EkoSkola Malta

Creating a Water-Friendly Garden/Yard

Whether you’re worried about the impact of climate change on future generations or you simply want to save on your monthly utility bill, a water-friendly yard is a great way to reduce your consumption of one of the planet’s most valuable resources. That’s because there are plenty of easy, inexpensive ways to create and maintain a lawn and landscape that require less water. Here are four ideas to help you get started.

EkoSkola Newsletter – St Michael School, Santa Venera – Ħarġa 21

All about Light Pollution

The topics discussed on this page cover how to prevent light pollution, in particular the topics are: Public Broadcasting Station’s P.O.V. will give an encore showing of Ian Cheney’s The City Dark – Monday, August 12th, 2013 Reducing Light Pollution Preventing the Effects of Light Pollution in Your Home Practical Actions – Tips for how to better deal with Light Pollution from others IDA’s Good Neighbor Introductory Letter Some notes about legal actions that have been tried. American Medical Association UNANIMOUSLY passes Resolution 516 against Light Pollution Additional sites about light pollution If you would like to learn reasons to prevent light pollution, then consider some of its impacts… This site was suggested by Peyton Vogel and her friends.

Not Just Numbers

Not Just Numbers is a complete teachers’ toolkit about asylum and migration in Europe. The kit was developed in 2009 by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with funding provided by the European Commission. Materials available A teachers’ manual explaining the main facts and definitions on asylum and migration in Europe, and a step by step explanation of a few class exercises. A series of video portraits of migrants and refugees available online via the links below and on a DVD. Video of Iranian refugee Rean Video of Kosovo refugee Adelina Video of Congolese migrant Doré Video of Italian migrant worker Tino Video of Mexican skilled workers Veronica and Alfredo A two minute video exercise without subtitles showing migrants and refugees arriving in a boat on the sea. A set of photos for use in a photo exercise. Download as pdfs: Photo 1; Photo 2; Photo 3; Photo 4; Photo 5; Photo 6; Photo 7 All material also available in Maltese and various other languages.

Water in Malta – Documentary

Water – the source of life. In Malta, water is a scarce resource. Consumerism and short-sighted policies are driving us to dangerous levels. It’s time we took action; before it is too late. This documentary which is just under 13 minutes long is in Maltese with English subtitles. This video was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this audiovisual production are the sole responsibility of KOPIN and its project partners and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. This documentary is offered free of charge for education purposes. It may not be edited and must be shown in its entirety. For any other use, prior clearance must be obtained from KOPIN and Mediacoop Ltd.

CoReflect – Collaboration and reflection

Project CoReflect (Title: Digital support for Inquiry, Collaboration, and Reflection on Socio-Scientific Debates) is a three year (2008-2011) research program, funded by the European Commission, under the FP7 Science in Society program. Bringing together eight diverse and multi-disciplinary teams from seven European states, the project members promoted evidence-based practice in science teaching and learning, by collaborating to iteratively design, enact, critique, and validate problem-based innovative inquiry learning environments.

Consumer Classroom – also in Maltese…

Consumer Classroom is a new collaborative website for teachers about consumer education. It provides free, high quality resources for teachers along with interactive and collaborative tools to help teachers prepare lesson plans to share with students and other teachers from across the EU. Sign Up now on www.ConsumerClassroom.eu

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – April 2013

Din il-ħarġa tippreżentalna diskussjoni ħelwa bejn siġra, vann u jidhol ukoll għasfur.  Ejjew naraw x’għandhom xi jgħidulna….

Written Declaration on Climate Change – Youth Voice in Europe

The need was felt to launch a written declaration to the European Parliament that demands MEPs listen to young people’s views on climate change.

Free Climate Change Education eBook

Climate Change Education: A Primer for Zoos and Aquariums, explores the links between climate change science, electronic media, psychology, learning sciences, communication, and interpretation, and provides valuable insights to zoos and aquariums and other cultural institutions.

The Earth Dog Story – Earth Dog returns to Save the Environment

The Earth Dog Story, first published in 1992, returns as an app in iTunes and an eBook as part of the U.S. Department of Energy environmental outreach program with Weekly Reader. Earth Dog is a superhero who teaches kids about taking care of the environment.

Show you care, do your share!

The St Monica Gzira Primary EkoSkola Committee prepared a video as part of a campaign with the title: “Show you care, do your share.” The campaign was planned as part of the U4energy competition category C.

Earth Preservers Website

Earth Preservers is an environmental news and information website for kids that relates the environment to a wide-range of current events and topics. Resources include short films and documentaries, interactive quizzes, classroom resources, poll questions, and a monthly newsletter.

Games Page on the United States Environmental Protection Agency

This webpage contains links to loads of games, videos and quizzes related to the environment, energy, water, mystery solving, science, recycling, waste and much more…

EPA United States Environmental Agency

This webistes provides loads of resources, games, news and info to students, teachers and parents. Topics included are climate change, sustainable energy, Earth Day, science experiments, environmental games

Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)

CLEAN, the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network , which is a reviewed and annotated digital library collection, has teamed up with EARTH: The Operators’ Manual (or ETOM) a PBS television special starring Penn State glaciologist and climate expert Dr. Richard Alley. The ETOM website (http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/) includes a streaming version of the entire program, a fully annotated script, links to high quality learning activities from CLEAN. “Clips of the program can be downloaded for use in classrooms. Short segments such as IT’S US — which details how scientists know from carbon isotopes that human activities are altering the climate system — are connected to online learning resources vetted by CLEAN. For teachers who would like to connect with other educators, or to ask Dr. Alley or writer/director Geoff Haines-Stiles specific questions about the program, the ICEE Community Forum (http://iceeonline.org/forum) offers a discussion thread about ETOM.  

