1. eCards Offers Two New Topics!

eCards now offers two more topic resource centres for students: Environmental Citizenship and Wolfe Island: Green Realities. They directly meet curriculum expectations in Grade 10 Civics and have many other applications as well, especially to high school Science, Geography, and Language Arts.

Environmental Citizenship explores the process of becoming an active citizen, from getting informed to navigating the political system to taking action. Students get to know the process through SWITCH—Solar and Wind Initiatives Toward Change—the inspiring student group that made their school the first in the Toronto District School Board to install renewable energy. Complete with videos of SWITCH in action, the unit examines several strategies for creating change and concludes with an Environmental Citizen Action Checklist.

Wolfe Island: Green Realities offers a case study of one green reality: the 2009 installation of a large wind farm on Wolfe Island in Ontario. Students look at the process and politics by which a small island became home to 86 large wind turbines. They see the wide range of positions and actions taken by local residents and beyond. This unit works well alone or as an extension of the eCards Wind Power topic resource centre.

What is eCards? On the popular eCards website, students research a topic such as Environmental Citizenship, demonstrate their knowledge by answering research questions online, and then create an eCard with their own message and artwork. With teacher approval, students send their eCards to family members, local politicians, and other decision-makers. Environmental Citizenship and Wolfe Island join eight other energy-related eCards topics: Climate Change, Wind Power, Solar Energy, Oil and Gas, Nuclear Power, Energy Success Stories, Arctic Glaciers, and Air Quality. To learn more, visit the eCards website.

2. Redfish Alumni Inspire Change

See the diverse and inspiring community action projects of the 2011 Redfish School of Change class at the Redfish website. Participants in our unique field school use journaling, group discussion, feedback sessions, workshops, and mentorship to develop action projects they want to take to their communities. They implement their action projects with support from Redfish mentors.

This month, we feature 2011 participant Isabel Slone and her project, Is Fashion a Friend or Foe? Isabel's action project addresses the intertwined pleasures and problems of the fashion industry. An aspiring fashion editor, Isabel finds many aspects of the industry problematic from environmental and feminist perspectives. To encourage critical dialogue about these issues, Isabel produced the first issue of her own fashion magazine entitled PLANT, now available at etsy.com. She entered the Who Inspires U? contest for funding to continue PLANT. Click here to see Isabel's short video application and cast your vote.

3. Take the Challenge!

Registration is now open for the 2011/12 Solar Oven Challenge. GreenLearning Canada hosts this popular renewable energy challenge for Canadian classes every year. Students build, test, and bake with solar ovens using the solar oven construction plan provided at re-energy.ca, or using plans of their own design.

The Solar Oven Challenge is open to all Canadian students. Past participants have ranged from grade 3 through to grade 12, and from science classes to environmental clubs. To participate:

1. Teachers, register your class by sending an email with your name, school, grade, address, and phone number to Kathy Worobec at GreenLearning Canada. She will send you a copy of the Teacher's Guide.
2. Build, test and bake with solar ovens!
3. Email us photos and descriptions of your creations by June 8, 2012 to be eligible to win prizes.
4. See your recipes and photos showcased at re-energy.ca — GreenLearning's renewable energy website.

To see our Showcase of past winners and submissions (like Queen Elizabeth High School in Edmonton, featured here) and learn more about the Solar Oven Challenge, click here.

4. Upcoming Ontario Workshops

Look for us at a number of Ontario conferences this fall. Attend a workshop or visit the GreenLearning Canada booth to meet us and learn more about our programs. We hope to see you there!

• Richmond Hill, ON. Educational Computing Organization of Ontario
  — ECOO 2011: Inspire, Connect, Learn at the Sheraton Parkway North Hotel. GreenLearning workshop: COOL 2.0: Collaborating to Fight Climate Change, October 20, 2:45 pm.
  Register with ECOO.

• Toronto, ON. Science Teachers' Association of Ontario — STAO 2011: Science, Wise Choices, Healthy Planet at DoubleTree by Hilton, Toronto Airport. November 10 to 12. Visit the GreenLearning booth.
  Register with STAO.

• Aurora, ON. Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Education — OAGEE: Dawn of a New Era — Illuminating Our Future at St. Andrew's College, 15800 Yonge Street. GreenLearning workshop: COOL 2.0: Collaborating to Fight Climate Change, November 11, 1:45 pm.
  Register with OAGEE.

• Toronto, ON. Ontario History and Social Sciences Teachers' Association — OHASSTA at Holiday Inn, Toronto airport. GreenLearning workshop: Environmental Citizenship: Civics and Beyond, November 19, 11:15 am.
  Register with OHASSTA.

5. Thanks for Your Input

Thanks to all of you who participated in our online survey and phone interviews in June! Your feedback helps us assess the impact of GreenLearning on student learning and improve our programming. All participating teachers were entered into a draw for gift cards. Congratulations to the five winning teachers:

• Kathy Hartman, Killarney Secondary School, Vancouver, BC
• Ravinder Dhamrait, Montrose School, Edmonton, AB
• Carolynn Beaty, Crofton House School, Vancouver, BC
• Laurie Tandrup, Onoway Elementary, Onoway, AB
• Dale Trenholm, A.E. Cross Junior High, Calgary, AB

6. What's My Password?

Can't remember your password? Click here to get your GreenLearning password and access our resources.