Published on:
15 Dec 2020

The coldest months of the year, when we spend most of our time indoors, are often a difficult time to rally students in the classroom. With the added stress from months of staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are feeling more stir-crazy than ever.
These lessons from Learning Lab engage students by discovering natural and ancient wonders through the lens of sustainability. Students appreciate the value of these landmarks and discuss how they should be preserved, while adventuring places unknown—whether virtually or in their own backyards.
- Grades K–2: Love Your Living Landscape, created by TurfMutt Environmental Education and Stewardship Program. Students start this lesson by envisioning their community’s natural landscape and identifying features as living or nonliving. Afterward, students take a trip outdoors to recognize the living organisms in their schoolyard or backyard and find out about the benefits they bring to communities.
- Grades 3–8: Wild Biomes—From America’s Rainforest to America’s Desert, created by The Nature Conservancy. In this lesson, students take a virtual field trip to explore the urban watershed of Seattle, Washington, and the dry desert landscape surrounding Arizona’s Verde River. Then, as a class, students consider and discuss the impact of water as a resource in America’s biomes.
- Grades 9–12: Architectural Wonders, created by the Global Oneness Project. In this lesson, students explore Angkor Wat in Cambodia through a photo essay that encourages them to consider the value of culturally historic sites in our world.
All these lessons are available as part of the Learning Lab subscription, which is available for purchase for $40—less for bulk purchases.