Month: December 2021

My Carbon Footprint

Students follow the story of a wildfire that has caused Aunt Kitty to evacuate her home. This extreme weather event frames the inquiry into carbon footprint. Coco and her friends learn how lifestyle choices influence global warming and climate change.

Unit Overview

Through readings, activities and discussions, students follow the story of a wildfire that has caused Aunt Kitty to evacuate her home. This extreme weather event frames the inquiry into carbon footprint. Coco and her friends learn how lifestyle choices influence global warming and climate change. They also learn ways individuals and their families can decrease their carbon footprints. 

Grades

  • Kindergarten
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2

Lesson Type

In-class or online lesson

Environmental Topics

Climate Change, Disasters and Conflicts, Environmental Justice, Green Guardianship, Sustainable Human Development

Environmental Literacy Core Principles

For a summary of the environmental literacy principles and concepts embedded in this lesson series, please visit Green Guardians Environmental Literacy Core Principles.

Standards

ELA: RL.K.1, RL.K.2, SL.K.1, SL.K.2, SL.K.3, SL.K.5, SL.K.6, W.K.2, W.K.7, RL.1.1, RL.1.2, SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.3, SL.1.5, SL.1.6, L.1.4, L.1.5, W.1.2, W.1.8, RL.2.1, RL.2.3, RL.2.7, W.2.2, W.2.8, SL.2.1, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.5, SL.2.6
Math: 1.OA.A.1, 2.OA.A.1
Science: K-PS3-1, K-ESS2-1, K-ESS3-3

Guides

Teacher Guide

This project may easily be extended into optional family discussions and activities around a family’s carbon footprint and ways to reduce it. To facilitate this engagement, a family guide has been created which teachers may choose to forward to interested parents and guardians. 

Family Guide (English)

Lessons

Three lessons of 30-40 minutes each and an optional project.

Lesson 1: Disaster Strikes

Through a story and related activities, students discuss the impact of global warming on climate change and talk about wildfires as one example of an extreme weather event. They define global warming. They observe the human and environmental effects of wildfires and learn that the Earth’s climate is changing due to human activity.

Lesson Materials

Lesson 2: How Big Is My Carbon Footprint?

Through a story and related activities, students learn what a carbon footprint is and how human activity affects it. They discuss whether individuals can reduce their carbon footprint enough to make a difference in slowing global warming. They also answer questions to find out the size of their own carbon footprint and reflect on ways to make it smaller.

Lesson Materials

Lesson 3: Make a Smaller Carbon Footprint!

Through a story and related activities, students think of how they can reduce their carbon footprints, focusing on the way they use food, waste, electricity, and water at home. They find out how they can reduce their carbon footprint at home and take up Green Guardian challenges to make their carbon footprint smaller.

Lesson Materials

Winter Programs on the Hub

Winter is almost here, so we wanted to share some of the programs available this winter for K-12 students and adults through the (CAELI) Community-Based Partner Hub (the Hub)! 

Winter is almost here, so we wanted to share some of the programs available this winter for K-12 students and adults through the (CAELI) Community-Based Partner Hub (the Hub)! 

With a wide array of programs offered throughout the winter season, the Hub is a great place to start when looking for environmental education-focused field trips, virtual activities, competitions, and more! Our environmental education community-based partners have programs for students of all ages with a variety of free and fee-based opportunities.

Don’t wait to sign up for your 2021/2022 winter program! See the list of available programs below, and join the Hub to learn more!

Visit the Hub today and use the filters to find the right programs for you. Filter by program type, grade level, cost, location, and more!

