This land is your land
For Earth Day 2017, Earth Day Network is launching an ambitious goal of achieving global climate and environmental literacy by 2020 — the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
EDN offers online toolkits for educators and ideas to celebrate on April 22 and beyond. Visit www.earthday.org to find lesson plans for K–12 teachers, resources for higher education professionals and ideas and tips for lawmakers. There's even an "Earth Day in a box" toolkit for organizing community events. If you happen to be in Washington, D.C., April 22, EDN and the March for Science are co-organizing a rally and teach-in on the National Mall. For more info, visit www.marchforscience.com.
Share My Lesson has loads of free resources to support your Earth Day events. In "Everything's gone green: The story of Earth Day," the National Constitution Center explores the history of the environmental movement in the United States. This lesson is suited for middle school and high school students. A middle school lesson from the Nature Conservancy examines reforestation and its impact on climate. For these and other Earth Day-related lessons, visit https://sharemylesson.com/collections/earth-day.
Financial literacy
Just in time for tax day, April 15, several resources are available to teach financial literacy. Kids.usa.gov offers lessons and worksheets on explaining taxes to students in grades 5–9. For tax day resources for students in elementary school through high school, check out www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/april-15-tax-day. Resources include timelines, political cartoons, and even the tax returns of U.S. presidents and vice presidents. Finally, www.themint.org provides tools to help teach children to manage money wisely and develop good financial habits.
In Case You Missed It
Rochester teachers care
A new, three-year video project — Rochester Teachers Care by the Rochester Teachers Association — brings viewers into the heart of the classroom and into the many ways teachers educate and motivate their students every day. The first video features John- Martin Cannon, a first-year, sixth grade teacher at School 10, as he begins every school day with a talking circle. The circle provides Cannon's students with a safe and comfortable time to talk about things important to them. Watch it at nysut.org. The project was made possible through a NYSUT Solidarity Grant.
A new video of Rochester educators at work will be shared on the RTA website, RTA's Facebook page, Twitter and other social media venues every week during the school year.
Show the love for public schools
NYSUT and its coalition partners have launched a positive and pro-active statewide campaign to help you share why you're #PublicSchoolProud, and to encourage you to declare: #ILovePublicSchools! At nypublicschoolproud.org you'll find downloadable posters and profile pictures and banners for your Facebook page and other social media.
Proud of schools for deaf
A series of four posters celebrates the dedicated educators, students and their families who make New York State's schools for the deaf vibrant and constructive learning centers. NYSUT represents about 600 educators who work in the privately run, state-supported schools. You can download printable posters at www.nysut.org/posters or order via email at orders@nysutmail.org. Reference Project No. 925P_17 and include your name, mailing address, number of copies needed and a contact phone number.