books

Recommended Books

In this document you’ll find recommended books in several categories and on a variety of subjects. We have also curated a series of children’s books for educators and parents to use, and you’ll find links to these compilations at the beginning of this document. You’ll also find books for adults on education, social justice, environmental…

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blog post

Pretty Mindful: An Interview with Dixie Espinosa

Dixie Espinosa, an IHE M.Ed. graduate, is a former secondary English, history, and ESOL instructor. After leaving the classroom, she worked as a Program Director for an English literacy non-profit training tutors how to teach English as a second language to adult immigrants. Currently, Dixie works as Front of House and Social Media & Events…

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Person throwing a box of food into a compost dumpster

17 Resources for Teaching About Food Waste

by Marsha Rakestraw “Every day, we’re teaching kids that food is trash.” ~ Jonathan Bloom Our school food systems in the US are not set up to minimize waste or encourage healthy habits. Students are often rushed at lunchtime, may have unappetizing food options, may be given (or take) much more food than they’ll eat,…

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peace

Tips to Simplify Your Holidays for a More Memorable, Meaningful Season

by Marsha Rakestraw It’s the holiday season. Which of these better describes your state of mind: Joyous, meaningful, balanced? Or, exhausted, stressed, conflicted? The winter holidays have gained a reputation for reaching the epitome of the “overs”: overspending, overbooking, overstressing, overconsuming. And more people are expressing a desire to simplify their holidays and bring more…

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Getting the Child Slave Labor Out of Your Shopping Cart

by Marsha Rakestraw Updated January 2023 We hear about forced and child labor, reading about specific instances in the news, and we may wonder whether the sugar, cookies, or bananas we bought last week, or the cellphone we’re using, or the fireworks we enjoy are made with the hands of children or slaves; it can…

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eco-friendly

21 Children’s Picture Books for Exploring Eco-Friendly Actions

by Marsha Rakestraw Earth Day may be every day, but our relationship to the natural world often gets a little extra attention in April. Children are hungry to connect with their world and learn what they can do to make a positive difference. Check out these 21 children’s books that help inspire a desire to…

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Waste and Recycling Issues

Waste and Recycling Issues

Resources (books, videos, lesson plans, articles, and more) to help teach and/or learn about issues related to waste, trash, garbage, and recycling.

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Overfishing

Overfishing and Industrial Fishing

Find books, articles, videos, lesson plans and more about overfishing, industrial fishing, and related issues to help you teach and/or learn more about these global ethical issues.

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rainforest in the classroom

Are the Holidays Wearing You Down or Filling You Up? It’s Your Choice

by Lynne Westmoreland This is the time of year set aside to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, and Kwanzaa. The themes of the season are the return of hope, abundance, and protection, the return of the light, and a reminder to return to our spirituality and personal transformation as well. But in the last…

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holiday gifts

Tips for Happier, More Humane Gift-Giving

by Marsha Rakestraw This time of year the news is full of headlines about online sales, various shopping frenzies (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.), and an even earlier start on holiday buying. Juxtaposed with the high-energy holiday consumer craze are stories giving us tips for reducing our holiday stress and finding ways to make the…

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