in this competition it will go towards 2 badges. World Challenge badge, International issue and Environmental Conservation badge, Campaign. Take a photo of it and upload it to the badges at home on OSM. |
Young Entrepreneurs Club - Challenge 23rd April - 21st May Get video training each week to go with the worksheets and build your own small business by the end of the challenge, plus access to group support via live Q&A and online community. | Secondary 23rd April - 21st May £99 | |
Lots of examples of jobs with environmental angle: | ||
https://www.environmentjob.co.uk/jobs https://www.acre.com/environment-jobs https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs?keywords=Environmental https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs?keywords=Sustainability | Job search engines where you can search for environment-related jobs and courses | Year 10+ thinking about future careers |
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1azF5Wld1fQNCADWTwX337lfTKf63A2CJwosLQ0B7b9o/edit?usp=sharing | Incredible compendium of links relating to careers and courses in all sorts of environmental areas compiled by Sarah Lardner of Solihull Environment Team slardner@solihull.gov.uk | Year 10+ |
Teacher training on environment/sustainability | ||
Weblink | Details | Date, format, price |
NOW ONLINE!: A course for school & nursery teachers, forest school leaders, nature kindergarten teachers, parents and other educators to learn how to engage children in all aspects of permaculture, learning from nature with a child-led approach. | May 20th to 22nd 2020. 9am to 1pm UK (London) time. | |
CLIMATE OF EMOTIONS is a free online conference livestreaming to YouTube to engage youth and adults in a forthright conversation about feelings, the skills needed at this moment and a platform to cocreate action steps.
| Tues 21 April 2020 15:30-20:00 UK time (07:30-12:00 local time San Francisco) Free via YouTube but need to register beforehand | |
Range of online events, blogs, podcasts, handbook, news and articles from the leading group of climate psychologists. | -Online climate cafe and more… | |
Eco-anxiety teacher training event Tickets, Mon 27 Apr 2020 at 16:30 | Secondary school staff online training event on mental health issues in young people arising from the climate and ecological crises. With Caroline Hickman (Psychotherapist & Researcher, University of Bath & Climate Psychology Alliance), Clover Hogan (20-year-old climate activist, researcher on eco-anxiety and founder of Force of Nature) and Elly Hanson (psychology lead for PSHE Association). Much will be applicable to the Coronavirus situation. Organised by St Paul’s Girls’ School, W London. | Mon 27 April 2020 430-6pm Online £10 + Eventbrite fee |
Mon 15 & 22 June Free online course | ||
https://education.microsoft.com/en-us/course/72e17f8d/overview | This short course is designed for educators and all those who would like to teach children and young people about the Sustainable Development Goals. Free. | 1 hour any time Online Free |
TES Institute have partnered with WWF to create a new free CPD course for primary teachers and leaders who want to put education for sustainable development (ESD) at the heart of their school and inspire a new generation of sustainability champions. Free. | 6-8 hours any time Online Free | |
https://britishcounciluk.eu-west.catalog.canvaslms.com/browse/schools-enabling-courses | British Council Online Courses on various global topics | Online Free |
Free online courses on all sorts of topics with the Open University | Online Free | |
Education package for teachers of all subjects in Finland (in English). Explains climate change in context of each subject with exercises and visual material. Also contains tips for multidisciplinary climate education, tips for integrating climate change in education and primary level activities, and basic information about climate change and climate education. | Primary & secondary teachers | |
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-resources/Education-for-sustainability/Tools-and-resources | New Zealand Education for Sustainability programme from the Ministry of Education. Include tools and resources, including a teacher resource pack, wellbeing guide, action planner and activities. | Primary & secondary teachers |
Permaculture is about working with nature, based on deep observation and understanding of the principles which underpin natural systems. Childhood is the ideal time to get to know nature, and how nature works, through play and experimentation. Learn how to engage children in all aspects of permaculture, learning from nature with a child-led approach. | Now online For school & nursery teachers, forest school leaders, nature kindergarten teachers, parents and other educators | |
