Below is a list of over 75 lessons created by participating teachers in the Global Environmental Teachings Program. Participants developed lessons as part of their course requirements. They are arranged by grade level. Use the database below to search for a lesson of interest. To access the lesson in PDF format, click on its title.
| GRADE | SUBJECT1 | SUBJECT2 | SUBJECT3 | TOPIC(S) | TITLE | DESCRIPTION | AUTHOR | PROGRAM |
| K-3rd | EnviroEd, Science, Language Arts | Math, Social Studies | Social and Emotional Development, Art | Global Community, Senses | "Sense-Sational" Puerto Rico Day 1-5 | This lesson will introduce students to some of the many "treasures" that the island of Puerto Rico offers. We will make these explorations by using our five senses; sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. For one week each day will focus on a specific sense to use in order to learn more about Puerto Rico. Then by making contrasts and comparisons to our own local "treasures", I hope the "seed" will be planted whereby students can understand more thoroughly, their connection to a global community. | Genene Lynott | PuertoRico04 |
| K-3rd | EnviroEd, Science, Language Arts | Math, Studies | Social and Emotional Development, Art | Global Community, Senses | "Sense-Sational" Wisconsin Day 1-5 | These activities will help the student learn more about the state of Wisconsin using their 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. For one week each day will focus on a specific sense to use in order to learn more about Wisconsin. They will listen to traditional native WI Indian music; discover WI using the alphabet picture book by Kathy-jo Warigin, "B is for Badger" A Wisconsin Alphabet; smell and sample some fruits native to WI such as the apple, cranberry and cherry; and examine shells and rocks from WI by using their hands. | Genene Lynott | Wisconsin05 |
| K-4th | Science | EnviroEd | Leaves | Looking at Leaves | Students will take a closer look at the characteristics of leaves from Puerto Rico and Wisconsin. Collect samples of Wisconsin leaves during the fall. | Mary Schieffer | PuertoRico04 | |
| K-8th | Spanish | EnviroEd | Extinction | Extinction is Forever | Students will use models of forests with low and high biodiversity and observe the effect of habitat destruction and extinction rates. | Lucinda Broder | Puerto Rico06 | |
| 2nd-3rd | Science | Language Arts | Social Studies | Water Resources | What is happening to Our Water? | Students will learn about water resources, uses, groundwater and watersheds of Milwaukee and Puerto Rico. Students will be able to compare and contrast island ecology to continent ecology through a series of water conservation lessons. This will lead to a final discussion/project that will have the students problem-solve water conservation issues on an island. | Janine Hedges | PuertoRico04 |
| 2nd | EnviroEd | Language Arts | Science | Nature Sounds | The Sounds of Nature | Students will use their sense of hearing to listen to nature. They will discuss what they hear now as well as other natural sounds they encounter throughout the day and night. | Johanna Anderson | PuertoRico04 |
| 2nd | EnviroEd | Language Arts | Endangered Species | Acrostic Animal | Students will research an endangered Puerto Rican animal and write an acrostic poem about it. | Johanna Anderson | PuertoRico04 | |
| 2nd | EnviroEd | Math | Endangered Species | Math Mission | Students will act out math story problems about endangered Puerto Rican animals | Johanna Anderson | PuertoRico04 | |
| 2nd | EnviroEd | Language Arts | Ecology | Environmental Interactions | Students will look at how interactions in their lives and in nature affect them positively and negatively | Johanna Anderson | PuertoRico04 | |
| 2nd-3rd | Language Arts | Science | Social Studies | Rainforests | Reading Through Rainforests | Students will learn about rainforests, habitats and ecosystems through listening to non-fiction texts read by the Instructor. Then the students will read non-fiction books at their Guided Reading Level about the same topics and do appropriate follow-up activities at their level. | RaShell Meisner-Nigbor | PuertoRico05 |
| 2nd-3rd | Language Arts | Science | Social Studies | Species I.D. | Who and or What Lives Here? | Students are going to explore and then document what they find in a 4x4 foot plot of land. They are then going to use the teacher-made field guides to identify 8 species. Next they will use that information to create 4 pages for a group of the plot. This book will then be made in duplicate with one copy being sent to 2nd or 3rd grade classroom so that we may begin an exchange of information on species of our areas and personal information via pen pals. | RaShell Meisner-Nigbor | PuertoRico05 |
