Activity 17: People of the Forest
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To the Mbuti of Africa, the Pesch of Latin America, and other peoples around the world, the forest is home. More than just a place to live, the forest provides their basic needs. By comparing and contrasting different forest peoples, both past and present, your students can learn about some of the ways people have depended on forests throughout history.
This is one of 96 activities that can be found in PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide. To get the activity, attend a training either in person or online and receive PLT’s PreK-8 Guide.
The PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide is a supplementary curriculum that is multi-disciplinary, with an emphasis on science, reading, writing, mathematics, and social studies.
Each activity displays explicit connections to practices and concepts expected by the following national academic standards so teachers can easily see where the materials will fit into their lesson plans:
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- Common Core Toolkit, includes
- English Language Arts (CCSS.ELA)
- Mathematics (CCSS.MATH)
- College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies (C3)
Our professional development further demonstrates these connections, as well as to state and local standards, contact your state coordinator.
Circle Unbroken: The Story of a Basket and Its People
Circle Unbroken: The Story of a Basket and Its People Grades K-2 and 3-5 Written by: Margot Theis Raven Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis Published by: Square Fish, New York, 2004 ISBN-13: 978-0312376031 Recommended Reading A young girl sits in her grandmother’s lap and learns how to sew a basket made of natural sweetgrass. The... Read more »
Wishtree
Wishtree Grades 3-5 and 6-8 Written by: Katherine Applegate Illustrated by: Charles Santoso Published by Feiwel and Friends (Macmillian), 2017 ISBN-13: 978-1-250043-22-1 Recommended Reading This book’s narrator is a “two hundred and sixteen rings old” oak tree named Red. Red is a community wishing tree—and every May 1, adults and children alike bring their... Read more »
A Walk on the Tundra
A Walk on the Tundra Grades 3-5 Written by: Rebecca Hainnu and Anna Ziegler Illustrated by: Qin Leng Published by Inhabit Media Inc., 2011 ISBN-13: 978-1-926569-43-7 Recommended Reading Have you ever picked a flower because it tastes tangy and sweet? Have you learned how to prepare your grandmother’s most delicious meals? Do you know... Read more »
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? Ages 3 and up. ISBN: 0873588282 Published by Cooper Square Publishing LLC, 2003 Authored by Carmela LaVigna Coyle Illustrated by Mike Gordon Recommended Reading Do you ever wonder if princesses… climb trees? eat vegetables? play in the dirt? wear torn jeans and a messy old shirt? At the... Read more »
EE Resources
The State of the World’s Forests 2020
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has monitored the world’s forests at 5 to 10-year intervals since 1946. The State of the World’s Forests 2020–Forests, Biodiversity and People, examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. For the first... Read more »
The Fresh Air App
Download the Fresh Air – Hyperlocal Weather & NOAA Radar Map app to explore the weather around you using data from the U.S. NOAA Weather radar map. Visualize local temperature, precipitation, wind, and more with daily weather notifications.
DooF: Nutrition Education Materials
DooF (“food” spelled backwards) is a fast-paced television series that teaches students ages 6-11 about where food comes from and interests them in good food, because it’s healthy and tastes good! The accompanying website, www.foodbackwards.com, offers recipes, food-related videos and stories, a blog, and food-literacy materials.
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
Using the USDA-sponsored Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Website, students can learn about local and regional food systems, read case studies, watch videos, and see pictures from the field. Students can also use the interactive Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass to discover local and regional USDA-supported food projects in communities across the... Read more »
The Place Where You Live
Orion magazine has reinstated its popular column called “The Place Where You Live.” This is a space where students and educators can share thoughts and experiences related to their communities or personal places. First-hand feelings are shared, such as what connects individuals to their special place, the history it holds, their hopes and fears for... Read more »
Canopy in the Clouds
This website provides an immersive video experience that presents an up-close look at a tropical montane cloud forest. Visitors click on numbered links to access video clips and background information for teachers and information for grades 6-8 on topics such as water, weather, soils, ecology, and the science processes. Canopy in the Clouds is also... Read more »
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