Seeking Math and ELL Teachers
Facing the Future is in the process of developing curriculum for teaching math and ELL within the context of global sustainability issues such as population, natural resources, poverty, and quality of life. If you teach math or ELL, we invite you to take a 7-question survey to help inform our new curriculum. Please tell your math and ELL colleagues about this opportunity to participate in shaping engaging math and ELL resources by forwarding this newsletter to them. If you prefer to give your input via email, please contact laura@facingthefuture.org.

Professional Development Opportunities
In the coming months, Facing the Future staff and Peer Educators will be presenting workshops in Portland (OR), Denver, Seattle, Tacoma, Chicago, and Austin. For up-to-date information on workshops and links to conference websites, visit our online workshop calendar.

Facing the Future staff are also available to come to your school or district to present a professional development workshop for teachers. Visit our website to find out more. If you would like to schedule a workshop, please email kim@facingthefuture.org or call 206-264-1503.

Here’s what one educator said about the inservice workshop Facing the Future presented at her school:

“This workshop was outstanding! I know our group will be using all the materials and more! Excellent presentation – good mix of activity and presentation. Service learning was fabulous!”
- High school social studies teacher, Tacoma, WA

Curriculum Highlight: How Much Does Carbon Cost?
Engaging students to think about bigger structural solutions can be as easy and fun as motivating them to take individual steps that make a difference. Facing the Future’s lesson on carbon emissions and environmental regulations includes a cap and trade game. Students discuss whether cap and trade is an effective solution to climate change and consider additional ways to persuade businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Download this and other climate change lessons and student readings.

Carbon Calculators
This newsletter is arriving in your inbox during National Environmental Education Week, April 13-19. Visit the EE Week website for educational resources related to this year’s carbon footprint theme, including an online student carbon calculator.

For students in high school and above, you might want to check out the EPA’s Personal Emissions Calculator. This calculator allows students to experiment with making different changes to reduce their emissions.

If your students are wondering what a pound or ton of carbon dioxide actually means, check out the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator to translate carbon dioxide emissions into more recognizable terms, such as the equivalent number of homes that could be heated for a year.

For a lesson and student reading on carbon footprints, see day 4 of Facing the Future’s 2-week unit on climate change for middle or high school. Download the unit at no cost.

Action Project Idea: Carbon Conversations
Using an online carbon calculator, students create a questionnaire and interview an adult (such as a parent, grandparent, teacher, or neighbor). Students then enter the responses into an online calculator to find the adult’s carbon footprint. Finally, students come up with suggestions to reduce their interviewee’s footprint and share their results with the individual. For more action ideas on climate change and other issues, check out our Fast Facts and Quick Actions.

Links to Other Resources
Earth Day 2008: A Call for Climate
Find specific events and ways that you and your students can celebrate the earth on April 22 and continue to care for the planet throughout the year.

EnVision 2050: Is the Future Nature?
This poster competition encourages students in grades 6-12 to present their vision of what their city will look like in 2050, addressing issues of carbon emissions and sustainability. May 15 deadline.