Earth Day

Workers prepare for the first Earth Day at the headquarters of the Environmental Action Coalition in a New York Theological Seminary building.

SOPTV celebrates Earth Day all year long with numerous resources that encourage awareness and appreciation for Mother Earth. We encourage you to learn more about environmental issues and ways you can live a healthy, green, sustainable lifestyle.

Earth Day Programs

SOUTHERN OREGON TOWN HALL: Seeking Sustainability in Our Community
A series of related Town Hall programs exploring sustainability in business and at home and focusing on community sustainability issues facing county and municipal governments in southern Oregon.

Be More Green Eco-Tote
It's easy being Green when you support SOPTV. Get your own SOPTV "Be More Green" Eco-tote with your pledge. Be More Green -- And Be More SOPTV with the 100% Certified Organic Eco-tote. It's strong, sturdy, and holds a lot. Making you look good while helping the environment. And it supports your Public Television Station! Supplies are limited, so call 800-888-1847 now for more information.
EARTH: The Operators' Manual
Wednesday, August 24 at 10 p.m. -- Richard Alley's uniquely optimistic and objective assessment of our climate predicament.
EDEN AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Wednesday, August 24 at 8 p.m. -- Animals that call Tierra del Fuego home are facing increasing pressure from humans.
NATURE: Kilauea: Mountain of Fire
Sunday, August 21 at 8 p.m. -- The cataclysmic meeting of 2,000-degree lava and 75-degree ocean water.
MASTERS OF THE ARCTIC ICE
Wednesday, August 17 at 8 p.m. -- How global warming is rocking the Arctic world...before there's nothing left but water.
P.O.V.: Food, Inc.
Tuesday, August 9 at 9 p.m. -- Surprising, and often shocking, truths about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation, and where we are going from here.
NATURE: Life in Death Valley
Sunday, August 7 at 8 p.m. -- It's one of the most brutal environments on earth -- so how does life carry on here?
NATURE: In the Valley of Wolves
Sunday, July 17 at 8 p.m. -- The dramatic saga of Yellowstone's Druid wolf pack and the fate of the wolves' Lamar Valley ecosystem.
MARBLE HALLS OF OREGON: Exploring the Oregon Caves National Monument & GREAT LODGE OF THE MARBLE HALLS OF OREGON: The Chateau of the Oregon Caves
Wednesday, June 22 at 10 p.m. -- The people, landscape, and architecture of the Oregon Caves National Monument and its historic Great Lodge.
NATURE: Bears of the Last Frontier
Starts Sunday, May 8 at 8 p.m. -- Join adventurer and bear biologist Chris Morgan on a year-long motorcycle odyssey deep into Alaska's bear country.
NATURE: Salmon: Running the Gauntlet
Sunday, May 1 at 8 p.m. -- A wildly creative, hopelessly complex and stunningly expensive approach to managing salmon.
NATURE: Parrots in the Land of Oz
Sunday, April 3 at 8 p.m. -- NATURE tracks down the cockiest characters in the land down under.
A WILD AMERICAN FOREST
Sunday, February 6 at 8 p.m. -- Susan Sarandon narrates how a rugged pocket of America's Pacific Northwest has endured.
NATURE: Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air
Sunday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. -- Hummingbirds represent one of nature's most interesting paradoxes.
NATURE: Violent Hawaii
Sunday, August 15 at 8 p.m. -- Volcanic eruptions, rivers of molten lava, monster waves, humpback whales, and ... SNOW?!?
NATURE: Andes: The Dragon's Back
Sunday, July 18 at 8 p.m. -- The Andes mountains continue to grow and evolve and are home to a rich tapestry of environments.
INDEPENDENT LENS: DIRT! The Movie
Tuesday, April 20 at 10 p.m. -- Delves into the fascinating history of this lowly substance and shows how its mistreatment can result in natural disasters.
NOVA: The Big Energy Gamble
Tuesday, April 20 at 8 p.m. -- NOVA investigates California's approach to energy and how this will affect the state.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: Earth Days
Monday, April 19 at 9 p.m. -- Acclaimed director, Robert Stone, traces the origins of the modern environmental movement.
NATURE: Frogs: The Thin Green Line
unday, April 18 at 8 p.m. -- Frogs are facing the greatest extinction since the dinosaurs.
NATURE: Moment of Impact
Sunday, April 4 at 8 p.m. -- NATURE takes the viewer inside the animal to present an innovative and revolutionary look at the bio-engineering of "how animals work."
NATURE: Invasion of the Giant Pythons
Sunday, February 21 at 8 p.m. -- Predatory pythons slithered into the protected Florida wilderness and thrived.
NATURE: Wild Balkans
Sunday, January 31 at 8 p.m. -- A dazzling world of lush forests, vast wetlands, deep chasms, and unique wildlife.
NATURE: Born Wild: The First Days of Life
Sunday, November 1 at 8 p.m. -- Follows the birth and first days of several species, from marmoset to moose to elephant and gorilla.
NATURE: Murder in the Troop
Sunday, August 9 at 8 p.m. -- Life becomes dangerous for twin baboons in Zambia when their father is defeated as alpha male of the troop.

