{"id":2010,"date":"2023-04-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2024-05-31T16:33:13","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T23:33:13","slug":"six-classroom-ready-resources-for-earth-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/04\/six-classroom-ready-resources-for-earth-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Six classroom-ready resources for Earth Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Earth is home to an amazing biodiversity that sustains life in our delicate and changing ecosystems. That\u2019s why over a billion citizens come together on April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day<\/a> and address the challenges that threaten our planet. This year\u2019s theme\u2013Invest in our Future\u2013serves as a call to action for people across the world to engage in measures that slow down melting ice caps and rising global temperatures<\/a>. Scientists and Earth Day organizers alike believe that each one of us can take small steps that make a lasting, meaningful difference to our planet\u2019s long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebrate our Earth throughout April by exploring climate-focused Minecraft worlds, live Flip events, and Reflect check-ins that will excite students of all ages to critically think about their global impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students love Minecraft Education because it allows them to explore new worlds and create habitable environments for creatures big and small. Educators love Minecraft because it delivers engaging, problem-solving experiences that include ready-to-go challenges, lessons, and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nancy Woods and colleagues at John Dewey High School in New York City capitalized on their students\u2019 interest in Minecraft by creating a sustainable urban design challenge<\/a> that dovetailed with a cleanup project at a local estuary. Students recreated a model of their creek in Minecraft and then worked on different virtual solutions that would better protect the estuaries. The students\u2019 work sparked the NYC Department of Education to launch a \u201cBattle of the Boroughs\u201d competition to design green city solutions in Minecraft Education!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minecraft is used to engage students in envisioning and building a greener city. Programs like Battle of the Boroughs … give students a voice and a cause. This is so important as we prepare students for the future, and for jobs that our cities need: in renewable energy, climate resilience, green building, and sustainable transit.\u201d<\/p>\nNancy Woods, Educator, John Dewey High School<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Minecraft Education\u2019s Earth Day resources and lessons are equally engaging and inspiring. Each one includes real-world connections and opportunities to address sustainability issues that affect our world. Ready for more? Check out Minecraft Education\u2019s Climate & Sustainability Kit<\/a> to see additional collections that make environmental education come alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minecraft Education is excited to offer a series of live, virtual classroom workshops to celebrate Earth Week featuring our Frozen Planet II Minecraft worlds<\/a> created in partnership with BBC Earth. Running from April 18-27, each workshop will guide students through one of the five unique, immersive worlds, Frozen Ocean, Peaks, Lands, Worlds, or South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students will be immersed in a 75-minute experience where they will learn about the remarkable animals of our frozen planet and the impacts of climate change on their habitats. They will have the opportunity to protect their polar bear cubs, hunt as a killer whale, and gather nectar as a bumblebee. Play as eight different animals and learn what it takes to survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of the global cryosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more details on the individual workshops and register for these live events.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore six Minecraft worlds that help students understand sustainability, stewardship, and the value of making environment-friendly changes in their everyday lives. The worlds and accompanying resources explore important issues like building sustainable homes, managing waste, clean energy, responsible forestry, and more. Whether it\u2019s understanding food production or learning about water treatment, students get to experience issues and make substantiable decisions that can carry over to the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minecraft Education developed a set of lessons and worlds that align with the United Nation\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals<\/a> to build a climate-conscious future. Investigate how transportation contributes to increased greenhouse emissions, study deforestation\u2019s impact on our environment, and identify strategies to reduce the environmental changes caused by mass food production. Each experience will place students at the center of some of our most pressing climate problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Broaden students\u2019 awareness of our Earth by joining Flip live events during April. The Flip team is offering students a chance to collaborate with other young activists, speak with a NASA scientist who is monitoring polar ice caps and climate change, and hear from bestselling author and illustrator, Ryan T. Higgins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure to register so that your class can participate in each one of these exciting experiences!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Title: Eco-anxiety and Sustainability<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: April 11, 12pm PT<\/p>\n\n\n\n Registration: https:\/\/info.flip.com\/events\/eco-anxiety.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Join the Flip Team for an engaging panel discussion on Eco-Anxiety and the Power of Small Steps. Our young activist panelists<\/a> will share their experiences and creative ideas on how to incorporate sustainable practices into everyday life, inspiring viewers to take action towards a better future for our planet. This is an excellent opportunity to gain insights from leaders in the sustainability movement and learn how small changes yield a significant impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Register<\/a> for this free event today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Title: Celebrate Earth Day with NASA<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: April 20, 10am PT<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join NASA STEM and the Flip team for a special Earth Day event featuring Dr. Rachel Louise Tilling, a Polar Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the fascinating research Dr. Tilling is conducting to monitor the global sea ice cover and its response to climate change using satellite technology. Dr. Tilling will share her experiences working in both the Arctic and Antarctic and students will learn how the latest advancements in satellite technology are being used to understand climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NASA STEM team also released some amazing Flip Topics<\/a> that will help your students understand how scientists are solving some of Earth\u2019s most pressing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Register<\/a> for this free event today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Title: In the Studio with Ryan T. Higgins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: April 27, 10am PT<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best-selling and award-winning author\/illustrator Ryan T. Higgins invites you into his studio to share how he creates his books. Discover his new book, We Don\u2019t Lose Our Class Goldfish, and learn how to draw one of his characters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan T. Higgins<\/a> is the author and illustrator of the New York Times best-selling Mother Bruce, which received the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor; Hotel Bruce; BE QUIET!; and Bruce’s Big Move. He lives in Maine with his wife and kids and lots of pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRemake the Earth in Minecraft Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1. Join Minecraft Education for Earth Week 2023 live workshops! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Build a sustainable city by understanding human impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Ensuring a lasting future by addressing climate today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBoost climate consciousness with FLIP events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Learn from young activists who are making big changes through small steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. Hear how NASA scientists are studying sea ice to understand climate change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n6. Join Ryan T. Higgins as he explains how he creates his loveable animals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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