Join the Hub

Winter-Only Programs

California Coastal Commission California King Tides Project – All Grades, Afterschool, School-based, Free

MEarth Winter Community Connection: December 19, 2021 – All Grades, Educational Event, Fee

Nature Detectives Winter Wisdom – Grades K-3, Afterschool, Homeschool, Professional Development, Virtual, Fee

All Programs Available on the Hub for the Winter Season

Acterra You(th) Be the Change – Grades 6-8, Afterschool, Virtual, School-based, Free 

Cabrillo National Monument – National Park Service

California Academy of Sciences Distance Learning – Grades K-8, Virtual, Free

California Coastal Commission

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Trout in the Classroom – All Grades, Field Trip, School-based, Virtual, Workshop

Camp Ocean Pines Coastal Institute – Grades K-12, Residential Camp, Field Trip, Fee

Durham Ferry Outdoor Education Center Classroom Aquarium Education Program – All Grades, School-based, Free

Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Education Branch Rock! Pattern! Systems! – Grade 4, Field Trip, School-based, Free

Heal the Bay Aquarium  Field Trips – Grades TK-12, ECE, Field Trip, Virtual, Fee

Kern Environmental Education Program Camp KEEP – Grades 5-7, Residential Camp, Fee 

Living Classroom After School/Enrichment – Grades TK-8, Fee 

Marine Science Institute  

  • Canoes in Sloughs Grades 6-12, Adults, Field Trip, Homeschool, Fee 
  • Discovery Voyage Grades 4-12, Adults, Field Trip, Homeschool, Fee 
  • Inland Voyage All Grades, Afterschool, Homeschool, School-based, Workshop Fee 
  • Shoreside All Grades, Afterschool, Field Trip, Homeschool, Fee 
  • Tidepool Grades 3-12, Adults, Afterschool, Field Trip, Homeschool, Workshop, Fee 

The Marine Mammal Center Ocean Conservation Leaders – Grades 9-12, Afterschool or Virtual, Fee 

Monterey Bay Aquarium Teacher Professional Development – Adults, Professional Development, Workshop, Free

Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Let’s Go Outdoors – All Grades, Field Trip, Free 

Napa County Resource Conservation District Acorns to Oaks – Grades 4-12, Afterschool, or school-based, Free

NatureBridge School & Group Environmental Science in Yosemite National Park – Grades 4-12, Residential Camp, Fee

Newport Whales

Sacramento Splash Investigating Vernal Pools – Grades 4-5, Field Trip, Homeschool, School-based, Virtual, Free

San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Citizen’s Science – Adults, Seniors, Family, Education Event, Field Trip, Free

SEI: Building Leaders for a Resilient World

Sonoma State University Naturalist Ed Series: Become an Osborn Naturalist – Adults, Professional Development, Field Trip, Workshop, School-based

The Bird School Project

Waterwise Community Center Instructor-led Field Trips – Grades TK-12, Field Trip, Homeschool, School-based, Free

Relevant Links

CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub

The Hub promotes environmental literacy by building educator awareness of environmental education community-based partners and their products and services and fosters educator-partner relationships for increased student enrichment and engagement.

California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)

The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.

Ten Strands

Ten Strands weaves stakeholders and strategies together into strong, focused education partnerships, with the goal of raising environmental literacy by providing high-quality environment-based learning and hands-on education to all California K–12 students. Ten Strands acts as an incubator and a catalyst to create collaborations, build capacity, and transform systems to increase their impact and sustainability.

Copyright © Green Guardians Inc.

Is Child Labor in Your Chocolate?

Chocolate is a thriving business, and big companies make a lot of money selling it. The chocolate industry is worth a whopping 135 billion dollars, and it continues to grow. However, as these big companies continue to gain bigger market shares and higher profits, millions of cacao farmers bear the costs.

Chocolate is a thriving business, and big companies make a lot of money selling it. The chocolate industry is worth a whopping 135 billion dollars, and it continues to grow. However, as these big companies continue to gain bigger market shares and higher profits, millions of cacao farmers bear the costs––earning less and less each year, well below the international poverty line. 

Cacao doesn’t grow just anywhere. The trees need hot, humid climates. That’s one reason that nearly 70% cacao trees are grown in West African countries. However, most of the money is earned after the beans leave the farmers and only when they reach the Global North, where the beans are processed and made into chocolate as we know it.  

Back on the cacao farms, farmers and their workers scrape by with an average income of less than $1.25 a day. The disparity is shocking. Cacao farmers in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ghana alone make 60% of the world’s cocoa but earn only 3-6% of its retail value. 

