When we buy things, how can we do so in ways that do the most good and least harm? Use resources and articles/essays like these to help you think about what you buy and to find products and companies working to be a bit more ethical.
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environmental protection
Forests of the Future?
Help students learning English as a second language practice their skills and gain vocabulary by writing about a future scenario regarding Earth’s forests and what we can do now to protect our forest ecosystems. Recommended for grades 7-12. Time: 2 class periods
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Exploring Deforestation
Students explore global deforestation and its causes and consequences and consider solutions that do more good and less harm for all. Recommended for grades 6 and up. Time: A few days to several days
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Humane Education and Math: Reusable vs. Plastic Bags
by Institute for Humane Education As part of our educator professional development, we encourage teachers to start infusing humane education into their classrooms by finding small ways to tweak their lessons. After learning more about the impact of plastic bags, high school math teacher Tristan Bates decided to whip up a fun little activity for his…
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3 Sources for Funding Your Humane Education Project
by Marsha Rakestraw Many a great changemaking idea has been stifled by the challenge of finding funding. In the past, options were limited and often a bit complicated. But with the exponential growth of our digital world, it’s becoming a bit easier to gain traction in financing smaller projects. Here are three sources to help…
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An Ocean of Plastic
Using the five gyres of plastic pollution as a springboard, this activity encourages participants to explore the issues surrounding trash in our oceans and to develop solutions. Recommended for grades 3-5 Time: 3 to 4 60-minute sessions
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19 Lists of Children’s Picture Books for Your Humane Education Classroom
by Marsha Rakestraw Children’s books are a terrific tool for sharing positive values, teaching students (in age-appropriate ways) about global ethical issues, and inspiring them to take positive action. They are a powerful part of any classroom and curriculum. Here’s a round-up of 19 of our lists of suggested children’s picture books on a variety…
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Great Peacemakers: True Stories From Around the World
“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it.” ~ David Suzuki “When you have a vision, when you know that what you are doing is good for the people, then you cannot be stopped.” ~ Wangari Maathai “To stop any suffering, no matter how small, is a great action of peace.”…
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9 Resources for Finding Children’s Books with Humane Themes
by Marsha Rakestraw Children’s literature is often a reflection of society (and sometimes an influencer). As we humans continue to make progress in doing more good and less harm and in striving to create a better world, we’re seeing more books for children that explore and celebrate those themes. Although we can search online for…
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A Gathering Crowd: Functions & Rates of Change
Is human population growth threatening to overshoot and jeopardize the earth’s carrying capacity? If so, what can be done about it? In this activity, students will be able to: describe and model human population growth during the past 600 years with an exponential function, considering both the total amount of growth and average and/or instantaneous…
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