EARTH DAY!

Earth Day is upon us and each year it becomes more imperative that we celebrate Mother Earth and all of her bounty. And what better way to celebrate than to educate? 

Whether you are meeting your class in person or through remote or distance learning, you can still celebrate and educate how to properly care for our planet. 

Infographics are a relatively new type of text that has become increasingly popular in publications such as newspapers, websites, and even textbooks. Its increased use thus necessitates instruction and inclusion into the classroom. 

Infographics are also a fun way for students to learn about important topics affecting the environment and work together to demonstrate their understanding. 

The SHARE THE EARTH INFOGRAPHIC BUNDLE is, like our planet, growing. Right now, seven products are available, but it will grow to include 10 infographic products focused on topics affecting the planet. Some of the more salient topics include single-use plastic such as water bottles and plastic bags, fast-fashion, wildfires, and GMO / non-GMO / GMO additives.

SHARE THE EARTH INFOGRAPHIC BUNDLE

The next two topics to be included in this growing bundle are overpopulation and pollution, two topics that significantly impact our planet.

The image below is of carbon monoxide and how it plays a role in climate change and pollution.

NASA IMAGES

The image below is of A WHALE SHARK. It is endangered.

I also have an Earth Day product that focuses on animals: EARTH DAY ANIMAL BUNDLE.

EARTH DAY ANIMAL BUNDLE

Each product in these bundles contain infographic worksheets as PDFs that can be printed or uploaded. The recommended printing size is 11 x 17. Also included is a link to the infographic worksheet for students to use interactively on Google Classroom or other online platforms. In addition to both the print and interactive versions of the infographic, there are several links that are included to provide more information on each subject. In my Share the Earth Bundle there are links in each product, and there is an information sheet as a bonus file in my Earth Day Animal Bundle. Whether you’re using the print or interactive version, each product requires no prep and is ready to go! 

Google Classroom and other Google products such as Google Docs and Slides are very effective in delivering instruction remotely. One of the reasons why I like these bundles and these products so much is that they are versatile in how you can apply them to your classroom. You can use them in person or through online platforms, but you can also use them in a variety of settings including homework, group work, class review, research prompts, and even emergency lesson plans. 

Teaching remotely can be a challenge, especially if, as a teacher, you are accustomed to meeting in person with your students. However, with no-prep activities like my Share the Earth Bundle and my Earth Day Animal Bundle, you can still engage students in important topics and discussions just as you did before. 

It is my sincere hope that you find these activities both engaging and intellectually stimulating for your students, as well as helpful!

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Thanks for visiting and HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!

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WALK THE WALK TIP #3

HEY TEACHERS, DON'T JUST TALK THE TALK!

WALK THE WALK TIP #3

STOP BUYING FAST FASHION!

"The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined."

That’s because ‘fast fashion’ now emphasizes quantity and speed instead of quality and environmental protection.

Let’s take a look at jeans - they have democratized the world and everybody loves to wear them, but do we have any idea what the REAL cost is?  

According to a new documentary, RiverBlue our ‘passion for fashion’ is impacting both people and the environment – 65% of the chemicals used to make jeans  (cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, copper and manganese) are absorbed into our skin.  These chemicals don't stay put. They can also be transported to our North American oceans, atmosphere and food chains and accumulates in places far away from their original source

Watch the powerful trailer here: (RiverBlue)

Here are some interesting facts about ‘fast fashion’:

Clothing manufacture has roughly doubled since 2000 and now we only keep our clothes for half as long.  

In Europe, fashion companies went from an average offering of two collections per year in 2000 to five in 2011.

A lot of this clothing ends up in the dump. The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second…..up to 85% of textiles go into landfills each year. 

Washing clothes, releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.  And by the way – many of these fibres are polyester which releases 2 to 3 times more carbon emissions than cotton.

But we can make a difference:

• Ask before you buy – for instance, there are clothing manufacturers who are making distress jeans in innovative ways.  Watch out for Jeanologia and Boyish Jeans.   
• Try cutting down on the new clothes you buy – just think of the money you could save and what you could do with it instead.  No one actually needs 4 pairs of new jeans a year (this adds up to 6 billion pairs of jeans a year world wide).

• Become a ‘thrifty.’ You’d be amazed what you can find in consignment and thrift stores and what’s more, it’s fun!

• And if you haven’t got time to go consignment shopping try buying online with these online retailers trying to change the world of FAST FASHION:

35 Ethical & Sustainable Clothing Brands Betting Against Fast Fashion

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HEY TEACHERS, DON'T JUST TALK THE TALK!

WALK THE WALK TIP #1

STOP USING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES!

I am amazed at how many teachers still use plastic water bottles!!!  

The environmental crisis is becoming a global catastrophe.  Be on the winning side and practice what you preach!

How did we get here and what can we do about it - particularly in the classroom?  For the next several months I will post some ideas on what we can do so we don't just talk the talk!  Sign up here to be notified of new posts and receive an ENDANGERED SPECIES INFOGRAPHIC assignment for free!

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Paper or plastic? That was the question in the 1980’s when plastic shopping bags began replacing paper in large chain grocery stores. Plastic bags were stronger, cheaper, and easier to carry than paper bags. The movement was wildly successful. Plastics became the shopping bag of choice. And, there was a popular belief that plastic was better for the environment than paper. At a time when environmentalists were protesting clear-cutting and deforestation, plastic bags made consumers feel like they could have a positive impact on the environment. Plastic meant saving trees and it was supposed to be recyclable. A win-win! Or so we thought.

