Parent & Educator Toolkit
Teachers, Child Care Providers, Children’s Librarians, and Parents! The Children's Environmental Health Committee of the American Public Health Association curated some excellent resources on how the environment affects human health just for you, whether you want to plan a book reading, an educational game or activity, or incorporate a lesson plan into your class. A number of these activities can be performed at home during school closures!
Browse the collection below by either Grade Level, Resource Type, or Topic. [popup_anything id="11160"]
Pre-K Resources
| Resource | Author/Source | Type | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan’s House Gets Healthier With a Visit from the Lead Poisoning Prevention Team | CDC National Center for Environmental Health | Book; Activities | Lead hazards |
| Series of Ready Wrigley books | CDC Center for Preparedness and Response | Book; Activities | Disaster preparedness |
| Healthy World, Healthy You | Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center and Transdisciplinary Center on Early Environmental Exposures | Book; Activities | Varied |
| Healthy Home, Healthy Child Activity Book | Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health | Book; Activities | Varied |
| Look Before You L.E.A.P. Activity Book | Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition Inc. | Activities | Varied |
| Kids Environment Kids Health | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Website of various resources | Varied |
| Parent Group Orientation on Lead Poisoning Prevention | Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health | Website of various resources | Lead hazards |
| Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Website of various resources | Varied |
| Lead poisoning curriculum for preschool children and their families | NY State Department of Public Health | Lesson plans | Lead hazards |
| EarthDay Education Resource Library | EarthDay Network | Lesson plans; Activities | Varied; Climate Change |
| One Plastic Bag | Miranda Paul | Book | Varied |
| The Tantrum that Saved the World | Megan Herbert and Michael E. Mann | Book | Climate Change |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Lesson plans; Activities | Lead Hazards |
K-4 Resources
| Resource | Author/Source | Type | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lead Detectives | Susan Taylor Brown | Book | Lead hazards |
| Ethan’s House Gets Healthier With a Visit from the Lead Poisoning Prevention Team | CDC National Center for Environmental Health | Book; Activities | Lead hazards |
| Series of Ready Wrigley books | CDC Center for Preparedness and Response | Book; Activities | Disaster preparedness |
| Healthy World, Healthy You | Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center and Transdisciplinary Center on Early Environmental Exposures | Book; Activities | Varied |
| Healthy Home, Healthy Child Activity Book | Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health | Book; Activities | Varied |
| Look Before You L.E.A.P. Activity Book | Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition Inc. | Activities | Varied |
| Kids Environment Kids Health | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Website of various resources | Varied |
| Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Website of various resources | Varied |
| Ready Kids | National Public Service Campaign | Website of various resources | Disaster preparedness |
| Envrionmental Justice Unit Designed for 3rd and 4th Grade | Jenna Harmsen | Lesson plans; | Environmental justice |
| EnviroAtlas Educational Materials: Connecting Ecosystems and Human Health | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Lesson plans; | Varied |
| Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Pollution (Tox RAP) | Rutgers/NIEHS/Center of Excellence at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute | Lesson plans; | Varied |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Lesson plans; Activities | Lead Hazards |
Grades 5-8 Resources
| Resource | Author/Source | Type | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environment and Health A to Z | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Book | Varied |
| Mayah's Lot | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Book (Graphic Novel) | Environmental justice |
| Ready Kids | National Public Service Campaign | Website of various resources | Disaster preparedness |
| ToxTown: Science Classroom (Grades 6-8) | NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine | website of various resources | Varied |
| Kids Environment Kids Health | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Website of various resources | Varied |
| Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Website of various resources | Varied |
