DEN Blog Network

Did you wake up a little greener today? Maybe? Today we celebrate Earth Day. People across the globe will refrain from flicking that cigarette butt out there car window on to the highway. The buses and trains will be a little more crowded than usual. You’ll bring your own organic cotton bags to the grocery store. You might even buy that stainless steel $20.00 coffee mug at Starbucks for your Caramel Macchiato instead of using their disposable cup. Will you keep the same habits tomorrow? How about the next day? Will doing any of the above help the environment?I’m not sure exactly what I should be doing as a responsible inhabitant of this lovely planet. I thought bringing my amazing Discovery Educator Network Water Bottle to work instead of buying the bottled stuff was enough. Apparently, I have much to learn. Good thing there’s a place I can go to learn more about being eco-friendly, the Chicago Green Festival.The Chicago Green Festival runs May 17 - 18 at Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Avenue.

Celebrating what’s working in our communities, green festival showcases more than 350 diverse local and national green businesses displaying and selling eco-friendly, fair trade and sustainable products. More than 150 visionary speakers appear for standing-room-only panel discussions, presentations and main stage speaking events.

Attention DEN STAR Educators!Join me on Saturday, May 17 for the Chicago Green Festival at Navy Pier. I’ll be there all day learning how to become eco-friendly, while eating a few cheeseburgers from “The Billy Goat Tavern“. To make it even more interesting, how about a few contests.

1. The district that brings the most Future DEN STAR Educators, will win a half-day professional development session for that district. A prize worth $1,250.
2. The DEN STAR Educator that brings the most Future DEN STARs will receive a gift bag full of Green items.
3. Take the contest into your class. Chance to win a $1,000 grant from GM and Discovery Education. You must be a middle school teacher. Details are below.

GM & Discovery Education: Live Green Teacher Grants

• Goto livegreen.discoveryeducation.com
• Click on the FAQ to get some more information
• Click on apply for a grant
• Enter your some information and create an account.
• You have until May 15 to enter

Please register below and make sure you register a colleague. Families are welcome to join us, but please only register educators below. Space is limited to 60 so register soon.We will plan to meet at 9:30 AM in front of Navy Pier at the Navy Pier Fountain. You’ll receive updates via email as the date draws near.Powered by Wufoo

The World is Just Awesome!!

Lets not trash it, heat it up or waste it.  Look around you.  Look around class, the school, the community and your own home.  How can you make a difference?  Get a little info by watching, reading and listening to others.  The share your thoughts.  The only wrong answer is no answer.

I created an assignment in Discovery Education streaming for Earth Day.  I also incorporated the use of a great site, voicethread.com.  If you haven’t heard of it check out the assignment below by clicking on the link.

Teacher Printable Version: Earth Day streaming and voicethread assignment

Student Link to Discovery Education streaming Student Center.

Direct VoiceThread link.

Teacher Notes

Extension Hands-on: Trash sorting Lab
Never heard of it? It’s simple. Collect trash for a few days. (Important: No animal by-products! Don’t want to send anyone to the emergency room. Plant material perfectly ok, but put that left over pot roast in Fido’s bowl or simply another trash bag) Bring trash bag into school and have students sort it. You can give them sorting categories or even better have them come up with their own. Also throw in come process skills here, how do you measure how much? Let them figure it out.
Main Point: A lot trash, well just isn’t. How much(grams, volume, other) needs to go to the landfill?
Extension Media:
Got DE Streaming Plus? Have them watch a Planet Earth segment. The world rocks. Any will do, but “The Future” one is on topic. Don’t have DE Streaming PLUS.

Psst!! You can become a STAR Discovery Educator and get it for free through the end of this school year.  No really, just another benefit of being a STAR. Find out how here.