| 2nd-5th | Language Arts | Math | Science | Extinction and Endangered Species | Extinction Extravagance | Students will discuss what it means to be endangered and extinct. Students will research a Puerto Rican animal species that is endangered and create a poster about it | Johanna Anderson | PuertoRico04 |
| 3rd-12th | Science | EnviroEd | Erosion | Inroads on Erosion | Students will understand the concept of erosion and be able to test and understand the factors that influence it. Students will be able to create and test different interventions to minimize erosion | Randy Colton | PuertoRico04 | |
| 3rd-12th | Science | EnviroEd | Environmental Awareness | Croaking Coquis | People make associations between the world and their means of connecting to it. Certain things trigger these associations: visuals, smells, textures and sounds. Some people associate the coqui frog with Puerto Rico. | Randy Colton | PuertoRico04 | |
| 3rd-12th | Science | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Coqui Frog | Coqui Culture | People may hold an appreciation for certain elements that are specific to where they live (natural, human-made, cultural, economics), even identifying themselves with such features/characteristics. Coqui frogs are such a natural element for people of Puerto Rico | Randy Colton | PuertoRico04 |
| 3rd | Science | Math | Temperature | Temperature Comparisons-(Here and There) Lannon and Mitchells Plain | Students will understand the temperature differences at the same time of year through graphing the temperatures in Lannon, WI and Mitchell's Plain, SA | Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell | South Africa06 | |
| 3rd | Social Studies | Language Arts | Life Comparison | Life Comparisons through Letters | Students will gain an understanding of the lives of students in South Africa through written letters and photographs. | Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell | South Africa06 | |
| 3rd | Math | Science | Social Studies | Temperature | Temperature Control - South African Roofing Materials | Students will understand how different roofing materials can have an impact on the temperature inside a house through the construction of box houses. | Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell | South Africa06 |
| 3rd | EnviroEd | Science | Elephants | African Elephant Overpopulation Problem | Students will understand the problems with elephant overpopulation through creative drama. | Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell | South Africa06 | |
| 3rd | EnviroEd | Science | Writing | Elephants | African Elephant Overpopulation Problem | Students will form an opinion on how the problem of African elephant overpopulation should be solved through reading and discussion | Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell | South Africa06 |
| 3rd-4th | EnviroEd | Science | Language Arts | Coqui Frog | Coqui Frog Camouflage | Through observation, art, fiction and non-fiction, students will learn about the Coqui frogs, which are well-adapted to survive in the varied terrain of Puerto Rico. | Erica Fuhry | PuertoRIco05 |
| 3rd-4th | Science | Language Arts | Art | Sea turtles | Sea Turtles Savvy | Through an art project, a dramatic reenactment, an active game, and a collaborative writing project, students will learn about Sea Turtles, their lives and their habitats. They will understand a baby sea turtles perilous journey as it travels to the sea. | Erica Fuhry | PuertoRico05 |
| 3rd-4th | Science | Language Arts | EnviroEd | Bats and Boas | Bats 'N Boas Abound | By studying and creatively responding to facts, building a cave habitat and displaying and acting out a "predator/prey" scene, students will learn about Puerto Rican Boas and Bats, and how they survive in their environment. | Erica Fuhry | PuertoRico05 |
| 3rd-4th | EnviroEd | Science | Language Arts | Puerto Rican Parrot | Puerto Rican Parrot Paradise | Through a visualization activity, a creative, factual report and a collaborative critical thinking discussion, students will learn about Puerto Rican Parrots, their lives and their habitats (such as El Yunque). They will understand the population fluctuation that these parrots endure due to natural and human causes. | Erica Fuhry | PuertoRico05 |
| 3rd-4th | Science | EnviroEd | Language Arts | Biodiversity | The Basics of Creature Connectedness: Biodiversity Diversions | Go on a scavenger hunt and create a web collage to analyze relationships that exist in nature, right under our nose. Realize that humans are connected to our environment, and biodiversity depends on us. | Erica Fuhry | PuertoRico05 |