| The Science Behind Climate Change | Scholastic | Lesson plans | Climate change |
| Environmental Justice (Grade 7) | Learning to Give | Lesson plans | Environmental justice |
| Analyzing Environmental Justice | Teaching Tolerance | Lesson plans | Environmental justice |
| EnviroAtlas Educational Materials: Connecting Ecosystems and Human Health | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Lesson plans | Varied |
| Recipes for Healthy Kids and a Healthy Environment | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Lesson plans | Varied |
| Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Pollution (Tox RAP) | Rutgers/NIEHS/Center of Excellence at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute | Lesson plans | Varied |
| Environmental Justice Mini Lesson | WE ACT for Environmental Justice | Lesson plans; Activities | Environmental Justice |
| Bina's Plant | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Book (Graphic novel) | Environmental Justice |
| Bad Future, Better Future | New York Times - Julia Rosen; illustrator Yuliya Parshina-Kottas | Online story | Climate Change |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Lesson plans; Activities | Lead Hazards |
| RadTown Classroom Materials: Radon | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Lesson plans; Activities | Radon Hazards |
Grades 9-12+ Resources
| Resource | Author/Source | Type | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Story of Health | ATSDR, Collaborative on Health and the Environment, Science and Environmental Health Network, Western States PESHU | Book (e-book) | Varied |
| Environment and Health A to Z | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Book | Varied |
| Mayah's Lot | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Book (Graphic novel) | Environmental justice |
| Ready Kids | National Public Service Campaign | Website of various resources | Disaster preparedness |
| Kids Environment Kids Health | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Website of various resources | Varied |
| Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Website of various resources | Varied |
| A Student Exploration of the Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health & Vector-borne Disease | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Lesson plans | Climate change |
| Climate Change and Human Health Lesson Plans | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Lesson plans | Climate change |
| The Science Behind Climate Change | Scholastic | Lesson plans | Climate change |
| Environmental Justice curriculum | Just Health Action | Lesson plans | Environmental justice |
| Lesson Plan: Environmental Racism | American Sociological Association | Lesson plans | Environmental justice |
| Analyzing Environmental Justice | Teaching Tolerance | Lesson plans | Environmental justice |
| EnviroAtlas Educational Materials: Connecting Ecosystems and Human Health | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Lesson plans | Varied |
| Hydroville Curriculum Project | Oregon State University | Lesson plans | Varied |
| Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Pollution (Tox RAP) | Rutgers/NIEHS/Center of Excellence at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute | Lesson plans | Varied |
| C-CHANGE Educational Resources on Climate, Health, and COVID-19 | Putney Pre-College and Harvard Chan | Lesson plans | Climate Change |
| Environmental Justice Mini Lesson | WE ACT for Environmental Justice | Lesson-plans; Activities | Environmental Justice |
| Bina's Plant | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Book (Graphic novel) | Environmental Justice |
| Community Environmental Health (CEH) Kits | University of Rochester Medical School: Environmental Health Sciences Center | Activities; Presentations | Varied |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Lesson plans; Activities | Lead Hazards |
| RadTown Classroom Materials: Radon | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Lesson plans; Activities | Radon Hazards |
| APHA Climate and Health Curriculum | American Public Health Association | Lesson plans | Climate Change |
Books
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lead Detectives | Susan Taylor Brown | Pre-K, K-4 | Lead hazards |
| Series of Ready Wrigley books | CDC Center for Preparedness and Response | Pre-K, K-4 | Disaster preparedness |
| Ethan’s House Gets Healthier With a Visit from the Lead Poisoning Prevention Team | CDC National Center for Environmental Health | Pre-K, K-4 | Lead hazards |
| Healthy World, Healthy You | Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center and Transdisciplinary Center on Early Environmental Exposures | Pre-K, K-4 | Varied |
| Healthy Home, Healthy Child Activity Book | Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health | Pre-K, K-4 | Varied |
