1. Give Feedback and Win Cash Prizes!

Please participate in a Canada-wide teacher survey to help us develop effective curriculum resources to educate youth on the effect of air pollution on lung health, with a focus on asthma. The survey follows a number of focus groups held on this topic in Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sackville. GreenLearning Canada and Clean Air Champions have teamed up to conduct this research and develop new classroom resources.

In 2008, the Canadian Medical Association reported that 21,000 Canadians die each year due to air pollution. Youth are particularly vulnerable.

Help prevent and manage respiratory disease through better education! The survey takes about 12 minutes to complete. The deadline for your input is Wednesday, June 30, 2010. To thank you for your assistance, we'll enter all survey respondents into a draw for three cash prizes. We will award one $500 cash prize and two $250 cash prizes.

All responses to the survey will be kept strictly confidential and will be combined with other respondents' answers for group analysis. If you are unable to click on the link above, please copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://survey.uthinkonline.com/IntWeb.dll?IMODE=2&PROJECT=CAC.CLTE. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact us by forwarding this invite along with your comments. Thank you for your help!

2. ON Teachers: New eCards Opportunity

When you teach Grade 9 Geography or Grade 10 Science this fall, use the power of social networking to engage your students in climate action! GreenLearning is looking for teachers to participate in our exciting new Climate Action Program, and we need to confirm enrolment this month.

How does the Climate Action Program work?

• You teach Grade 9 Geography or Grade 10 Science this fall and incorporate the Climate Change eCards activity. (To see Climate Change eCards, visit http://ecards.greenlearning.ca and choose Climate Change from the TOPICS menu.)
• As part of their learning, students prepare an eCard based on their research. Their eCard includes their personal pledge to reduce their carbon footprint. They email their eCard to three friends and encourage them to take action as well.
• Students track their pledges and measure actual results.

What support can I expect?

• GreenLearning will provide each participating teacher with up to $450 to cover release time and any other expenses incurred (such as prep time or travel time to a workshop).
• We will host and conduct a professional development workshop in the Toronto area in late August/early September.
• GreenLearning will provide easy-to-use tools for tracking student pledges and actions.

How do I learn more?

Contact Gordon Harrison, Director of GreenLearning Canada, for more information.

3. Results of the Solar Oven Challenge!

Congratulations to all of the classes who participated in the 2009/10 Solar Oven Challenge! Teachers and students found the experience to be an educational and delectable way to learn about solar power.

Honours with Distinction

• St. Peter's Secondary School, Grade 11, Barrie, ON (featured here)
  Teacher: Melissa Hunter
• Jasper Place High School, Grade 10, Edmonton, AB (featured below)
  Teacher: Elwin Worobec
• Centre Peel Public School, Grade 7/8, Drayton, ON
  Teacher: Tracey Kuchma

Honours

• Royal Canadian Montessori School, Grades 4 to 6, Whitby, ON
  Teacher: Dawn Deane
• Ecole St. Gerard School, Grades 2/3 and 4, Calgary, AB
  Teacher: Kirsten Tschofen

To see the individual submissions and more photographs, visit the re-energy.ca website.

4. Results of the eCards Showcase Contest!

Congratulations to the three students and their teachers who won our eCards Showcase Contest! See the winning eCards at http://ecards.greenlearning.ca.

The Winning eCards:

We Cannot Wait!
by Danielle M., Prince of Wales School
Teacher: Chael MacArthur

We are the Problem. We Need to be the Solution.
by Sophie H., Prince of Wales School
Teacher: Chael MacArthur

Using Wind Power's a "Breeze."
by Rachel C., R.H. Lagerquist School
Teacher: Erin Fitzgibbon

Thanks to all who participated! It is exciting to see this new feature of eCards growing. It will allow all eCards classes to share and learn from exemplary eCards from across Canada.

5. New Climate Change Curriculum Connections

Curriculum connections for climate change are now available at the eCards website. Visit http://ecards.greenlearning.ca and choose Curriculum Connections under the ABOUT ECARDS menu.

Curriculum links are available for grades 9 through 12 for a full range of subjects. Look for links for these provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

6. New Westminster's Sustainable Transportation Poster Contest

The City of New Westminster in BC, in collaboration with School District #40 and GreenLearning Canada, invited local Grade 5 and 6 students to participate in the poster contest, Sustainable Transportation: Now and in the Future. The contest gave students an opportunity to express their visions of sustainable transportation, while thinking critically about how to reduce energy use and choose more sustainable modes of transportation. To support the contest, GreenLearning provided teachers with the new EnerAction lesson plan, Ride, Roll or Stroll, soon to be available at www.greenlearning.ca/eneraction.

New Westminster's City Hall hosted a celebration on June 8^th where proud parents and community members could view students' artwork. The three winning students received framed certificates and prizes, and their artwork will be included in the City's Transportation Master Plan. Congratulations to the three student poster prize winners!

• Joshua David of Lord Kelvin Elementary School
• Taylor Johansen of F.W. Howay Elementary School
• Nina Lalic of Connaught Heights Elementary School

7. GreenLearning Gets On Board

GreenLearning is teaming up with SMART Board™ to create useful links for teachers to our existing lessons and to develop new lessons. We are seeking registered GreenLearning teachers who are interested in providing feedback on draft designs this fall. If you are interested in participating, please contact Johan Stroman at johans@greenlearning.ca, with the subject heading GreenLearning and Smartboard. Watch GreenLearning News for updates!

8. Thank You for Your Input!

Our thanks to all of the teachers who participated in phone evaluations and completed our annual online survey. Your feedback is truly invaluable to us as we work to improve and expand GreenLearning programming. Congratulations to the winners of our prize-draw for participation!

For phone interviews:

• Gayle Miller of Belleville, ON
• Linda Tandrup of Onoway, AB
• Maye Davis of Courtney, BC

For the online survey:

• Nadine Trenchard of Morinville, AB
• Heather Elson of Richmond Hill, ON
• Gurt Bageria of Etobicoke, ON

We still welcome your input. Click here to complete the online survey and helps hape our programming.

9. Upcoming Workshops

Vermilion, AB, August 26. Buffalo Trails Public Schools professional development day. Workshop 1: Electricity All Around Us and EnerAction (grades 4 to 6). Workshop 2: Real World Ecosystems and eCards (grades 7 to 9). For more information, contact Hugh Forrester.

Did you know that you can request a workshop for your school district for the fall? To do so, contact the GreenLearning Director in your region.