Environmental Education Resources
The information on this website is for information purposes. Please use your professional judgment in ensuring resources/activities meet your students' needs and your school's/board's policies.

Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow: A Policy Framework for Environmental Education in Ontario Schools
The policy framework for environmental education in Ontario, released in February 2009, offers school boards and schools an approach to environmental education that recognizes the needs of all Ontario students and promotes environmental responsibility in the operations of all levels of the education system.

Ministry of Education, Shaping our Schools, Shaping our Future
In Spring 2007, the Ministry of Education commissioned a report on environmental education in Ontario. Shaping our Schools, Shaping our Future, (also called the Bondar report). The report details 32 recommendations for improving environmental education in Ontario. The Ontario EcoSchools program aligns with and supports this report, providing means for boards and schools to implement these recommendations.

Revised Science and Technology Gr. 1-8 curriculum expectations were published on December 21 2007.

Ontario Ministry of Education, environmental education opportunities:
Elementary curriculum
Secondary curriculum

Canadian Wildlife Federation

Clean Air Champions
National charity with a mission to improve air quality by working with respected athletes to educate and inspire Canadians, particularly youth, to adopt practices and lifestyles that enhance both environmental and personal health. CAC offers three FREE, engaging and unique programs for students in Grades 5-12. Each program provides curriculum-connected activities, ongoing staff support and a presentation from one of over 200 National, Olympic or Paralympic athletes that will motivate students to take action for the environment and their health. The three feature programs are HSBC Clean Air Achievers (bilingual), Air Aware (bilingual) and High School Climate Challenge.

EcoSpark

David Suzuki Foundation
Within the climate change section of this web page, many useful explanations can be found on the science, impacts, politics of and solutions to climate change.

Earth Day Canada
Earth Day Canada is the national organizer of Earth Day/Earth Week in Canada. They also provide resources resources for integrating environmental education into your curriculum such as classroom-ready lesson plans, printable activities, and literacy tools at EcoKids.ca.

Evergreen Foundation
Evergreen is a national funder and facilitator of local, sustainable greening projects in schoolyards, parks and communities across Canada. Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds helps schools and their communities create outdoor classrooms, providing students with a healthy place to play, learn and develop a genuine respect for nature.They provide expert assistance, funding and grants, resources, teacher trainign and lesson plans and design training.

Federation of Ontario Naturalists

Green Learning
Energy education for elementary and secondary

Parks Canada Teacher Resource Centre
Offers a variety of Grades 3 to 12 teaching and learning activities. Classroom-ready fact sheets, lesson plans and contests are tied directly to the provincial curriculum. Much of the material takes a hands-on, creative and fun approach to teaching subjects, including geography, biology, civics, science and technology and social sciences.

‘Phantom load’ information

Polaris Institute
Water related issues, including the impacts of bottled water.

Rethinking Schools — EE focused issue

Shade Guidelines created by the Shade Policy Committee of the Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition in collaboration with Parks, Forestry and Recreation and with the support of Toronto Public Health, as directed by the Board of Health and City Council

Sierra Club of Canada
This page links you to the Sierra Club's climate change campaign. Lots of background information, especially on the political background to climate change. Includes a very useful links page.

STAO - Science Teachers Association of Ontario
An association for educators dedicated to the promotion and improvement of environmental education.

Step Outside — Your Guide to Nature's Events in South Central Ontario
Published two to threee times per month, Step outside is a compilation of seasonal happenings that can be used to bring nature into your classroom. The guides detail specific flora, fauna and climate events, which are often taking place just outside your school - though these may happen sooner or later depending on the season and where you are relative to the Kawartha region of Ontario, where the guides are written.

Waste Free Lunch
Thinking of implementing a waste-free lunch program? This site has implementation strategies, sample PA announcements, letter to parents etc. in the Teacher Resources Section.

World Health Organization
The World Health Organization makes the connection between environmental and human health. This page links to many website which focus on the health impacts associated with climate change.

World Wildlife Fund

Eco-Schools International Programme
The Eco-Schools International Programme was developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE – www.fee-international.org). Eco-Schools programs are being implemented in 44 countries around the world.

Ontario EcoSchools is a customized program created by Ontario school boards that is tailored to the Ontario curriculum.