Online Environmental Education Resources for Educators

Below is a running list of resources that may be useful to Educators during school closures. If you know of additional resources that should be featured email info@baybackpack.com

MWEE Distance Learning Supplement

• The Distance Learning Supplement to the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience is a document created by Earth Force to help educators facilitating MWEEs transition to distance learning environments.

Professional Development

• MWEE 101: This course introduces the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience through engaging modules, videos, and discussion questions. There is CPD/ CEU/ Act 48 credit associated with this course.
• MWEE 201: The purpose of this course is to support school-based education providers (classroom teachers, support staff, and administrators) and field or site-based program providers (for example, non-formal education providers) as they develop a deep understanding of the goals, design, and implementation of the MWEE model for environmental education, student achievement, and stewardship.
• Virtual Climate Change Teacher PD: National Wildlife Federation, Project WET, and Project WILD have co-created a free, self-paced virtual Climate Education course for educators. The focus is on climate change and biodiversity/wildlife and includes the following topics of study: earth systems; climate vs. weather; phenology; extreme weather; biodiversity; soils; and oceans. The course is currently open through June 1. Upon completion, educators will receive free lessons from all three organizations. Register here.

Webinars

• The NOAA Environmental Training Center hosts regular training sessions. Visit their website for a list of upcoming events.

Planning Resources

Are you interested in using your time at home to get ahead on planning? Explore these classroom resources for ideas.

• Bay Backpack Teaching Resources: Check out all of the over 650 Teaching Resources featured on Bay Backpack. You can filter by grade, subject, keywords and more.
• National Estuarine Research Reserve Estuary Curriculum and Classroom Activities: Bring estuarine science into the classroom through hands-on learning, experiments, fieldwork, and data explorations.
• Eco-Schools USA Resource Library: Library of curriculum, activities, and leadership opportunities engage students in education for sustainable development.

Distance Learning Lessons

• FieldScope Do at Home Inquiry Activities with Data: BSCS Science Learning has responded to the current situation by transforming a new set of citizen science lessons designed for classrooms into student-directed versions that can be done independently from home.
• NEEF Environmental Education at Home: list of resources includes selected NEEF toolkits and activity guides that require minimal outdoor time.

Online Platforms

• Edmodo: An online teaching platform that allows educators to share content and stay in touch with students and parents.
• Flipgrid: Engage your students through short video responses to prompts you create.

General ELL/ ESL Resources

Not all of these resources are centered around Environmental Education.

• PBS Learning Media: Documents, interactive resources, and videos in Spanish.

Other Lists

While not all within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, we hope these other lists can also help you.

• NAEE Online Learning Tools and Resources: This site includes a list of resources designed to keep learners of all ages interested and engaged during the crisis, from hands-on activities and lesson plans to websites, virtual tours, and more.
• Alliance for NJ Environmental Education: Remote hub of lessons and activities broken down by grade level.
• MI Deparment of Natural Resources: Natural and Historical Education Resources for Home.
• NC Environmental Education: Click on the blue bar at the top of the page to visit a searchable database of online teaching resources and online professional development options for educators. Select “COVID-19 Education Support” under “Resource Type.”
• Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators: Teaching Environmental Education at Home.
• NY Department of Environmental Conservation: Caregiver, Parent, & Educator Resources While at Home.