Project Learning Tree
Project Learning Tree is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-grade 12. PLT is a program of the American Forest Foundation. It is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad, and continues to set the standard for environmental education excellence.
PLT meets state and national education standards. The curriculum materials provide the tools educators need to bring the environment into the classroom and their students into the environment. Topics range from forests, wildlife, and water, to community planning, waste management and energy.
Goals
- To develop students’ awareness, appreciation, skills, and commitment to address environmental issues.
- To provide a framework for students to apply scientific processes and higher order thinking skills to resolve environmental problems.
- To help students acquire an appreciation and tolerance of diverse viewpoints on environmental issues and develop attitudes and actions based on analysis and evaluation of the available information.
- To encourage creativity, originality, and flexibility to resolve environmental problems and issues.
- To inspire and empower students to become responsible, productive, and participatory members of society.
Useful Websites for Project Learning Tree
- Project Cents – Conversation Education Now for Tennessee Students
http://www.tennessee.gov/education/projectcents/ - Project Learning Tree Correlation with TN Standards
http://state.tn.us/education/projectcents/plt/index.shtml - Project Learing Tree
http://www.plt.org/ Provides many resources for environmental education and sponsors grants for K-12 environmental education with schools. The website also provides additional resources such as correlating websites, student activity guides, and links to NPR’s Earth & Sky program for each activity within the K-8 guide. - Environmental Education in Tennessee
http://www.eeintennessee.org/ website lists resources and events in a searchable format for TN. - TN Forestry
http://www.tnforestry.com - International Paper – Life of the Forest posters and resources
http://www.internationalpaper.com/Our%20Company/Learning%20Center/index.html - American Forest and Paper Association
http://www.afandpa.org/ - Kentucky Electronic Field Trip to the Forest
http://www.ket.org/trips/forest/index.htm - Agriculture in the Classroom – Teacher lesson plans and Student Center
http://www.agclassroom.org/ - Ecological Footprint Resources
- Adventures with Bobbie Bigfoot http://kidsfootprint.org/ – for kids and includes teacher lesson plans.
- Upper Elementary (5th-8th grade) Unit “How Big is Your Ecological Footprint” http://www.vtnea.org/vpa-3.htm
- http://www.ecofoot.org/