Join Skype in the Classroom in Celebrating Earth Day 2019!

2019-03-29 By 0 Comments

Skype in the Classroom will celebrate Earth Day throughout the month of April to build awareness and inspire the next generation of sustainable leaders to take action.

Look no further for exciting lessons to captivate your students’ imaginations, deepen their understanding of the environmental threats our planet faces, and empower them to take action. Use our resources to lead your students through interactive virtual field trips to parks, zoos, aquariums and connect live with experts to learn about climate change, conservation, sustainability, recycling and more.

Environmental literacy is more important than ever, and with Skype virtual field trips, we have an opportunity to educate kids and raise awareness. After a Skype session, students realize the importance of protecting the forests, the oceans and all the amazing creatures trying to survive on the planet we all live in,” says Manuela Correia, a school teacher from Portugal.

And that’s not all for this month of celebration! Skype in the Classroom partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots program for a broadcast and live chat with Dr. Jane Goodall. There will be two more live broadcasts for classrooms and families to hear from Dr. Jane Goodall on how every individual’s actions can make a big impact on our planet.

The broadcasts will air on April 2nd at 12:30 ET/17:30 UTC and April 9th at 9:00 ET/14:00 UTC and each will be followed by a 30-minute live chat with Dr. Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots team.

You can register for free at aka.ms/janegoodall. Be sure to use the classroom preparation materials to get your students ready for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

To add to the Earth Day fun, Skype launched a collection of emoticons that you can use before, during and after your Skype sessions this month to get students excited while celebrating and learning about our planet.

The Skype team also created a Dr. Jane Goodall emoticon in honor of her Skype in the Classroom broadcasts and all the amazing work she has done to make the world a better place!

So, open your Skype, type (janegoodall) and start sharing this emoticon with your friends!

Additionally, Skype in the Classroom has collaborated with the World Wildlife Fund to launch Our Planet Live—a collection of expert speakers and virtual field trips available via Skype.  These free classroom activities are designed to build on the themes of Our Planet, the new ground-breaking nature documentary series voiced by Sir David Attenborough streaming on Netflix from April 5th. Our Planet is the story of the one place we all call home, and this collection of live classroom experiences will teach students about the different biomes and species on Earth through Skype lessons with experts from around the world. Request your session here.

We hope that you join us in celebrating Earth Day 2019 by getting involved with one or more of our activities that will bring the curriculum to life and make learning fun for your students!

And as always, share your favorite moments with our global community on Twitter (@SkypeClassroom) with #Skype2Learn #MicrosoftEDU to inspire others to connect and bring the world to their classrooms.

Ok, I am in! Are there any resources to help me get started?

 

  1. Once you register for the broadcast event with Dr. Jane Goodall, download our step-by-step activity plan with ideas on how to prepare your class for the event.
  2. If you are joining the event, don’t forget to download the student’s certificate signed by Dr. Jane Goodall herself!
  3. Explore and register for one of our environmental-related Virtual Field Trips at ms/SITCearthday.
  4. Download our Earth Day activity plan—full of ideas and suggestions on how to organize your Skype sessions—to guide your classroom’s celebration all month long.

 

How can I expand the Skype learning experiences for my students for Earth Month?

 

  1. Explore the Flipgrid Disco Library topics featuring Dr. Jane Goodall.
  2. Discover FREE hands-on Hacking STEM lessons that you can use during Earth Month to bring more environmental themed activities in your class!