Resource Library

Students examine the basic purpose and work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the involvement of African Americans in the CCC. They focus on issues such as the benefits gained and problems faced by African Americans who worked in the CCC and the attitude and approach of different New Deal officials towards the black men in the CCC.

"The National Parks: America’s Best Idea," is a six-episode documentary directed by Ken Burns. It is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence - and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. The series began on Sept. 27, 2009 on PBS.

Hands on the Land is a national network of field classrooms connecting students and teachers to their public lands and waterways. On the Web site, you can: search for Hands on the Land member sites by agency, state or keyword; access educator resources including curriculum, lesson plans and other materials; browse environmental monitoring programs to see how students are helping to protect our land, air and water and participate in e-Learning courses for students and teachers, including online field trips.

In this lesson students will learn that there is more to music than the musicians; the quality and craftsmanship of the instruments are also important. After examining the craftsmanship of high-quality acoustic guitars and discussing the importance of behind the scenes music careers, students will turn their attention to how instrument production affects local and international economies and ecologies.

Learn about how many plants and trees can store massive amounts of carbon. Forests, such as the one depicted in Australia can reduce the amounts of carbon in the air if they are left standing. This video from Forecast Earth and The Weather Channel, show how some of our renewable resources can be put to use for fighting climate change.

This site contains translated material for teaching about the environment in Spanish. Website includes environmental stories, messages and facts. 

Help students develop a better understanding of the complexity of environmental issue using forest related examples. Students will examine issues objectively, collect and analyze data, and become involved in decision making experiences. Students can learn how to produce a cogent argument and build rhetoric skills to present a point.

Students will examine ecological systems of a forest, analyze interdependencies within a forest ecosystem, and explore factors, like fire, that shape the development of forests. Many solutions in forest management are found by taking a multifaceted approach to problem solving.

People have continually tried to incorporate nature into the urban environment with parks, landscaping, and other efforts. The US Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station investigates how urban forests and their management affect human health and environmental quality. The US Forest Service also provides information regarding their research.

This module looks at invasive species, case studies around protecting areas from development, analysis of the pros and cons of using pesticides and related topics. This site is developed by Project Learning Tree.

This lesson is correlated to National Science and Social Studies Standards.