Matters: The Value Of Teaching Children To Protect Our Planet (NAPSA)—Americans create mountains of trash—literally! Layer upon layer of trash is covered with dirt in our landfills, cre- ating moundsthatrise as high as 500 feet. Moreover, 200 million tons of garbage are added annually, potentially negatively impacting surrounding communities. Our attitudes and actions toward waste must change. Learning to recycle can be child’s play. Schools can play an important role in instilling positive environmental behaviors. The recent Every Student Succeeds Act sup- ports opportunities for educators to provide students with wellrounded environmental education. Hands-on learning experiences teach young people about the environment while encouraging positive behaviors to protect and sustain it. An evidence-based program like the free Think Earth Environmental Curriculum makesit easy for teachers and parents to teach children to conserve natural resources, reduce waste and mini- mize pollution. Each free instruc- tional unit, available for kindergarten through grade 3, can be downloaded from www.think earth.org. Included are lesson plans, posters, stories, videos and songs. The award-winning curriculum is aligned to Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. By providing environmental education at an early age, we can create generationsof citizens whose behaviors will improve the health of our neighborhoodsandplanet.