Now 40 years later, plastic shopping bags, disposable water bottles, and plastic packaging is overwhelming our ecosystem.  In fact, according to a 2018 United Nations Environment Programme report on single-use plastics, almost 80% of all plastic waste now resides in landfills or is littering the environment. The promise of plastics recycling has turned out to be more fairy tale than anything else.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

The growing burden of plastic waste is a big problem with big ramifications, and the world is stepping up.

As of June, over 60 nations have begun to tackle the single-use plastic issue via taxes or outright bans. Some, like Canada and India, have pledged to ban single-use plastics within a few years.

The European Union has pinpointed the top ten plastic items found on European beaches and voted to ban them by 2021, as well as voting on measures to increase recycling to 90% by 2025.  Many companies, determined to show environmental leadership, have eliminated plastic straws, Styrofoam and single-use plastics from their products and moved towards compostable materials.

National Geographic maintains a web page that tracks action taken against plastics pollution and updates it when significant measures are announced. Many cities, nations, and organizations are already listed, and more will be added as others join the fight.  CLICK TO READ MORE:

WE MADE PLASTIC.

WE DEPEND ON IT.

NOW WE’RE

DROWNING

IN IT. 

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WHY ORGANIC MAKES SENSE

WHY ORGANIC MAKES SENSE

(EVEN ON OUR SALARY)

Organic used to be a buzzword and the smallest produce shelf in special grocery stores. But the more we learn about exposure to pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals in and on our foods, the more relevant this word has become. No longer a fringe trend, organic has become a major lifestyle choice, holds space in mainstream grocery stores and social movement. For many, organic isn’t just about not wanting chemicals on our food and in our bodies, it’s concern about chemical damage to the environment and a rejection of genetically modified foods and/or about more humane treatment of animals on farms. 

The long-term benefits of producing organic food are undeniable: cleaner land, air, water, food and therefore, a cleaner us. But in the short-term, organic isn’t always an option for everyone due to the costs that are passed down to consumers - eating organic can be expensive!

The higher cost of organic growing isn’t just about companies trying to profit from a trend. Organic foods cost more to produce. That seems a bit backward when our earth was made to grow plants and feed livestock organically. But through the years, the application of chemicals and fertilizers in conventional farming has increased yields in shorter time frames, reduced labor costs, prevented crop losses from pest infestation. In Organic farming, controlling pests is much harder and more labour intensive activity.  Also organic fertilizers are not able to compete with the yields that chemical fertilizers can produce.  This means a more labor-intensive, costly farming operation. These features make organic farming more expensive than conventional. 

There is a very strong focus, especially amongst millennials, towards environmental conservation.  This makes organic a much more mainstream way of life.

Some common reasons for going organic include: 

It’s more humane —"farm factories” are farms where animals are kept in extremely tiny and cramped quarters.  In many cases the animals hardly have room to turn around let alone move freely.  These conditions are inhumane for the animals and there is a growing movement against this type of farming and towards organic animal husbandry that allows a reasonable existence for the animals even if they are being raise for slaughter.

Unknown effects of GMOs — The jury is still out when it comes to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Many authorities indicate that GMOs are perfectly safe, while others claim that there are concerns that many are overlooking. While GMOs have been created for positive reasons, like pest-resistance and larger yield, the fact is the long-term effects on our health and environment are still unknown. 

Chemicals, Chemicals, Chemicals — Tests show that consuming plants treated with pesticides and other chemicals leaves residues in and on the vegetables and fruits which results in chemicals in our bodies. Some have been linked to cancer and other diseases and, while the trace amount we get from fruits and vegetables may not be deemed to be enough to link it to cancers, many consumers are not willing to take that risk. 

Growth hormones — Livestock raised on traditional farms are frequently treated with growth hormones to increase production. Some experts have linked those hormones to earlier puberty in adolescent girls and related physiological effects. 

Antibiotic overuse — Livestock in crowded “farm factory” conditions frequently suffer from transmissions of serious infections.  Long-term, regular use of antibiotics is a standard part of animal husbandry in these farms as a prophylaxis against constant infections.  Farmers also like using antibiotics as they increases animal size.  Ironically, the habitual use of antibiotics has been the single greatest contributor to antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in humans and is creating a deadly environment for people who contract infections that can no longer effectively be treated with typical antibiotics. 

The cost of clean

Buying organic isn’t always simple, whatever your reasons. And it’s most always more expensive than buying conventional food. Given that, be selective and choose organic when buying some items.  For example, some fruits and vegetables have built-in protection in the form of thick or inedible skins, while others by their very nature are more likely to absorb pesticides.

If you want to eat organic selectively to eliminate items most vulnerable to chemical residues, or to ease the strain on your wallet, here are some general guidelines. 

Start by buying these foods organic:

Beef

Cattle on conventional factory farms are frequently given both antibiotics and growth hormones so they grow bigger, faster, producing more meat and milk without disease. Most are housed with thousands of other cattle in tight quarters with no room to graze or, in some cases, to even lay down. Because of the crowded living situation, these cattle are more prone to disease and are also treated with antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease. The inhumane living conditions partnered with the double-whammy of growth hormones and antibiotics makes beef one of the products most recommended to buy organic.

Pork and poultry

Poultry and pigs have a similar plight to cattle - raised in conventional factory farms and also routinely treated with antibiotics to avoid the spread of disease and increase size.  This contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Avoiding the overuse of antibiotics in any arena is smart.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!

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