Connecting With Nature: an educational guide for grades four to six.
This resource is filled with fun activities that get kids outside to explore issues like biodiversity, where our food comes from and how to conserve energy.
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Resources (English | French)
The following resource links offer opportunities for further learning specifically related to each lesson plan. Please note that since publication, some of the links below may be broken.
Lesson A
Lesson B
- Read David Suzuki There's a Barnyard in my Bedroom (Greystone, 2008)
- Read David Suzuki and Kathy Vanderlinden's You Are the Earth (Greystone, 2010)
Lesson C
- View the Force of Nature trailer
- View the Declaration of Interdependence video
- Learn more about what you can do to protect nature with David Suzuki's Queen of Green.
Lesson D
- Learn how the Center for a New American Dream helps North Americans consume responsibly.
- Learn about the material wealth of different families around the world.
Lesson E
- Discover how humans are born pre-polluted.
- Learn how to prevent water pollution at home.
- Learn about the dos and don'ts of recycling.
- Find out about landfill gas recovery.
- Do a waste audit with the help of Ontario EcoSchools.
- Explore the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's online library
- Get answers to your questions about composting.
- Learn composting dos and don'ts.
- Find out how to cut back on the amount of waste that goes into landfills.
Lesson F
- Create a bee bath in your garden.
- Watch Louise Schwartzberg's TED talk on pollinators.
- Learn how to be a pollinator observer.
- Find out about native plants.
- Get creative ideas for gardening as a class.
- Find illustrations of natural garden care
- Visit a garden mini-insectary
Lesson G
- View David Suzuki's video Why Biodiversity Matters.
- Learn about species at risk and how you can help.
- Make a private social website for your class on ning.com. Students can post information about and pictures of their species.
- Learn about biodiversity in Ontario
- Explore Parks Canada.
- Explore Environment Canada.
- Wonder at the biodiversity of Planet Earth.
- Read about how the David Suzuki Foundation is helping protect the Boreal Woodland Caribou
Lesson H
- Learn how to make a draft sock
- Find new tips for better energy use at Energy Efficiency World
- Do an EcoKids School Energy Audit
- Find electricity tips to help you use energy wisely.
- The Ontario Power Authority helps you conserve energy.
- Determine the energy efficiency of a home.
- Get everyday energy-saving tips from the David Suzuki Foundation.
- Watch David Suzuki's YouTube videos on saving energy:
- Watch Horizon Utilities Corporation's video on energy-conserving windows.
Lesson I
- Experiment with the Hydro One Appliance Calculator.
- Read about how an appliance qualifies for the Energy Star program
- Learn about the EnergGuide label.
- Estimate appliance and home electronic energy use
- Find out how much an appliance costs to operate.
- Use a home energy checklist.
- Save energy all around the house: Download a toolkit.
- Find out more about tools used to manage energy use.
- Explore renewable energy technologies.
Lesson J
- Find examples of water conservation songs.
- Learn about our dependence on water.
- Find out how to conserve water at home.
- Learn more about the importance of clean water.
- Watch a National Geographic video on how to conserve water
- Find out how to conserve water in the home:
- Play interactive games about water conservation:
- Discover more interesting facts about the Earth's and Canada's water supply:
- Read David Suzuki and Kathy Vanderlinden's You Are the Earth (Greystone, 2010)
Lesson K
- Find links to carbon calculators.
- Plan a walk-to-school day.
- Organize a walking school bus.
- Find out about carpooling in Ontario:
- Look into car sharing.
- Take the commuter challenge.
- Learn about a bike-sharing program in Toronto and Ottawa:
- Take a green vacation.
- Travel sustainably.
- Watch a short video about motorized vehicles and air pollution
- Explore the sustainable communities network
- Learn about smart growth
- See what different forms of sprawl does to our landscapes.
Lesson L
- Show students the video Are Your Cosmetics Guilty of Causing Bodily Harm?
- Watch the video Story of Stuff: Cosmetics
- Have students enter their cosmetics in the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics database and look at the results.
- Survey the toxic ingredients in our cosmetics.
- Read the Sustainable Shopper's Guide.
- Learn fun facts about homemade cosmetics.
- Get answers about chemicals in cosmetics.
- Watch the video for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
- Learn more about toxins from the Queen of Green.
- Watch FemmeToxic's video on why teens want safer cosmetics.
- Go in-depth with David R. Boyd's Dodging the Toxic Bullet (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010)
Lesson M
- Find out when seasonal produce is available in Ontario
- Eat Suzuki's Top 10 Sustainable Seafood Picks
- For an amusing look at organic produce, visit Store Wars
- When is produce available in Canada?
- Explore a variety of food-related games, trivia, facts, and arts and crafts for kids
- Locate your nearest farm and explore a variety of recipes
- Try one of these activities with your class.
- Cook up a variety of recipes using Ontario produce.
- Munch a 100-mile lunch.
- Learn about food and climate change.
- Eat in season
- Help end food waste.
- Learn about sustainable seafood.
Lesson N
- View a short video on the environmental impacts of consuming ground beef
- Help end food waste.
- Find out about food and climate change.
- Check out some vegetarian recipes:
- Read a meat eater's guide
- Take a humorous look at modern farming techniques at The Meatrix
- Visit the Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation.
- Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz
- Watch the video The Story of Food
- Learn to compost your food scraps
- Find out how producing meat affects the air
- Learn about how much water it takes to produce various foods.
Lesson O
- For a teachers guide to The Curious Garden
- View What Is It Worth to You
- View Celebrating Five Years of Ontario's Greenbelt.
- Find out more about Ontario's Greenbelt
- Explore the Greenbelt Farmers Online Market
- Take a Tour de Greenbelt.
- Read a report on biodiversity in Ontario's greenbelt
- Find out about greenbelts in Parks Canada.
- Learn about the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance.
- Learn about wetlands ecosystem services.
- Explore more ways to bring greenbelts into your classroom.
Lesson P
- Find the good things that grow in Ontario.
