Resource Library

The 2011 Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD, sponsored by Fulbright Japan, will provide up to 48 U.S. teachers and administrators with the opportunity to travel to a three-day conference in the U.S. and to Japan for two weeks to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries.  The program is fully-funded with the exception of some meals.  ESD is “a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources,” according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service offers a search engine where you can Locate and learn more about endangered animal and plant species by state.  You can view a profile for each species.  Information provided includes status of the animal or plant, a map of the species occurrences, lead region and more.

Most of us have a general idea of what an endangered, threatened, or extinct species is, but biologists have certain definitions for each.  In general, an endangered species is one that’s in immediate danger of becoming extinct.  Its numbers are unusually low, and it needs protection in order to survive.  The peregrine falcon, the whooping crane, the green pitcher plant, and thousands of other plants and animals throughout the world are endangered.

Congress answered this question in the preamble to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, recognizing that endangered and threatened species of wildlife and plants "are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people."

Flying WILD's focus on migratory birds is designed to inspire young people to discover more about the natural world.  It encourages students to get involved in activities that promote environmental learning and stewardship.  The Flying WILD program places special emphasis on reaching urban schools with student populations that traditionally receive few opportunities to participate in environmental education initiatives.

Brought to you by the National Marine Educators Association, this website compiles a host of free resources that approach ocean education from many different fields from standard science to literature. It includes lesson plans, professional development opportunities, and a resource library to stay up to date with the latest ocean research.

Sharks, whales, snakes, bears, dogs, cats, killer bees, elephants and great apes! Oh my! What do these animals have in common? Like humans, they have successfully evolved to share our planet. Each is uniquely designed and intimately connected to the environment in which it lives. Whether invertebrate or vertebrate, warm-blooded or cold-blooded, scaly or covered with fur, each has a unique origin and evolutionary history—a history that continues to evolve as the result of the interaction between genetics and the environment.

Curriculum features hands-on learning, experiments, field work and data explorations. It consists of four modules, Life Science, Earth Science & Physical Science each using estuaries as the context for developing content knowledge and skills relevant to that domain, and a Chesapeake Bay Module which integrates and deepens the focus on estuarine concepts in a local context.

Bring the excitement of current ocean science discoveries to your students using the Ocean Exploration curriculum.  Each lesson presents an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning.  Lessons are correlated to National Science Education Standards.

Curriculum themes progress from physical science through earth science to biological and environmental science.