| 3rd-5th | EnviroEd | Language Arts | Science | Kapok Tree | The Kapok Tree | Through reading a trade book, The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry, students will gain an understanding of the value of a rainforest. They will also become familiar with some of the biodiversity within the rainforest and how all creatures are connected including humans. Through extension activities, students will become activists for the rainforest. | Sue Malone | PuertoRico05 |
| 4th | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Forestry | "The Tree of Life" | In Social Studies during the Lumberjack Unit the students will discover how Wisconsin's people used their lumber and forests in both past and present times. This activity "The Tree of Life" will show the students how other human groups from different parts of the world use their forests and the threat modern society has created for these forest living societies-how can we help them? | Mary Schieffer | PuertoRico04 | |
| 4th | Science | EnviroEd | English | Sharks | What Do You Think About Sharks? | Students will explore knowledge and attitudes about sharks. This lesson leads to in-depth study of sharks. | Mary Schieffer | PuertoRico04 |
| 4th | Science | EnviroEd | Social Studies | Energy | Energy Divide | Students will perform an energy consumption simulation game and analyze how consumption, population and choice or resources affect the availability of future resources | Mary Schieffer | PuertoRico04 |
| 4th-5th | Social Studies | Language Arts | EnviroEd | Ecosystems | Continents and Islands A look At the Ecosystems and People of the Land | This lesson explores early indigenous life on the island of Puerto Rico through the eyes of a younger brother and sister. Connections are developed by looking at the way the arrival of Christopher Columbus changed both the people and the land and the environment of Puerto Rico and of the mainland. Through literature students are asked to read, draw conclusions and make comparisons and form opinions about the ecosystem and people in both Puerto Rico and the mainland. | Kelly McGrath | Puerto Rico06 |
| 4th-8th | Language Arts | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Nelson Mandela | Nelson Mandela, Symbol of Courage | Students will learn about the life of Nelson Mandela, a South African leader | Kathleen Kruthoff | South Africa06 |
| 5th | Science | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Bioluminescence | Dinoflagallates of Bioluminescent Bay | Students will learn about micro-organisms called dioflagallates that are found on the island of Vieques, off the coast of Puerto Rico. Along with the unique characteristic of luminescence, students will learn about ecoregion they live in. | Kim Lemberger | PuertoRico04 |
| 5th | Science | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Environmental Change | Change Happens | Students will learn about the natural history of Puerto Rico by the teacher demonstrating the processes of researching to find the information using various sources. After participating in the model using Puerto Rico, student will apply the knowledge of the process of researching to learn more about how Wisconsin's environment has been changed by natural and human-made causes. | Kim Lemberger | PuertoRico04 |
| 5th | Science | Social Studies | Math | Sea turtles | Sea Turtles- An Issue Investigation | Students work in groups to learn more about the sea turtles of Puerto Rico. They will also play an active game in which they are hatchlings and need to overcome obstacles in order to survive. Finally, the students will participate in an issue investigation that will require them argument that will "Save the Turtles" | Kim Lemberger | PuertoRico04 |
| 5th | Science | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Sustainability | Sustainability | Students take part in a simulation of sustainable and unsustainable use of a natural resource . Then students visit the website for Hacienda Verde in Puerto rice to learn how it is being used as a model for sustainable coffee. A guest speaker will give a presentation/fieldtrip and explain how sustainable agriculture is being used in our area. | Kim Lemberger | PuertoRico04 |
