Scheduling for 2020-21
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro's education outreach team is not offering in-person programming. To schedule a virtual program, contact our team at [email protected]. The distance learning page houses the full library of online resources.
Middle school and high school
All programs use a "flipped" classroom style: concepts are introduced first through short videos (asynchronous), then reinforced in a live interactive session lead by a Metro educator and accompanied by a guiding worksheet.
Climate Change (up to 4 live sessions)
Four interactive programs provide an investigation into one of the biggest and most complex societal issues facing the world today. The lessons invite students to think critically about the connection between resource consumption and climate disruption, and explore a wealth of individual and collective actions to combat climate change using a lens of hope, equity, community resilience, and increased quality of life. Choose up to four lessons to help students:
- Lesson 1: Gain a basic understanding of climate science;
- Lesson 2: Explore the human systems that contribute to climate change;
- Lesson 3: Be inspired to take action and connect with people who are taking action;
- Lesson 4: Examine solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pledge to act.
The Secret Life of Our Stuff (up to 2 live sessions)
In this two-part session, students will learn about the life cycle of our things from the extraction of natural resources to end-of-life disposal. We will look closely how both people and the environment are impacted by upstream production of stuff and explore how reduction and reuse (even more than recycling) are a positive way to support healthy communities and reduce the climate impacts associated with production and disposal of our stuff. Choose one or two lessons to help students:
- Lesson 1: Conduct a virtual waste audit to determine which items in the trash could have been recycled, reused, composted and why;
- Lesson 2: Explore the upstream impacts of making plastic and brainstorm ways to create a healthier system of stuff for people and the environment.
About presentations
Presentations use interactive tools and discussion about actions students can take to reduce their impact on the environment and help create healthy communities.
Presentations meet state education standards for science and social studies, are delivered by trained classroom educators and are offered free of charge for students and teachers.
View availability on presentation calendar
Waste Management and the Compost Cycle
Are your students interested in learning about food waste prevention and the compost cycle? Check out the video series Waste Management and the Compost Cycle for grades 4th-7th located on the elementary online learning page.
Looking for the Enough Already series?
Metro's education team is no longer offering this presentation. The focus of our programs has shifted away from individual behaviors toward larger community actions. The goal is to provide students with meaningful solutions that better match the scale of current environmental and social issues. The Enough Already series is available as a loanable kit for use by teachers and community groups who would like to teach about the ecological footprint concept. For more information or to reserve a kit, please visit our curriculum resources page. Please note: for health and safety reasons, kits are not currently available for check-out.