American History

Students will examine the complexity of large-scale, slave-worked agricultural enterprises, the origins of rice production and the role it played in the economy of the antebellum South, and how before "cotton was king," the plantation system had already been producing crops such as rice, indigo and tobacco. Teaching materials include maps, readings, photos and drawings.

ENTRI (Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators) is a comprehensive online tool for accessing international environmental treaty data. There is status data for environmental treaties, treaty text and tools for searching for treaties by subject or country.

Click on the act to be directed to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) informational pages

1969 – National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

1970 – Clean Air Act

1970 – Reorganization Plan No. 3 (established the EPA)

The newly developed CityCenter community in Las Vegas, Nev. recently added a piece of environmental art to its fine art collection. The 87-foot long, 3,700 pound sculpture hangs horizontally from steel cables above a registration desk. The sculpture depicts the Colorado River, complete with its meanders and swells at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The sculpture was also made with environmentally conscious materials, being cast in reclaimed silver. It is aptly named "Silver River."

How to integrate environmental education with photography and technology

Scott Olson, a 12-year teacher in the Tonasket School District in Tonasket, Wash., developed a photo point monitoring project for his high school students after being inspired by a wildlife manager from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Photo point monitoring is a tool used to quickly and effectively document changes in vegetation, soil and other landscape features by periodically photographing the landscape. The wildlife manager, who regularly visited Olson’s classroom, came upon historic photographs of local landscapes and suggested Olson use the photographs to conduct photo point monitoring.

Olson ran with it and soon had his students engaged in an exciting learning experience that allowed them to incorporate numerous subject areas and learn in an outdoor setting.