| 5th | Science | Social Studies | EnviroEd | National Forests | National Forest of Wisconsin and Puerto Rico | Students utilize a variety of technology (PowerPoint, Internet, video, CD-Rom) to learn about the similarities and differences between the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin and El Yunque Caribbean National Forest of Puerto. At the end of the research, students participate in a game that requires them to apply the knowledge learned about the different forest ecosystems. | Kim Lemberger | PuertoRico04 |
| 5th | Science | Math | Social Studies | Water Resources | Water issues on Puerto Rico and Oahu: A Comparison of Two Islands | This lesson compares the fresh water resources of Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian island of Oahu. We will explore how each island receives and uses fresh water. We will also address some of the threats to the fresh water supply of each island. | Ned Dorff | PuertoRico05 |
| 5th-8th | Science | EnviroEd | Sea turtles | Turtle Huddle | Modern Societies are threatening the existence of sea turtles. The following simulation will help students understand the threatening factors to sea turtle populations and will led to a discussion of how to minimize these factors | Mary Schieffer | PuertoRico04 | |
| 5th-8th | Science | Language Arts | Social Studies | Sea turtles | Sea Turtle Patrol | This unit was designed to introduce students to the life cycle of sea turtles and problems they encounter. Students will use their prior knowledge of wetlands to make decisions about land use as related to land use in Wisconsin and shore land use in Puerto Rico | Alexandria Setter | PuertoRico05 |
| 7th-8th | Science | Agriculture | EnviroEd | Corn Products | Starch Yer Thinkin' About Corn Products | Discover connections between features and functions of corn products. Gain insight into the importance of corn refining in Wisconsin and the benefits of its byproducts. | Erica Fuhry | Wisconsin06 |
| 7th-8th | Science | Agriculture | EnviroEd | Corn Fuel | Starch Yer Engines | Ethanol produced from Wisconsin corn illustrates that science and technology can provide us with new products and new uses for products. After sorting out the facts and procedures of corn starch fermentation, students can reach their own conclusions about using ethanol as a renewable fuel. | Erica Fuhry | Wisconsin06 |
| 7th-12th | Science | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Water Resources | Rainwater Harvesting, Practice for Puerto Rico | Student will investigate whether rainwater harvesting could be a reasonable means for people in Puerto Rico to meet some of their water needs at a sensible cost. | Randy Colton | PuertoRico04 |
| 7th-12th | Math | Science | Social Studies | Population Pyramid | Puerto Rico Pyramid Scheme | Students will learn the basics of a population pyramid. They will be able to use math skills to construct and predict future trends in the pyramid. Students will gain an understanding of Puerto Rico's population trends | Randy Colton | PuertoRico04 |
| 7th-8th | Science | English | Social Studies | Puerto Rico | What and Where is Puerto Rico | Through web site resources, class readings, and hands-on activities students will learn where Puerto Rico is, the geography and vegetation of the island, and understand the history of the commonwealth. | Victoria Dahlby | PuertoRico05 |
| 7th-8th | Science | English | Social Studies | Mapping | What and where is Puerto Rico? Activity 2: Mapping Puerto Rico | Through web site resources, class readings, and hands-on activities students will learn where Puerto Rico is, the geography and vegetation of the island, and understand the history of the commonwealth. | Victoria Dahlby | PuertoRico05 |
| 7th-8th | Science | English | Social Studies | History of Puerto Rico | What and where is Puerto Rico? Activity 3: History of Puerto Rico | Through web site resources, class readings, and hands-on activities students will learn where Puerto Rico is, the geography and vegetation of the island, and understand the history of the commonwealth. | Victoria Dahlby | PuertoRico05 |
| 7th-8th | Science | English | Social Studies | Biodiversity | What and where is Puerto Rico? Activity 4: Tropical Regions/ Mapping Biodiversity | Through web site resources, class readings, and hands-on activities students will learn where Puerto Rico is, the geography and vegetation of the island, and understand the history of the commonwealth. | Victoria Dahlby | PuertoRico05 |
| 7th-8th | Science | English | Social Studies | Natural Puerto Rico | What and where is Puerto Rico? Activity 5: Natural Puerto Rico | Through web site resources, class readings, and hands-on activities students will learn where Puerto Rico is, the geography and vegetation of the island, and understand the history of the commonwealth. | Victoria Dahlby | PuertoRico05 |