| Environment and Health A to Z | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Grades 5-12 | Varied |
| Mayah's Lot | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Grades 5-12 | Environmental justice |
| The Story of Health | ATSDR, Collaborative on Health and the Environment, Science and Environmental Health Network, Western States PESHU | Grades 9-12+ | Varied |
| One Plastic Bag | Miranda Paul | Pre-K | Varied |
| The Tantrum that Saved the World | Megan Herbert and Michael E. Mann | Pre-K | Climate Change |
| Bina's Plant | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Grades 5-12+ | Environmental Justice |
Activities (e.g., crosswords, coloring)
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look Before You L.E.A.P. Activity Book | Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition Inc. | Pre-K, K-4 | Varied |
| Series of Ready Wrigley books | CDC Center for Preparedness and Response | Pre-K, K-4 | Disaster preparedness |
| Ethan’s House Gets Healthier With a Visit from the Lead Poisoning Prevention Team | CDC National Center for Environmental Health | Pre-K, K-4 | Lead hazards |
| Healthy World, Healthy You | Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center and Transdisciplinary Center on Early Environmental Exposures | Pre-K, K-4 | Varied |
| Healthy Home, Healthy Child Activity Book | Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health | Pre-K, K-4 | Varied |
| Environmental Justice Mini Lesson | WE ACT for Environmental Justice | Grades 5-12+ | Environmental Justice |
| EarthDay Education Resource Library | EarthDay Network | Pre-K-12+ | Varied; Climate Change |
| Community Environmental Health (CEH) Kits | University of Rochester Medical School: Environmental Health Sciences Center | Grades 9-12+ | Varied |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Grades k-4, 5-8, 9-12+ | Lead Hazards |
| RadTown Classroom Materials: Radon | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 5-8, 9-12+ | Radon Hazards |
Websites with various resources
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent Group Orientation on Lead Poisoning Prevention | Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health | Pre-K | Lead Hazards |
| Kids Environment Kids Health | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Pre-K – Grade 12 | Varied |
| Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Pre-K – Grade 12 | Varied |
| Ready Kids | National Public Service Campaign | K-12 | Disaster preparedness |
| ToxTown: Science Classroom (Grades 6-8) | NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine | Grades 6-8 | Varied |
| Bad Future, Better Future | New York Times - Julia Rosen; illustrator Yuliya Parshina-Kottas | Grades 5-8 | Climate Change |
Lesson Plans/Curriculum
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson Plan: Environmental Racism | American Sociological Association | Grades 9-12 | Environmental justice |
| Lead poisoning curriculum for preschool children and their families | NY State Department of Public Health | Pre-K | Lead Hazards |
| Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Pollution (Tox RAP) | Rutgers/NIEHS/Center of Excellence at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute | K-9 | Varied |
| Envrionmental Justice Unit Designed for 3rd and 4th Grade | Jenna Harmsen | Grades 3-4 | Environmental justice |
| EnviroAtlas Educational Materials: Connecting Ecosystems and Human Health | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 4-12 | Varied |
| Recipes for Healthy Kids and a Healthy Environment | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 5-8 | Varied |
| The Science Behind Climate Change | Scholastic | Grades 6-12 | Climate Change |
| Analyzing Environmental Justice | Teaching Tolerance | Grades 6-12 | Environmental Justice |
| Environmental Justice (Grade 7) | Learning to Give | Grade 7 | Environmental Justice |
| Hydroville Curriculum Project | Oregon State University | Grades 9-12 | Varied |
| A Student Exploration of the Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health & Vector-borne Disease | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Grades 9-12 | Climate Change |
| Climate Change and Human Health Lesson Plans | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Grades 9-12+ | Climate Change |
| Environmental Justice curriculum | Just Health Action | Grades 9-12+ | Environmental Justice |
| C-CHANGE Educational Resources on Climate, Health, and COVID-19 | Putney Pre-College and Harvard Chan | Grades 9-12+ | Climate Change |
| Bad Future, Better Future | New York Times - Julia Rosen; illustrator Yuliya Parshina-Kottas | Grades 5-8 | Climate Change |
| Environmental Justice Mini Lesson | WE ACT for Environmental Justice | Grades 5-8 | Environmental Justice |
| EarthDay Education Resource Library | EarthDay Network | Pre-K-12+ | Varied; Climate Change |
