HCC's Environmental Teach-In Sponsored by the Center for Teaching

Helpful Resources for Integrating Environmental Education

into Your Curriculum

Prepared for the Environmental Teach-In

Housatonic Community College's Center for Teaching

as part of

"The Story of Stuff" is highly recommended by Professor Marina Philips, one of the organizers of HCC's activities during Environmental Education Week. This site describes this online video as a "20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns." The film offers thought-provoking insights into the environmental and social consequences of our "stuff" that are sure to inspire reflection and energetic discussion. A number of our faculty are already working to integrate this film into their curriculum for the Teach-In.

Climate Change 101: Understanding and Responding to Global Climate Change: The Pew Center's site explores climate science and impacts, technological solutions, business solutions, international action, recent action in the U.S. states, and action taken by local governments. The overview serves as a summary and introduction to the series.

Connecticut Sierra Club: Includes both both practical student activities with the Sierra Club, and ways you can conserve at home and at work.

Coalition for Safe and Healthy Connecticut: This site provides a myriad of links for ideas on what kinds of things are going on in Connecticut right now, as well as ways to teach students about the environment in many different academic fields.

Green for All is an organization devoted to helping to "build a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty". "By advocating for a national commitment to job training, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the emerging green economy – especially for people from disadvantaged communities -- we fight both poverty and pollution at the same time." Learning more about this organization and its efforts might lead to interesting conversations about economics, business models, community activitism, sociology, science, "green careers," and more. Their resources page provides information about "green-collar" jobs and other ways to get involved..

Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund: Created to address Connecticut’s increasing energy needs—and rising costs—the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) is an initiative to help homeowners and renters, small and large businesses, and state and local governments alike get in the habit of using energy more efficiently.

CTENERGYINFO was developed by The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control in conjunction with The Institute for Sustainable Energy to assist consumers in locating information about energy-related subjects and the strategies that can be used to lower energy consumption and cost.

Connecticut's Official Climate Change Web Site provides information on the Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan 2005, inspiring success stories on action throughout our state, and other information on the Connecticut climate change initiative.

Helping Students to Understand their Ecological Footprint: This lesson plan from Eastern Connecticut State University (a .pdf document) can be used to spark reflection and discussion about how many renewable and non-renewable sources we use in our daily lives. Students can determine their Personal Ecological Footprint by printing and filling out the "footprint calculator" (also a .pdf document.) or The Earth Day Network's online footprint calculator.

Connecticut Energy Education is designed as a curriculum resource for educators, offering information, lessons, labs, and activities in subjects ranging from fundamentals of energy to climate change to energy efficiency.

"Four Campuses, Much Green Talk" Professor Dave Koch, one of the organizers of HCC's activities during Environmental Education Week, recommends this as "a great article discussing educational efforts on the environment being undertaken by educators across the country. It provides a lot of ideas for educators, with many links for good details on the specific programs being offered."