https://www.cat.org.uk/courses-and-training/graduate-school/ | The courses taught at our Graduate School of the Environment are respected across the world, providing a big-picture, integrated approach to sustainability and the knowledge, skills, inspiration and networks to make a real difference in your chosen field. | Our postgraduate modules will now only be delivered via our distance learning option. |
By Jennifer A. Rudd, Journal of Science Education and Technology, volume 29, 21 December 2019 | We designed and pilot tested “You and CO2”, a STEAM program designed to encourage students to reflect on their personal impact on the environment, while also appreciating their place within society to bring about positive societal change. We reflect here on the experience of running the You and CO2 program and on the themes that emerged from the students’ original digital fictions. | Published journal article |
Archive: Eco Website Tweets of the Day
Wednesday 27 May The Giki Zero totally free sustainable life guide is here! We were involved in trials so can vouch that it's super easy-to-use & fun way for all the family to lighten their footprint and feel great too! Get calculating at https://zero.giki.earth |
Friday 22 May The most exciting job description I've ever seen! Amazing opportunity for someone looking for an adventure in #environment #sustainability #ecology #nature #education #schools #teaching #leadership |
Wednesday 20 May Highly recommend all #primary & #secondary teachers check out the amazing work of @growgardeners. What better setting to promote #mentalhealth #leadership #confidence & #independence than a #coronavirus safe #outdoorlearning school #garden! https://twitter.com/growgardeners/status/1263423321108090882 |
Tuesday 19 May Very interesting article in @russiabeyond about #ecosystem restoration crowdfunded project in Northern Siberia #Russia that aims to slow #ClimateChange https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/331586-pleistocene-park-yakutia Find out more at https://pleistocenepark.ru @PleistocenePark #permafrost #Arctic #rewilding |
Monday 18 May Beautiful new book Wild Your Garden by @Butterfly_bros from @dkbooks worth checking out for #wildlife #habitat #bees #Butterflies #birds #nature #GardenInspiration |
Saturday 16 May |
Friday 15 May Got something inspiring going on in your garden, windowsill or balcony? Send in your videos to #GardenersWorld @GWandShows and they could be aired! Find out how: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u44012869?ptrt=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardenersworld |
Wednesday 13 May Ponds are fantastic for #nature but what if you don't have space? Find out what you need to make a #wildlife barrel pond to fit on a small patio or balcony with this great video by @_joelashton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhyUW1p4Rdw&feature=youtu.be |
Monday 11 May Learn about #wildlife & #habitats with @WWTworldwide (who run important sites like Barnes Wetland Centre @WWTLondon) at https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/home-learning-and-family-fun with resources added on Mondays |
Saturday 9 May If you missed the amazing National Youth Climate Summit hosted by @RFPrimary & @TransformSDG you can listen again at https://www.transform-our-world.org/national-youth-climate-summit-2020 @cloverhogan @Bankfieldbecky @AnotherWay_tw @globalactplan @COP26 @TNLComFund @GreenpeaceUK |
Friday 8 May We already have solutions to #ClimateChange & #environmental issues. Often far from hi-tec. Read @bemari11's super illustrated article on the #USSR #circulareconomy https://www.bemari.co.uk/blog/29/4/new-is-well-forgotten-old |
Wednesday 6 May I thought was just my personalised BBC feed but now realise it's a special focus on #ClimateChange and #coronavirus Great job @BBCNews ! Check out the excellent coverage from @RHarrabin @MattMcGrathBBC and others at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c4y3wxdx24nt/our-planet-matters |
Monday 4 May Check out wonderful #GreatSciShare #HomeLearning resources at https://www.greatscienceshare.org Super choice for this 1st week's theme = sounds of wildlife #DawnChorusDay #birdsong #wildlife #kids #STEMatHome |
Sunday 3 May Uplifting and thought-provoking message to us all right now #compassion #environment #future #thegreatrealisation Nearly 1.5m views! Thank you @probstomfoolery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5KQMXDiM4&feature=emb_logo… |
Friday 1 May Calling teenagers wanting to build a better future!! Free 7-week webinar series on #circulareconomy from @circulareconomy @ellenmacarthur starts Thurs 7 May #homelearning #economics #business #geography #STEM More info at /tinyurl.com/ycupvp4y |