Earth Day Media

Source: Forum Network

Al Gore: A Plan to Solve the Global Climate Crisis
Al Gore
November 7, 2009
01:07:40

Former US Vice President and climate change activist Al Gore discusses his new book Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Global Climate Crisis.

Why We Can’t Leave the Planet to the Environmentalists
Michael Shellenberger
May 6, 2009
01:27:13

Environmental provocateur Micheal Shellenberger asks whether American climate change policy is moving in the right direction. The cap-and-trade model for regulatory legislation is based on economic assumptions that have shattered in the current economic crisis.

John Ochsendorf: Redesigning Communities and Carbon Neutrality
John Ochsendorf
April 28, 2009
01:00:37

MacArthur Award-winning structural engineer John Ochsendorf talks about how his interests in environmental science, history, archeology, and engineering led him to his work with historic structures, and then to his work redesigning communities to make them carbon neutral.

Connecting Corals and Climate Change
Kim Cobb
May 12, 2009
00:34:29

Kim Cobb, Assistant Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, describes what corals can tell us about climate change. Cobb spent two years at the California Institute of Technology in the department of geological and planetary sciences, after earning her doctorate in oceanography in 2002.

Is Global Warming Impacting North Atlantic Right Whales?
Robert Kenney
May 22, 2007
01:00:42

Bob Kenney argues that global warming will ultimately affect the food supply of the already endangered North Atlantic right whale.

London Climate Diet: Guide to Tackling Global Warming
Allan Jones
January 17, 2007
01:41:26

Allan Jones, CEO of the London Climate Change Agency, discusses The London Climate Diet: A How-To Guide to Tackling Global Warming that features proven strategies that cut greenhouse gas emissions, while also saving money.

With Speed and Violence: Tipping Points and Climate Change
Fred Pearce
May 2, 2007
01:15:38

British science journalist Fred Pearce brings the concept of the “tipping point” to studies of climate change. What is the scientific evidence that points to an imminent and irreversible warming of the global climate?

Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World
Andrew Revkin
December 1, 2006
01:10:55

Andrew Revkin details his fascinating adventure to the icy outer limits of earth with a team of scientists whose task was to determine the natural and man-made causes of dramatic climate changes in the Arctic.

New Orleans: Global Warming Disaster
William Sargent
October 16, 2006
00:57:24

This lecture chronicles the unique history of this charming southern city while exploring the engineering mistakes made when building New Orleans.

Confronting and Addressing Global Warming
Seth Kaplan
September 18, 2006
00:42:22

Seth Kaplan discusses fostering renewable energy, working for climate protection, and reducing the environmental impact of fossil fuel power plants.

Global Climate Change: The Arctic
James J. McCarthy
November 23, 2002
00:15:37

James J. McCarthy, professor of biological oceanography at Harvard University, addresses the long-standing and pervasive myth that human input is local not global. He argues that damage to the earth’s polar areas might finally be proving just how wrong this type of thinking is.

Global Climate Change: The Southern Ocean
Sarah Gille
November 23, 2002
00:08:57

Sarah Gille, physical oceanographer at Scripps Research Institute, addresses the long-standing and pervasive myth that human input is local not global. She argues that damage to the earth’s polar areas might finally be proving just how wrong this type of thinking is.

Global Climate Change: The Ross Ice Shelf
Gregory S. Stone
November 23, 2002
00:13:49

Greg Stone, vice president of Global Marine Programs at New England Aquarium, discusses Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, and addresses the long-standing and pervasive myth that human input is local not global.

Global Climate Change: The Media
Usha Lee McFarling
November 23, 2002
00:08:59

The Southern Ocean, the body of water surrounding Antarctica, is a key region in determining global climate. Recent studies show that the Southern Ocean is undergoing an alarming warming trend that may affect climates in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

Global Climate Change: Ask the Experts
Gregory S. Stone
James J. McCarthy, professor
Sarah Gille
Usha Lee McFarling
November 23, 2002
01:08:24

The Southern Ocean, the body of water surrounding Antarctica, is a key region in determining global climate. Experts answer audience questions on global climate change.

