For Earth Day this year, Seventh Generation has developed four lesson plans that teachers can use with their students. Three lessons help students investigate and understand how the products in their home can effect the indoor environment in which they spend much of their time. The fourth prepares them to gather information to use an online carbon footprint calculator.

Each lesson and its extensions address the following National Science Standards:

• Science as Inquiry (Content Standard A)
• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives (Content Standard F)

Any links below labeled "pdf" require Adobe Reader, a free download.

Grades 2–3: The Environment in Your Home
This Earth Day Lesson helps raise the awareness of young students that some of the chemicals in their home are not only hazardous for them to use, but can have a lasting effect.
Grade 2-3 Teacher Pages [pdf]
Grade 2-3 Student Pages [pdf]

Grades 5–6: The Inside Environment
This lesson plan helps students identify some of the potential sources of indoor air pollution in their home, and presents some ways that they can work with the rest of the household to create a healthier indoor environment.
Grades 5-6 Teacher Pages [pdf]
Grades 5-6 Student Pages [pdf]

Grades 9–12: The Effectiveness of Cleaning Products
In this two-part investigation, students first test a variety of cleaning products to assess their effectiveness. To follow up, they explore the possible environmental impact of the different cleaners and factor that data into how they determine the "best" product.
Grades 9-12 Teacher Pages [pdf]
Grades 9-12 Student Pages [pdf]

Grades 6–12: What’s your family’s carbon footprint?
Seventh Generation has developed an online calculator that students can use to measure their carbon footprint. This lesson provides worksheets to help students gather the information needed to input into the calculator, and understand the results.
Carbon Calculator Teacher Pages [pdf]
Carbon Calculator Student Pages [pdf]
Use the carbon calculator