Thursday 30 April https://www.climateassembly.uk - perfect for #STEM #socialsciences #PSHE especially recordings of experts covering basics of #ClimateChange #waste #energy #housing #transport #food @NetZeroUK #climateassemblyuk |
Wednesday 29 April Don't miss out on the fantastic Digital Ocean School from @sascampaigns 14-week prog for KS1-3 on #marinelife #conservation #circulareconomy culminating in summer hols project https://www.sas.org.uk/digital-ocean-school |
Tuesday 28 April Get thinking about entries for @CityHarvest_LDN Iris Goldsmith Awards celebrating #youngpeople fighting #foodwaste For Years 9-13 nominated by their #school Deadline now Fri 15 May |
Saturday 25 April Find out how it looks to live on 1 tonne of carbon per year (EU average 8t) @Privatecarfree's journal https://rosalindreadhead.wordpress.com Based on calculations by @MikeBernersLee #carbonfootprint #Sustainability |
Friday 24 April Running out of fresh veg? Can't get a food order? Like magic, you can regrow from scraps! And it works (I have a parsnip happily regrowing)!! https://foodrevolution.org/blog/reduce-food-waste-regrow-from-scraps/ #foodwaste #vegetarian #growyourown |
Thursday 23 April No1 #CitizenScience platform with #climate & #nature sections. Help identify animals in camera traps, transcribe weather data or count penguins from #SelfIsolation https://www.zooniverse.org @the_zooniverse |
Wednesday 22 April PRIZE TO TRANSFORM THE FUTURE What should the #London City Region look like in 20 years? Open to all. Enter on your own or in a #Professional #School #University #community team Deadline 31 Oct 2020 https://www.prizetotransformthefuture.org #Urban #landscape #nature |
Tuesday 21 April You can find a wide array of #environment #Sustainability and #nature related #Careers to inspire #youngpeople on the fabulous @bbcbitesize channel: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdqnxyc |
Monday 20 April So many exciting #Online #environment events this week! Tues- Climate of Emotions conf https://www.6seconds.org/climate/ Wed- National Youth Climate Summit https://www.transform-our-world.org/national-youth-climate-summit-2020 Wed to Sun- Earth Optimism Summit https://earthoptimism.si.edu Next Mon- Eco-Anxiety CPD https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eco-anxiety-teacher-training-event-tickets-96385935929 |
Sunday 19 April Now you’ve checked out @ProjectDrawdown’s top climate solutions, try out this @cnni quiz with some surprising answers: https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/04/specials/climate-change-solutions-quiz Reply with your score and any revelations! |
Saturday 18 April Lift your soul by subscribing to Kneppflix for a virtual tour of rewilded @KneppSafaris in W Sussex where rare turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons & purple emperor butterflies now breed https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIsxJG4GzHtgBXVqGPYPbPg/videos |
Friday 17 April Did you know we already have the solutions to tackle climate change? Check out the top 80 or so evidence-based actions by sector from the amazing @ProjectDrawdown at https://drawdown.org |
Thursday 16 April @gikibadges is offering sneak peeks of new #sustainableLiving guide Giki Zero - a fun, easy way to understand & reduce our #environmental footprint - with free virtual sessions: https://gikibadges.com/virtual-lesson-plans-and-home-sessions/ |
Wednesday 15 April If all the bad news is getting you down, why not dip into some recent #ClimateChange #GoodNews to help get you through. Written by @emiliebaliozian #Women4Climate mentee @c40cities founder of @climatexplained https://www.climatecommunicators.com/climatexplained |
Tuesday 14 April Test your housebound creativity in the Isolation Wildlife Photography Awards 2020. See that spider, houseplant or woodlouse in a new light! Categories for Under 12s & short films. Deadline 8 June https://www.iwpawards2020.com |
Monday 13 April Tips from Natural History Museum for recording & sharing #WildlifeFromMyWindow in a robust way that could even help #CitizenScience https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-make-and-use-a-nature-journal-to-record-your-wildlife-obs.html from https://twitter.com/NHM_London https://twitter.com/NHM_Science https://twitter.com/NHM_UKBiodiv |
Sunday 12 April Take a look at these beautiful and uplifting multilingual posters: https://conservationoptimism.org/kids-corner/ If you are bilingual, can you help translate them into other languages? from https://twitter.com/ConservOptimism |
Saturday 11 April Check out live webcams for penguins, jellyfish, sea otters, butterflies, eagles, giraffes, hippos and bears from around the world: 25 Best Nature Webcams for Science Learning at a Distance |
Compiled by Dr Jessica Tipton (April 2020-)
Partnerships and sustainability coordinator
St Paul’s Girls’ School