Sustainable Intelligence: Elementary School
Summary
These lessons set the stage for students to develop sustainable intelligence. Students begin by playing an interactive game that illustrates how innocent actions can turn into unsustainable practices that impact everyone and the Earth we call home. Students then watch a video and learn what the term sustainability means and begin exploring specific sustainable and unsustainable things they do at school and at home.
Modules
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Water: Kindergarten: Sensing Water
This lesson sets the stage for students to develop sustainable intelligence. They begin by playing an interactive game that illustrates how innocent actions can turn into unsustainable practices that impact everyone and the Earth we call home. Students then watch a video and learn what the term sustainability means and…
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Water: Grades 1-2: Why Love Water
This lesson centers on a deeper exploration of the water footprint associated with food. Students learned in Lesson 1 that virtual water, especially as it relates to food, typically makes up the majority of their water footprint. In this lesson, they find out why. First, they see an attention-grabbing demonstration…
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Water: Grades 3-4: Precious Water
This lesson centers on a deeper exploration of the water footprint associated with food. Students learned in Lesson 1 that virtual water, especially as it relates to food, typically makes up the majority of their water footprint. In this lesson, they find out why. First, they see an attention-grabbing demonstration…
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Energy: Kindergarten: What is Energy?
In this lesson, students learn that framing our energy habits and choices in terms of a “carbon footprint” can help us understand our individual impact on the global environment. They conduct a personal eco-audit to investigate how their own energy usage results in carbon being released into the atmosphere. After…
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Energy: Grades 1-2: Energy in Action
In this lesson, students learn that framing our energy habits and choices in terms of a “carbon footprint” can help us understand our individual impact on the global environment. They conduct a personal eco-audit to investigate how their own energy usage results in carbon being released into the atmosphere. After…
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Energy: Grades 3-4: Energy is Everywhere!
In this lesson, students learn that framing our energy habits and choices in terms of a “carbon footprint” can help us understand our individual impact on the global environment. They conduct a personal eco-audit to investigate how their own energy usage results in carbon being released into the atmosphere. After…
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Waste: Kindergarten: Waste Matters
In this lesson, students look below the surface of the natural world to catch a glimpse of nature’s recyclers. They learn how organisms in nature help dead plants and animals rot and turn into something useful. They learn the term decomposer and look at several examples of common decomposers. Students then work…
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Waste: Grades 1-2: Waste Not, Want Not
In this lesson, students look below the surface of the natural world to catch a glimpse of nature’s recyclers. They learn how organisms in nature help dead plants and animals rot and turn into something useful. They learn the term decomposer and look at several examples of common decomposers. Students then work…
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Waste: Grades 3-4: Trash or Treasure
Lesson 3.1: Little Landfill (Estimated time needed: Two 40-minute sessions plus five minutes per day for five days and one final 10-minute discussion.)In this lesson, students learn that waste does not just go away after it is thrown in a trash can; it ends up in a landfill or a…
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Food: Kindergarten: Wonderful World of Plants
In this lesson, students begin to understand the great importance of seeds and to assume the role of Seed Guardians. In the first session, students examine a variety of seeds and identify foods that contain seeds and foods that do not contain seeds. Students conclude the session by becoming guardians…
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Food: Grades 1-2: Nature Knows Best
In this lesson, students begin to understand the great importance of seeds and to assume the role of Seed Guardians. In the first session, students examine a variety of seeds and identify foods that contain seeds and foods that do not contain seeds. Students conclude the session by becoming guardians…
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Food: Grades 3-4: I am What I Eat
In this lesson, students begin to understand the great importance of seeds and to assume the role of Seed Guardians. In the first session, students examine a variety of seeds and identify foods that contain seeds and foods that do not contain seeds. Students conclude the session by becoming guardians…
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Air: Kindergarten: Air All Around Me
Lesson 1.1: Sensing Air (Estimated time needed: Two 45-minute sessions)In this lesson, students discover that air is everywhere, and they explore the fact that most living things on Earth depend upon it for their very existence. They learn that it is challenging to observe air with our senses because in its…
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Air: Grades 1-2: Clean Air Guardians
Lesson 2.1: Breathe In, Breathe Out! (Estimated time needed: 50 minutes)In this lesson, students watch a short video to learn the basic components of the respiratory system. Then they use what they’ve learned to complete a puzzle. Next, students participate in a guided breathing exercise that allows them to feel…
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Air: Grades 3-4: Sensing Quality Air
Lesson 3.1: Air Is There (Estimated time needed: Two 50-minute sessions)In this lesson, students explore air as a type of matter. In the first session, they watch a presentation that defines matter as anything that takes up space. They learn about the three common states of matter and see and…
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Public Spaces: Kindergarten: Space in Places
In this lesson, students explore the importance of respecting both people and places by learning about personal space, public and private spaces, and shared responsibility for community environments. Through stories, hands-on activities, role-playing, and discussions, students learn to recognize and respect personal boundaries, distinguish between public and private spaces and…
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Public Spaces: Grades 1-2: Great Spaces
In this lesson, students deepen their understanding of ownership, stewardship, and respect for public spaces by exploring who is responsible for caring for shared environments and how individual actions impact the community. Through interactive games, neighborhood investigations, and collaborative projects, students examine the qualities of well-maintained public spaces, evaluate real-world…
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Public Spaces: Grades 3-4: The Importance of Public Spaces
In this lesson, students expand their understanding of public spaces by exploring their variety, ecological importance, and the ways people can protect and improve them. Through storytelling, hands-on investigations, and interactive simulations, students examine the many roles public spaces play in their communities, discover how living and nonliving elements work…
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Transportation: Kindergarten: Bodies in Motion
In this lesson, students learn the history of transportation from “then to now.” They explore how innovators across time have figured out new—and progressively quicker—ways to get from one place to another. Students examine the history of transportation via animal, the invention of the wheel, and the pros and cons…
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Transportation: Grades 1-2: Let’s Ride Together
In this lesson, students learn the history of transportation from “then to now.” They explore how innovators across time have figured out new—and progressively quicker—ways to get from one place to another. Students examine the history of transportation via animal, the invention of the wheel, and the pros and cons…
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Transportation: Grades 3-4 Transportation Trends
In this lesson, students learn the history of transportation from “then to now.” They explore how innovators across time have figured out new—and progressively quicker—ways to get from one place to another. Students examine the history of transportation via animal, the invention of the wheel, and the pros and cons…