Earth Day Kid’s Activities

Earth Day Teacher Resources

Shop PBS

Earth Day Is Earth Day
Maya & Miguel
Lesson Plan:
Identify the importance of Earth Day and learn how individuals and communities can affect the environment. Create a plan for a community garden and understand the basics of how plants grow and thrive. Details »

Standards:
K-2, 3-5, Science & Tech, Social Studies, Botany, Earth Science, Ecology, Life Science, Civics: Community & Citizenship
Earth Day
Activity Packs
Offline Activity/Project:
Investigate how people in the community recycle, identify major sources of litter, and research an environmental problem. Research the Kyoto Protocol and express views about its ratification. Details »

Standards:
6-8, 9-12, Science & Tech, Social Studies, Ecology, Geography
Day and Night
Jay Jay the Jet Plane
Offline Activity/Project:
Explore the size and duties of the sun, including making things grow and warming the earth. Investigate the phases and characteristics of the moon and bake moon cookies. (5 activities total) Details »

Standards:
PreK, K-2, Science & Tech, Atmosphere & Space Science, Earth Science
Rain Project
Arthur
Offline Activity/Project:
Explore rainy-day activities, create poems, pictures, and stories about the rain and design a book to store rain predictions and observations. Details »

Standards:
PreK, K-2, The Arts, Reading & Language Arts, Science & Tech, Crafts, Writing: Composition, Earth Science
Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away
Sid the Science Kid
Offline Activity/Project:
Explore how things change when it rains by using all five senses to observe the rain and the rain clouds. Compare a rainy day to a sunny day and describe the differences between rain clouds and clouds on a sunny day. Details »

Standards:
PreK, K-2, Health & Fitness, Science & Tech, Body Systems & Senses, Earth Science
Breaking It Down
Nature
Lesson Plan:
Explore the processes of weathering and erosion and how they work together to shape the earth’s landscape. Review through online games basic modes of erosion, causes and effects of erosion in the real world, and human attempts to limit it. Details »

Standards:
9-12, Science & Tech, Geology & Natural Disasters
Weather Forecaster
Martha Speaks
Offline Activity/Project:

Practice using words related to weather with a weekly forecaster chart. Predict whether tomorrow will be cloudy or sunny and what the temperature will be, and then check your predictions the next day. Details »

Standards:
PreK, K-2, Reading & Language Arts, Science & Tech, >Vocabulary, Earth Science
The Day the Earth Shook
NOVA
Lesson Plan:
Examine basic features in structural design, compare architectural features that work and those that don’t during an earthquake and explore structural engineering through three design challenges. Details »

Standards:
6-8, 9-12, Science & Tech, Engineering, Geology & Natural Disasters, Motion & Forces
Seismometer
ZOOM
Offline Activity/Project:
Build an instrument for measuring movement to learn about how scientists measure the Earth’s movement with a seismometer. Details »

Standards:
3-5, 6-8, Science & Tech, Geology & Natural Disasters
Big Dipper Star Clock
Seeing in the Dark
Offline Activity/Project:
Tell what time it is at night by using the Big Dipper. Build a star clock that uses the current month and the North Star to align the Big Dipper with the current time. Details »

Standards:
3-5, 6-8, Science & Tech, Atmosphere & Space Science
You Don’t Need a Seismograph to Study Earthquakes
NewsHour Extra
Lesson Plan:
Examine the science of earthquakes and predicting earthquakes by simulating longitudinal and transverse waves, simulating a type of lithospheric boundary, and investigating plate tectonics. Details »

Standards:
9-12, Science & Tech, Geology & Natural Disasters Motion & Forces
Lesson Four: Land Pollution
WXXI: Ecological Empowerment: Helping Kids Help the Environment
Lesson Plan:
Examine the concept of environmental citizenship as it applies to land pollution by exploring the value of recycling and ways people can reduce or reuse trash. Learn that by using teamwork, a large job can become more manageable. Details »

Standards:
K-2, 3-5, Science & Tech, Social Studies, Earth Science, Ecology, Civics: Community & Citizenship
Bringing Up Birdy: Challenges of Incubation
Nature
Video:
Witness bald eagles facing the challenges of a 35-day incubation period, one of the longest for birds. See the parent eagles take turns protecting their eggs from possible predators, cold and snow. Details »

Standards:
K-2, 3-5, Science & Tech, Animals: Birds
Photosynthesis
WGBH: Teachers’ Domain
Video:
This video segment from Interactive NOVA: Eart” explores the history of plant biology. It takes the viewer from the earliest scientific hypotheses that plants ate dirt, to our present-day understanding of photosynthesis, the process by which plants use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates, a storable form of chemical energy. Details »

Standards:
3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Science & Tech, Botany
–> Visit the SOPTV Educators page to search for further resources…