| 7th | Spanish 1 | Music | EnviroEd | Music | Music of Puerto Rico | Students will learn about the musical rhythms and instruments of Puerto Rico. They will construct their own instruments using recycled products. | Lucinda Broder | Puerto Rico06 |
| 7th | Spanish | Science | Family and Consumer Ed | Rainforests | Products of the Rain Forest | Students will identify household foods and products found in their home that use rain forest materials. | Lucinda Broder | Puerto Rico06 |
| 7th-12th | Science 1 | EnviroEd | Sea turtles | Sea Turtles | Students learn about the 8 different types of sea turtles through a presentation and video. They learn threats to the sea turtle populations and ways to protect them through a game. Students learn sea turtle classification then use a dichotomous key to determine unknown sea turtles. | Ellen Sowka | Puerto Rico06 | |
| 7th-12th | EnviroEd | Science | Invasive Species | The Coqui and Invasive Species | Students will first learn background information about amphibians from a lecture by the instructor. Then they will listen online to coqui frogs in Puerto Rico (where coquis are native) ad in Hawaii (where they are invasive). Finally, students will find an organism that is invasive in the United States (including Puerto Rico and other U.S. commonwealths and territories), research where it originated from, and why it became invasive. | Ellen Sowka | Puerto Rico06 | |
| 8th-12th | EnviroEd | Agricultural Ed | Social Studies | Coffee | Coffee Plantations | At the end of the lesson students will be able to discuss a type of agriculture that is not very familiar to any of them. They will be able to compare agricultural methods of growing coffee compared to a common Wisconsin crop. They will also be able to compare some of the same difficulties that both practices face on an everyday basis. | Matt Lee | PuertoRico05 |
| 9th-12th | Foreign Language | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Culture | Island Culture (Puerto Rico) | Students will have the opportunity to ask me questions about my Puerto Rico trip and pictures. A timeline will be created to review the island's history. Culture will be experienced through food preparation and tasting, salsa music and dance, listening to folktales, creating a Puerto Rican children's book and art. New vocabulary will be incorporated into the writing lessons and through email to students in Puerto Rico. | Cari Frederickson | PuertoRico04 |
| 9th-12th | EnviroEd | Science | Coral | Coral Reef Bleaching | Students learn about the biology of corals, who are members of the phylum Cnidaria. After learning the biology, students will learn why corals become bleached, which conditions produces less and more bleaching, and what they can do to help the problem. | Ellen Sowka | Puerto Rico06 | |
| 9th-12th | Science | EnviroEd | Bioluminescence | Creatures that "glow" in the night | Students observe and experiment with bioluminescent dinoflagellates, learning how and why they produce light. | Sara Krauskopf | PuertoRico04 | |
| 9th | Science | EnviroEd | Erosion | Erosion Explosion | Students will identify their misconceptions on what erosion is and why soil conservation is important globally. | Toni Bach | PuertoRico04 | |
| 9th | Science | EnviroEd | Erosion | Erosion Exploration | Students will investigate factors that increase erosion and learn how the environment is affected. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to present solutions to erosion problems and also compare and contrast Puerto Rico Issues to the continental United States. | Toni Bach | PuertoRico04 | |
| 9th | Science | EnviroEd | Bats | Bat Habitat | This lesson connects Puerto Rico and Wisconsin through bat species. | Toni Bach | PuertoRico04 | |
| 9th | Science | EnviroEd | Bioluminescence | Bioluminescent Bewilderment! | In this lesson students take a look at organisms that "glow" and figure out why and how this happens. | Toni Bach | PuertoRico04 | |
| 9th-10th | Economics | Biology | Social Studies | ecological problems | Environmental Action: Find the Solution | In small groups (3-4) students are to tackle a real life ecological/environmental problems and try to come up with the "best" solution. | Dolores Holl | Puerto Rico06 |
| 9th-12th | EnviroEd | Science | Spanish | Bats | Bats of WI and PR | During a unit on mammals, Wisconsin (WI) students will research bats of WI and Puerto Rico (PR) students will research bats of PR. Each group will make a video or DVD of their PowerPoint presentation, tour a local cave, provide a video or DVD of their experience, translate it into Spanish or English, and exchange the tape or DVD. Students will learn about the importance of bats in their WI and PR ecosystems. | Ellen Sowka | Puerto Rico06 |
