Activity 74: People, Places, Things
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By taking a closer look at their community, students can gain an appreciation for its structure and complexity. In this activity, students will develop a deeper understanding of the many people, places, and things on which they depend every day.
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.
Islandborn
Islandborn Age Range 5-8 years Written by: Junot Diaz Illustrated by: Leo Espinosa Published by: Penguin, New York, 2018 ISBN-13: 978-0735229860 Recommended Reading This book gracefully grapples with challenges of immigration. The main character, a 6-year-old girl named Lola, moved to the United States with her family when she was so young that... 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 »
Song of the Trees
Song of the Trees Grades 6-8 ISBN-13: 978-0142500750 Puffin Books, 1975; reissue edition, 2003 Authored by Mildred D. Taylor Recommended Reading It’s the 1930s in rural Mississippi. The people are black and white, but the issues that surround them are not. You have three brothers– one older and two younger– and you remember a... Read more »
The Three Questions
The Three Questions Grades K to Grade 3 ISBN-10: 0439199964 Scholastic Press, 2002 Recommended Reading A young boy named Nikolai seeks the answers to three essential questions. He immediately turns to his three animal friends and asks them: When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is... Read more »
The Gardener
The Gardener Published: 1997 Author: Sarah Stewart Illustrator: David Small Genres: Picture book, Children’s literature Recommended Reading Set in the 1930’s Depression, young Lydia Grace Finch spends her days in the country gardening with her grandmother. When her Papa loses his job and no one buys her Mama’s dresses any longer, Lydia Grace is... 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
PLT’s 12 Green Job Fact Sheets
Learn more about the wide array of jobs related to forests with PLT’s 12 Green Jobs Fact Sheets, which highlights the following green jobs: Forester, Environmental Educator, GIS Specialist, Indigenous Relations Specialist, Forestry Technician, Park Ranger, Hydrologist, Silviculture Technician, Urban Forester, Machine Operator, Wildlife Biologist, and Sustainability Manager. Green jobs offer opportunities for people with... Read more »
Detroit Parks Coloring Pages
Learn what makes a city park great, such as local wildlife, spaces for public enjoyment, and community activities, with this Detroit Parks Coloring Book. Use these coloring pages (available for download, print, and color) for students to explore the parks around the city of Detroit, Michigan. Then, discuss with students ways your community might conserve... Read more »
Virtual Field Trip
Take your students on an upcoming Virtual Field Trip. Hosted by Discover Education, virtual field trips allow your students to immerse themselves in unique learning experiences. Explore the National Archives, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, or learn more about conservation with a “Futureland” demonstration.
Environmental Justice – EPA’s Data and Mapping Tool
EJ SCREEN is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool that combines environmental and demographic indicators to provide interesting and important regional data related to public health and environmental quality. By clicking anywhere on the map, users can view an area’s ozone levels, traffic concentrations, lead paint indicators, and more. EJSCREEN can assist in the... Read more »
Nature’s Alphabet
Where is A? Where is Z? Under a rock? In a tree? Go outside and see. Invite children to use this pictorial guide to discover the alphabet in nature.
Geoscience Career Videos
The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) has put together two new videos that highlight potential paths for high school students interested in a geoscience career. The first video titled Groundwater Careers includes interviews with college students and professionals who discuss their field work, lab work, and passion for becoming an environmentalist. The second video titled Groundwater is Cool provides important facts,... Read more »
Earth from Space
This Smithsonian Institution website provides students (and teachers!) access to views of conditions and events on earth that are nearly impossible to document from the Earth’s surface. The site proves interactive; explaining how satellite imagery is gathered and used to better understand the world around us.
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 »
Agents of Discovery – Free Mobile App
The Agents of Discovery Mobile Game is a place-based, environmental education game for iOS and Android devices that blends best practices in gaming industry technology with experiential outdoor education. It is designed to connect youth with nature, educate them about local ecosystems, and promote physical activity using readily accessible technologies. After downloading the free app,... Read more »
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