Earth Echo Challenges Students To Take On Water-Related Projects

Hoping to motivate middle and high school students to undertake projects focused on water and its part in the environmental concerns of their own communities, environmental education nonprofit EarthEcho International (EEI) has partnered with Discovery Education to launch Water Planet Challenge, a Web site offering the interactive tools and access to resources necessary to design and implement such projects.

Such tools and resources include:

  • Downloadable action guides, including worksheets and documents, for taking a project from initial investigation to completion;
  • Standards-aligned lesson plans that allow middle and high school teachers and students to explore the impact of local action in the context of the recent Gulf oil disaster;
  • Video segments on a variety of environmental topics educators can integrate into existing curriculum; and
  • Links to news articles, public and privately-funded research reports, and other text resources offering information about oil drilling and its impact on marine ecology.

"We have a generation seeking resources and tools to take action and create a better future for the planet," said Philippe Cousteau, co-founder and CEO of EEI. "EarthEcho International and its team of committed partners provide a solution to this challenge through the creation of the Water Planet Challenge, which literally puts the tools of change at the fingertips of youth across the country."

Cousteau, along with his sister Alexandra, grandchildren of legendary underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, founded EEI to help "young people everywhere understand the critical role we play in the future of the planet through the one thing that connects us all--water." Among EEI's partners in developing the Challenge were: The NEA Foundation, The Smithsonian Ocean Portal, Toyota USA Foundation, and educational publisher Free Spirit Publishing.

About the Author

Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.

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