Environment and our Global Community

Environment and Our Global Community is a curriculum designed to help middle school students understand environmental problems and show them how they can work with their community—family, schools, elected officials—and communities around the world to create a healthy environment. Over 40 activities involve the students in decision-making and problem-solving tasks. Units teach students about pollution, explain how their actions impact the environment, demonstrate the importance of uniting to protect the environment, and provide suggestions about how they may become involved. Each lesson plan contains learning objectives, background information and tips for teachers, materials needed, and step-by-step activities. 

Susan G. Shapiro has developed model health and environmental education programs for the Soros Foundation and the Open Society Institute. She has also created an interactive exhibit, “aMaze and Beyond,” that gave visitors the opportunity to learn about stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Her publications include Dear Unknown Friends: Children’s Letters from Sarajevo and The Curtain Rises: Oral Histories of the Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.