| 9th-12th | EnviroEd | Science | Water | Stream Ecology in WI and PR | Students a learn about the small proportion of our water supply that is used for drinking water, how land use changes water quality and threats that face water quality and the effects of those threats on wildlife and humans. WI and PR students will compare their result and discuss possible reasons for similarities and differences between their results. | Ellen Sowka | Puerto Rico06 | |
| 9th-12th | Social Studies | EnviroEd | Diversity | Botanical Diversity in South Africa | Students will understand the history and culture of South Africa, identify South African Biomes, and develop an appreciation of the botanical diversity exemplified in a silk painted quilt project. | Paula Wouts-Hanson | South Africa06 | |
| 9th-12th | Spanish 2-4 | EnviroEd | Language Arts | Birds | "La Orinitologia" Study of Birds | This lesson will build students' Spanish vocabulary relating to birds and other nature topics | Cari Frederickson | PuertoRico05 |
| 9th-12th | Spanish 2-4 | Language Arts | EnviroEd | Animals | "Los Animals del Bosque" Animals of the Forest | This lesson will build students' Spanish vocabulary relating to Wisconsin forest animals | Cari Frederickson | PuertoRico05 |
| 9th-12th | Spanish 3 | EnviroEd | Family and Consumer Ed | Resource Management | The Trail of a Snack Food | Students will choose a favorite snack or food and identify the impact its production, from cultivation of main ingredients to disposal of packaging, has on the environment. | Lucinda Broder | Puerto Rico06 |
| 9th-12th | Spanish 3 | EnviroEd | Trash | Trash or Treasure | Students will define garbage, take an inventory of garbage produced by their household in one week's time and identify ways to reduce the volume of their garbage production. They will create a "treasure" from an item destined for the dump" | Lucinda Broder | Puerto Rico06 | |
| 10th | Social Studies | Science | EnviroEd | Bioluminescence | Bioluminescent | Students will use bioluminescent dinoflagellates to study photosynthesis, circadian rhythms and dinoflagellates. They will also compare and contrast the ecosystems of the Bioluminescent Bay and the Fox River through research and field trips | Eric Toshner | PuertoRico04 |
| 10th-12th | EnviroEd | Agricultural Ed | Science | Water Resources | "Fresh Water… Enough for you and me? | Summary: Teacher will lecture and demonstrate available fresh water for the world using attached lesson from Aquatic Project Wild. Students will have the opportunity to research a country's water supply, including (but not limited to) water sources, percent of fresh water supply that is consumable, water uses, water related health issues, water use information about water for their assigned country. Following this research, students will be able to test several water sources (tap, river lake) for several items (ph, N, P, K, O2). A table would be made by each group to allow the students to compare results these results would also be shared with a South African teacher (my counterpart is Andre Kleinschmidt) via email and they will send results to me. Finally the students will be asked to take an active role in the community helping to conserve fresh water sources. | Jean D'Angelo | South Africa06 |
| 10th-12th | Science | Agricultural Ed | Elephants | "An Elephant Never Forgets" | Students will learn about Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa through pictures and stories. The students will have an opportunity to read about the elephants in the park, the history of the park, and park management. Pictures of the elephants will be displayed and the students will have to identify the elephants by name according to the diagrams provided to them. Discussion on carrying capacity will follow and the impacts limited habitat will have on the elephant's family life. | Jean D'Angelo | South Africa06 | |
| 11th-12th | Science | Geography | EnviroEd | Biodiversity | Coastal Biodiversity of South Africa Pt. 3 | Using the internet, posters, video clips, pictures and data gathered by other students will explore the biodiversity of the inter-tidal zone of South Africa. | Kenneth Bultman | South Africa06 |
| Adaptable to All Grades | Science | Art | Agriscience | Nature's ABC's |
"Nature's ABC's" is adaptable to any grade level and incorporates learning about the environment and creativity by making a poster of the entire alphabet from A to Z of things found in nature that look like the letter. |
Jean D'Angelo | South Africa06 |