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EGLE Classroom
EGLE Classroom
Welcome to EGLE Classroom! Here you can learn more about the work that EGLE does to protect Michigan’s air, land, water, and public health.
EGLE’s mission is to protect Michigan’s environment and public health by managing air, water, land, and energy resources. Our vision is a Michigan that respects people, treasures natural resources, and fosters thriving communities throughout our two peninsulas. Environmental Education is a critical tool in achieving that mission and vision by helping to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed for Michiganders of all ages to understand and act on environmental issues. EGLE Classroom is a place where educators, families, and youth can access the resources they need to learn about Michigan’s environment, EGLE’s work to protect it, and what they can do to contribute to that work.
Contact
Eileen Boekestein
boekesteine@michigan.gov
517-290-8027
Sign up for EGLE Classroom updates
Email us at: EGLE-Classroom@michigan.gov
Follow and share using #EGLEclassroom
EGLE Classroom Feature Items
Michigan Green Schools
Earth Day
MEECS
Resource Lending Station
Video Feature Items
Welcome
Clean Air Action Days
Open Burning in Michigan
EGLE Classroom Playlist
Resources for Teachers and Educators
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Michigan's Air Quality Educational Resources
MEECS Air Quality: Five full lessons on Michigan Air Quality are available via the Michigan GoOpen platform
- Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media
- MIair Air Quality Monitoring Data
- EGLE’s Air Monitoring Sites
- EPA.gov/Students: Quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas for learning and teaching about the environment.
- EPA’s Air Quality Index Toolkit for Teachers – Activities around air quality for Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-8
- EPA’s AirNow Air Quality Flag Program for schools includes activities and classroom curriculum for grades K-12 as well as an activity for a Girl Scout Cadettes Journey
- "Why is Coco Orange?" Picture Book - Coco has a problem. He’s a chameleon, but he can’t change colors, and his asthma is acting up. Read how Coco and his friends at Lizard Lick Elementary solve this mystery as they learn about air quality and how to stay healthy when the air quality is bad. This book is for all children, especially those with asthma, and their caretakers. Ages 4-8.
- Air Pollution: What's the Solution? is an educational project for students, grades 6 - 12, that uses online real time data to guide student discovery of the science behind the causes and effects of outdoor air pollution.
Air Quality Monitoring
Radon
- EGLE: Radon - EGLE site for local information, a radon activity book for kids, sources for test kits, and more.
- RadTown: Student and Teacher Radon Resources from EPA
Open Burning in Michigan
"Open burning" is the burning of unwanted materials such as paper, trees, brush, leaves, grass, and other debris where smoke and other emissions are released directly into the air. During open burning, air pollutants do not pass through a chimney or stack.- Wood Smoke Activity Book for kids by EPA’s BurnWise Program
Ozone & Fine Particulates
- EGLE meteorologists explain: What are Clean Air Action Days?
- EGLE’s Ozone and Fine Particulate real time data maps
- West Michigan Clean Air Coalition shares coloring books and air quality lesson plans for teachers around the Air Quality Flag program, the Air Quality Index, and Clean Air Action days
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Michigan’s Climate & Energy Educational Resources
Climate Resources
- Interact with climate projections using NOAA’s Climate Explorer
- NASA Global Climate and Energy Resources: To increase awareness and interest in climate science, NASA has developed a series of educator resources for all grades:
- Grades K-5: Guide to Climate Change for Kids
- Grades 5-12: Graphing Global Temperature Trends
- Grades 9-12: Future Temperature Projections Unit
- Learn about climate resilience, view climate maps and data, and explore resilience case studies with the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
- Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media
MEECS Climate Change Unit: Fourteen full lessons on the impacts of climate change in Michigan are available via the Michigan GoOpen platform
Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning MediaClimate Kids is a NASA affiliated website used as a fun education resource for children to easily understand climate change and other environmental issues. It includes games, short videos, information about common green careers and green technologies, and other environmental topics kids can learn about. There is also an Educator Resources section with interactive activities to help families and teachers explain these topics to children.
NOAA’s Toolbox for teaching Climate and Energy provides supporting resources and programs for those who want to teach climate and energy science.
CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network – Free teaching resources, curated by scientists, designed to step students through the key principles of climate and energy. For grades K-12 through college.
Energy Resources
MEECS Energy Unit: Eight full lessons on Michigan’s Energy sources, uses, and conservation are available via the Michigan GoOpen Platform
DTE Virtual Wind and Solar Park Field Trip - The 27-minute virtual field trip takes students to Michigan’s largest wind and solar parks to help students learn about how these clean energy technologies work and the important role they play in helping reduce carbon emissions.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Energy Kids program provides energy related stories, hands-on activities, and research articles for your classroom! These curriculum-based lessons are separated by age-grade.
The PBS Energy Lab investigates what energy is, how it can be converted into useful forms, and why some sources are running low.
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Michigan’s Land Educational Resources
MEECS Land Use Unit: Eight full lessons around the classification, use, and restoration of Michigan land resources are available via Michigan’s GoOpen Platform.
Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media
Ecosystem Services
MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity Unit: Ten full lessons around the biodiversity of Michigan’s ecosystems are available via Michigan’s GoOpen Platform.
Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media
EnviroAtlas Educational Resources from EPA - EnviroAtlas provides geospatial data, easy-to-use tools, and other resources related to ecosystem services, their chemical and non-chemical stressors, and human health. EPA developed interactive and hands-on lessons for grades K-12 around watersheds, ecosystem services, land use, ecosystems and humans health, and more, all using EnviroAtlas as a research tool. Find full lesson plans, case studies, and lesson videos at epa.gov/enviroatlas.
Contaminated Site Cleanup
Learn about how EGLE works to clean up contaminated land in this short presentation (will link to EGLE Classroom video being produced using a clip from last year’s Earth Day presentation)
Brownfield FIip: This short YouTube playlist provides examples of how EGLE partners with communities across Michigan to clean up contaminated sites and turn them into community assets.
Michigan Invasive Species: EGLE, Michigan DNR, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) collaborate on invasive species awareness and management. Learn how to identify and report invasive species, as well as the impacts they have on Michigan ecosystems.
Michigan DNR’s Nature at School programs provide a deep dive into many of Michigan’s land and water resources for students in grades 3-12.
Learn about Michigan Sand Dunes from DNR Interpreters at Hoffmaster State Park.
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Michigan’s Waste Management Educational Resources
Landfill Education
The Quest for Less provides hands-on lessons and activities, enrichment ideas, journal writing assignments, and other educational tools related to preventing and reusing waste. This document includes factsheets, activities, and teaching notes for 6-8th grade teachers.Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools is a resource developed by EPA to assist schools in the development and implementation of waste reduction programs.
Recycling
EGLE: Recycling Education Resources – Learn about recycling in Michigan on EGLE’s recycling page.
Recycling Raccoons – Learn the basics of curbside recycling from EGLE’s adorable Recycling Raccoons!
How Do I Handle This Waste?– Use EGLE’s Recycling Guide to find out how to dispose of various kinds of waste.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Resources for Students and Educators– Explore a variety of games, activities, and lessons around recycling from EPA.
How to start a school recycling program
Food Waste & Compost
EGLE: Food Waste & Compost– Learn about the #1 solution to carbon dioxide emissions – reducing food waste! – on EGLE’s Food Waste and Recovery pageCheck out EGLE’s “Stop food waste” video
Learn how to compost in this EGLE Classroom composting video
Pack A Waste-Free Lunch | US EPA: EPA developed the Waste-Free Lunch activities to help students learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle items in their school lunches.
Reducing Food Waste Activity Book – Help Apple and her friends learn how to reduce food race and help protect the environment; Grades 3-5
Hazardous Waste
EGLE: Household Hazardous Waste–Learn how to identify, manage, and dispose of various household hazardous wastes from EGLE, including drug disposal.
Haz-Ed – This older resource includes a wealth of information and activities from EPA to educate students around the impacts of hazardous waste on the environment and the state/federal programs focused on reduction and cleanup.
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Michigan’s Water Educational Resources
MEECS Water Quality Unit: Nine full lessons on Michigan’s Water Quality are available via the Michigan GoOpen Platform
- Teachers can see video examples of how to lead these lessons for free on PBS Learning Media
The Michigan Water Stewardship Program
is a partnership of organizations led by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that provides educational assistance to Michigan's residents to identify and reduce contamination risks to water and other natural resources. The website features easy-to-find resources for a variety of ages from pre-school to adult on a wide range of water topics.The Freshwater Literacy and Stewardship Playbook
was developed by the MiSTEM Network and the Office of the Great Lakes to cultivate environmental literacy and the capacity for stewardship of lakes, rivers, streams, and other freshwater bodies in K-12 students and educators. This resource helps educators, administrators, and community organizations establish a persistent practice of place-based education focused on freshwater resources and stewardship.The Great Lakes Literacy Principles
provide a framework for educators teaching about the Great Lakes, helping teachers and students think about the Great Lakes as a system, rather than a set of unrelated parts. Thinking systemically can provide a greater understanding and help identify solutions to the issues threatening the region.The Michigan Invasive Species Program is a partnership between EGLE, MDNR, and MDARD that provides resources around identification and reporting of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species.
- Be sure to also check out EGLE’s Invasive Species Playlist on YouTube and NotMISpecies Webinar Series to learn more about how to identify and prevent invasive species!
NOAA Education curates a wealth of resources
for watershed, water quality, and stewardship education for the Great Lakes Region.- Educators can learn and practice the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) with students using these resources from NOAA.
Great Lakes NOW: Resource for Teaching
offers a collection of lesson plans that engage students with the science and study of the Great Lakes.Michigan SeaGrant’s H.O.M.E.S. at Home
webinar recordings are fun-filled, family-friendly videos full of Great Lakes fun facts, activity suggestions for students and families, and daily challenges.Teaching Great Lakes Science
is a resource offered by Michigan SeaGrant and the Center for Great Lakes Literacy with a suite of lessons, activities, and data sets focused on the Great Lakes targeted for 4th-12th gradesH2O-Q In the Classroom: Water Chemistry in the Great Lakes Region
This program, run by Central Michigan University, provides teachers in grades 6-12 with water chemistry testing kits and full curriculum units on water chemistry. Students assess the health of local lakes and streams, enter their water quality data into a statewide map database, and take action to address local water quality concerns.
Statewide Environmental Educational Programs
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Our outdoor skills, education, and recreational safety programs provide opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to develop their outdoor skills and knowledge of Michigan's natural resources, and to promote safe, responsible and ethical use of the outdoors.
We also offer educators a wide range of opportunities to bring natural resources experience and knowledge to the classroom.