Participate and share: Interactive session 
In this interactive session, participants will discover digital tools and activities to enhance instruction of science and social studies topics critical to understanding people’s relationship to the natural environment. They will find ways to engage their students using digital game boards, group simulations, virtual graphing, Jamboards and problem-solving challenges on a range of timely topics. Presented activities use Google Workspace tools (shared Slides, Sheets, Docs) for hands-on activities addressing wildlife and human population trends, natural resource management strategies, and comparative indicators of quality of life around the world (health, education, and more!). The digital tools presented encourage group collaboration, and build analytical and graphing skills with real-word data sets. The presented lesson plans and materials are matched to state and provincial (U.S. and Canada) content standards for several disciplines as well as to ISTE Standards and UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 4.7 (Education for sustainable development and global citizenship).
Introduction (5 minutes)
Brief overview on the topics to be presented and how they can be enhanced with digital tools for in-person learning and/or homework.
Power of the Pyramids (15 minutes)
A collaborative, digital graphing activity that uses census data sets to create “population pyramids,” showing the demographic shape of a country’s population by age cohorts. Understanding these types of graphs are important to environmental science, history and geography.
Unfair Race (15 minutes)
A simulation game in which each participant represents a different country and advances on a digital game board based on a variety of public health indicators.
For the Common Good (10 minutes)
The presenter demonstrates how to use a Google Slide game board for a large group activity on strategies for resource management. Through several “rounds” of the game, students identify ways groups can develop cooperative strategies for sustainably managing shared renewable resources (e.g. water, forests, fish, etc.). The presenter will discuss ways to scale this activity for different grade levels.
Take a Stand (10 minutes)
A Jamboard-based activity that has students take positions on different timely topics and defend that position (or be persuaded to change positions by other students). A great discussion starter.
Wrap-up and Questions (5 minutes)
National Research Council of the National Academies (2012). A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
North American Association for Environmental Education (2014). State Environmental Literacy Plans 2014 Status Report. Washington, DC.
P21: Partnership for 21st Century Learning, “Framework for 21st Century Learning,” http://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21/frameworks-resources
Population Education. (2021). People and the Planet: Lessons for a Sustainable Future. Washington, DC. [curriculum website]. https://peopleplanet.populationeducation.org/
Population Education. (2021). Earth Matters: Studies for Our Global Future. Washington, DC. [curriculum website]. https://earthmatters.populationeducation.org/
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