Educator and Family Toolkits

Activities, Experiences and Resources for Use with Children

By culling the suggested materials for themes, topics, and activities and relying heavily on multi-sensory teaching strategies field-tested by Dimensions Foundation, these two Toolkits were created over the course of 2009-2010. These materials were then reviewed by selected professionals in each of the key areas, and produced in English, with activities translated in Arabic and Spanish.

Toolkit Bibliography for Educators

ArvindGuptaToys.com
This web site has photos of toys made from trash. It also has lists of web sites in several languages that encourage creative repurposing of everyday household items.

Andy Goldsworthy
Look at some of the works of British sculptor and environmentalist, Andy Goldsworthy, for inspiration from his Digital Catalogue.

Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation website has information on the wind-related conservation benefits of planting trees for homeowners and farmers. Conifer trees can serve as a windbreak to protect homes from winds and conserve energy.

Audubon Society
Audubon Society provides scientific information and guidance on bird conservation. It also has more information on how to create healthy outdoor environments that attract birds.

Avian Biology: Everything You Wanted to Know About Birds

Center for Ecoliteracy

Community Investment Collaborative for Kids, Creating Playgrounds for Early Childhood Facilities (PDF)

Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices

Earth 911 on Composting

eHow on Rain Barrels
Go to this website for photos and instructions for creating a rain barrel.

Global Water Challenge
This Global Water Challenge Initiative website provides information about their work towards innovative solutions for water delivery and sanitation worldwide.

Going Green: Environmental Tips

Green Learning Canada
This Canadian website has scientific information on how wind energy is generated, captured, and its potential uses.

Guide to Container Gardening

Keep Nature Beautiful International Nature Conservation

Kids Health-Nemours Foundation

Monarch Watch

National Geographic – Soil

National Geographic’s web site section, Geopedia Soil: A Dirty Word, provides succinct information and further references on the value of healthy soil.
National Geographic – Birds

GeoPedia is a companion site to National Geographic Magazine and is a good source for information on birds. Click here to find more microscopic photos of nature.

Natural Resources Conservation Service
The United States Natural Resources Conservation Service helps you learn more about water conservation where you live and work through “Backyard Conservation” tips in both English and Spanish.

Oregon Environmental Council

Plant Cultures: Exploring Plants and People

Project Learning Tree
Project Learning Tree has an annotated bibliography of energy education web sites and many more resources available to assist educators and students in learning more about energy. It provides information from a variety of perspectives.

Pollinator Partnership
Pollinator Partnership is a source for pollinator action in North America specifically. It includes information on the role pollinators play in biodiversity.

Resourceful Schools Project

Seeds As Food

Smithsonian Natural History Museum

The Nature Conservancy
This web site has information on harnessing solar energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The World of Soil
The World of Soil has information on soil types and care.

United States Department of Agriculture
Eat Smart. Play Hard. Healthy Lifestyle

United States Energy Information Administration
This United States Department of Energy website for kids offers information on wind and other renewable energy sources.

University of Washington Center for Public Health
Why Child Care Matters for Obesity Prevention

U.S. Forest Service
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service is a source for information on planting and caring for wildflowers and all types of pollinator plants.

The Pale Blue Dot
Watch and listen to Dr. Carl Sagan’s The Pale Blue Dot on this YouTube clip. The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of planet Earth taken in 1990 by Voyager 1 from a record distance, showing it against the vastness of space. By request of Carl Sagan, NASA commanded the Voyager 1 spacecraft, having completed its primary mission and now leaving the Solar System, to turn its camera around and to take a photograph of Earth across a great expanse of space. In 2001, this photograph was selected by Space.com as among the top ten space science photographs.