Electronic Field Trip…

National Park Foundation provides the opportunity to experience various electronic fieldtrips. Past electronic field trips include the Sea Change, the Climate Challenge, Exploring Nature’s Plumbing System, and various others.  

A Student’s Guide to Global Climate Change

This website covers the science, impacts to society and ecosystems, and solutions to climate change. The information is presented in videos, animations, interactive graphics, and “expeditions” where students can explore how climate change affects places around the world.

Burning in the Sun

Burning in the Sun, an inspirational documentary featuring a young West African man who starts a business building solar panels from scratch and selling them to rural customers in Mali. Addressing climate change, poverty, and self-sufficiency, the film demonstrates how a small-scale, local business model can provide jobs, appropriate technology, and empowerment to people everywhere.

Cool the Earth

Cool The Earth is a free, ready-to-run climate change assembly program that educates K-8 students and their families about climate change and inspires them to take simple actions to reduce their carbon emissions. The program is successful because it’s fun and empowering for the kids, and their enthusiasm is contagious!

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 9

Climate change does not only affect tourism, travelling trends and agriculture but it leads to a chain reaction with regards to economy.  Inadequate food production and extreme weather conditions lead to increased importation, higher food prices, increased insurance premiums and increased poverty.

Cimate Change Video Clip Advert

This link provides a very short video clip which explains climate change in simple words, actually as a story for children.  It ends without the conclusion.  That is up to us …

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 8

Climate change is expected to increasingly affect tourism patterns causing a shift in trends because of increased temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events. Loss of agricultural land and produce is also expected – this would affect half the world’s population.

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 7

This issue gives information about how Climate Change effects our health because of temperature increase, extreme weather conditions, climate sensitive diseases, impact on crop production and yield and hence food availability and also the quality of the air we breath.

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 6

If we cannot use rechargeable batteries always, at least we should make it a point to dispose of batteries properly. And how about composting? It can be very easy and reduces a large amount of waste that would go to the landfill instead. Reducing waste is always an issue…

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 5

Are we conscious of the impact transport has on climate and the carbon emissions resulting from the use of aeroplanes, cars and other transport means? Let’s put in some extra effort and try to walk or use the bike wherever possible…

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 4

This month’s issue is all about water: what kinds of water there are, availability of fresh water, where does our tap water come from, effects of climate change on water, and hints about what we can do to consume less water.

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 3

Can we change climate? Can we make a difference? This issue provides information about which amongst our actions produce greenhouse gases plus giving hints about how to reduce such emissions and how to identify ‘energy smart’ products.

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 2

This issue gives information about the greenhouse effect, the ozone layer, climate change, global warming and how climate change is effecting us locally.

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 1

The first issue of the newsletter gives an overview of the general expectations and outcomes resulting from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) held in Copenhagen December 2009.

5 easy way to save the planet – the Super Power Bloke

A short cartoon proposing five tips to reduce our carbon footprint.

Waking up – video by the GAIA foundation

A man wakes up from a nightmare of a forest in destruction. As he stirs other visions flash before his eyes with his early morning actions. Frustration and anger turn to calm realisation as he slowly wakes up to the fact that his daily actions are connected to the world around him.

Climate change and lifestyles guidebook for youths

Loads of information, activity ideas, tips, online resources and case studies about climate change – considering the food we eat, things we buy, transport, energy, third world countries, water, jobs, lifestyle, good life, leisure and entertainment and above all ways to take action.  All this is available in the UNESCO produced downloadable pdf Guidebook.

Food miles – where does the food we eat come from?

Food miles are a way of attempting to measure how far food has travelled before it reaches the consumer. It is a good way of looking at the environmental impact of foods and their ingredients. It includes getting foods to you, but also getting waste foods away from you, and to the landfill! It is time to think about where your food has come from and what environmental effects this has had.

HOME The movie – a changing world

With aerial footage from 54 countries, the film HOME shows how the Earth’s problems are all connected. It shows how in the past 50 years – one single lifetime – the Earth has been more radically changed than by all previous generations of humanity. A film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Cool the Earth

Cool The Earth is a free, ready-to-run climate change assembly program that educates K-8 students and their families about climate change and inspires them to take simple actions to reduce their carbon emissions. The program is successful because it’s fun and empowering for the kids, and their enthusiasm is contagious!

Cool the Earth – Climate Change

Taking actions to lower your carbon footprint is a great way that you can help fight climate change. If you want to learn more about what you can do—from calculating your carbon footprint to finding eco-friendly art projects—check out these kid-friendly sites.

Let’s Go Green Kids

Inspiring Young minds to go green through Music, Fun and Laughter. Various songs available: Album: Lets Go Green Kids Let’s Go Green Always Be That Way Recycle It Squeaky Clean Use It Again Tin Can Can Solar Shuffle The Wind Is Our Friend We Love the Water

Plan it Green – National Geographic

Turn Greenville into the greenest city ever – building eco-home, zero energy homes, opening eco shops, upgrading existing houses, enhance the community with parks and more…

Climate Change info pack by WWF

Climate change is considered to be the most serious environmental challenge facing our planet. Our way of life, our wildlife and our environment are threatened. This pack will help you tackle this topical issue in the classroom and explores: What are the impacts of climate change? What is being done to stop climate change? How can we help stop climate change?

Earth Day Network

Teach about the history of the environmental movement with Earth Day Network’s newest curriculum unit. This online resource for all ages and users provides lesson plans, activity ideas, and digital multimedia resources for the classroom. http://www.earthday.org

NASA Gives Kids Their Own Guide to Climate Change

NASAs new Climate Kids Web site, targeting grades 4-6, de-mystifies global climate change science using simple illustrations, humor, interactivity, and age-appropriate language. The interactive Climate Time Machine shows how global changes affect our planet over time.