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.

Featured

  • classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.