On this amount, they cannot afford the basic necessities. They have little food, water or shelter. They cannot afford to send their children to school and are often forced to send them to work on cacao farms for another source of income. They work to survive, and their families depend on it.  

Unfortunately, the industry takes advantage of the situation. Much of the cacao harvested for mass-produced chocolate from major companies is often done by young teens and children. In fact, as many as 1.56 million children are estimated to be working on cacao farms in West African countries.  

Cacao farming is a challenging labor-intensive process. The fruit is cut straight from the branch with a sharp blade. Then it is cracked open with a machete or a wooden mallet so that the cacao beans can be scooped out. Imagine a child doing such dangerous work! On top of that, they are exposed to chemicals daily. 

Even if conditions were safe, child labor exploits children. They can’t attend school, and they are subject to abuse, injury, malnutrition, and exhaustion as farm workers.  

We should never tolerate child labor so that the rest of the world can have cheap chocolate. But what can we do to hold the chocolate industry accountable? We can start by paying a little more for a bar of chocolate.  

Water Justice

Students look at where water comes from and the ways we use it, with a focus on who controls access to water. They are introduced to issues of fairness and actions individuals can take to help rectify inequities regarding water use.

Unit Overview

Through readings, activities and discussions, students follow the story of Coco’s Aunt Carmen whose well has inexplicably dried up. Coco learns how her aunt and cousin have been affected by the water shortage. After participating in a protest march, she is inspired to take action. Students look at where water comes from and the ways we use it, with a focus on who controls access to water. They are introduced to issues of fairness and actions individuals can take to help rectify inequities regarding water use. At school, Coco shares her experience with her friends. They talk about what it means to be an activist and learn that even children as young as they can make a difference. They are inspired to become activists themselves—water protectors.

Grades

  • Kindergarten
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2

Lesson Type

In-class or online lesson

Environmental Topics

Environmental Justice, Health, Pollution, Resource Conservation

Environmental Literacy Core Principles

For a summary of the environmental literacy principles and concepts embedded in this lesson series, please visit Green Guardians Environmental Literacy Core Principles.

Standards

ELA: RL.K.1, RL.K.2, RL.K.3, RL.K.4, RL.K.6, RL.K.7, RL.K.10, RL.1.1, RL.1.2, RL.1.3, RL.1.4, RL.1.7, RL.1.10, RL.2.1, RL.2.3, RL.2.4, RL.2.6, RL.2.7
HSS: HSS-K.3, HSS-K.6.3, HSS-1.2.4, HSS-1.5.1, HSS-2.4.3
Science: K-ESS3-3

Guides

Teacher Guide

This project may easily be extended into optional family discussions and activities around a family’s use of water. To facilitate this engagement, a family guide has been created which teachers may choose to forward to interested parents and guardians.

Family Guide (English)

Lessons

Three lessons of 30-40 minutes each. 

Lesson 1: All Dried Up

Through a story and related activities, students are introduced to the concept of inequity. Coco and her mother get word that Aunt Carmen’s well has dried up. She lives in the next county, not too far away. They drive over with cases of bottled water, passing well-watered fields and golf courses. Through interactions with her cousin Carlos, Coco comes to understand how much she takes water for granted. She learns about a serious problem: unequal access to water.

Lesson Materials

Lesson 2: A Fight For Our Rights 

Through a story and related activities, students are introduced to water insecurity and how our actions contribute to it. Carlos’s friend Moki arrives to pick up Carlos for the water rally. But Carlos is sick due to the bad water he drank right before the well dried up, so Coco attends the march instead. The experience makes Coco aware of the inequities of water use in her area and spurs her to take action. When water is not shared equally, certain groups of people are disproportionately affected. Water is a basic necessity, and everyone has a right to it.

Lesson Materials

Lesson 3: Water Protectors  

Through a story and related activities, students learn about activism. Back home, Coco’s classmates want to hear all about the march. Coco shares a poem she heard at the rally, recited by a young activist named Una. The children discuss it, define “activism”, and realize that young people can become activists, too. They vow to save water and to call on others to join them as Water Protectors.

Lesson Materials