| Community Environmental Health (CEH) Kits | University of Rochester Medical School: Environmental Health Sciences Center | Grades 9-12+ | Varied |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Grades k-4, 5-8, 9-12+ | Lead Hazards |
| RadTown Classroom Materials: Radon | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 5-8, 9-12+ | Radon Hazards |
| APHA Climate and Health Curriculum | American Public Health Association | Grades 9-12+ | Climate Change |
Lead Hazards
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead poisoning curriculum for preschool children and their families | NY State Department of Public Health | Pre-K | Lesson Plans |
| Parent Group Orientation on Lead Poisoning Prevention | Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health | Pre-K | Website of various resources |
| Ethan’s House Gets Healthier With a Visit from the Lead Poisoning Prevention Team | CDC National Center for Environmental Health | Pre-K, K-4 | Book; Activity |
| Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (designed with over 200 tribal partners) | Grades k-4, 5-8, 9-12+ | Lesson Plans; Activities |
Climate Change
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Science Behind Climate Change | Scholastic | Grades 6-12 | Lesson Plans |
| A Student Exploration of the Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health & Vector-borne Disease | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Grades 9-12 | Lesson Plans |
| Climate Change and Human Health Lesson Plans | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Grades 9-12+ | Lesson Plans |
| C-CHANGE Educational Resources on Climate, Health, and COVID-19 | Putney Pre-College and Harvard Chan | Grades 9-12+ | Lesson Plans |
| EarthDay Education Resource Library | EarthDay Network | Pre-K-12+ | Lesson Plans; Activities |
| The Tantrum that Saved the World | Megan Herbert and Michael E. Mann | Pre-K | Book |
| Bad Future, Better Future | New York Times - Julia Rosen; illustrator Yuliya Parshina-Kottas | Grades 5-8 | Online Story |
| APHA Climate and Health Curriculum | American Public Health Association | Graces 9-12+ | Lesson plans |
Emergency Preparedness
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series of Ready Wrigley books | CDC Center for Preparedness and Response | Pre-K, K-4 | Book; Activity |
| Ready Kids | National Public Service Campaign | K-12 | Website of various resources |
Environmental Justice
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson Plan: Environmental Racism | American Sociological Association | Grades 9-12 | Lesson plans |
| Envrionmental Justice Unit Designed for 3rd and 4th Grade | Jenna Harmsen | Grades 3-4 | Lesson plans |
| Mayah's Lot | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Grades 5-12 | Book (graphic novel) |
| Analyzing Environmental Justice | Teaching Tolerance | Grades 6-12 | Lesson plans |
| Environmental Justice (Grade 7) | Learning to Give | Grade 7 | Lesson plans |
| Environmental Justice curriculum | Just Health Action | Grades 9-12+ | Lesson plans |
| Environmental Justice Mini Lesson | WE ACT for Environmental Justice | Grades 5-8, 9-12+ | Lesson plans; Activities |
| Bina's Plant | CUNY Center for Urban Environmental Reform | Grades 5-8, 9-12+ | Book (graphic novel) |
Varied
| Resource | Author/Source | Grade Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look Before You L.E.A.P. Activity Book | Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition Inc. | Pre-K, K-4 | Activities |
| Healthy World, Healthy You | Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center and Transdisciplinary Center on Early Environmental Exposures | Pre-K, K-4 | Book; Activities |
| Healthy Home, Healthy Child Activity Book | Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health | Pre-K, K-4 | Book; Activities |
| Kids Environment Kids Health | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Pre-K – Grade 12 | Website of various resources |
| Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Pre-K – Grade 12 | Website of various resources |
| Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Pollution (Tox RAP) | Rutgers/NIEHS/Center of Excellence at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute | K-9 | Lesson plans |
| EnviroAtlas Educational Materials: Connecting Ecosystems and Human Health | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 4-12 | Lesson plans |
| Recipes for Healthy Kids and a Healthy Environment | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 5-8 | Lesson plans |
| Environment and Health A to Z | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | Grades 5-12 | Book |
| ToxTown: Science Classroom (Grades 6-8) | NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine | Grades 6-8 | Website of various resources |
| Hydroville Curriculum Project | Oregon State University | Grades 9-12 | Lesson plans |
| The Story of Health | ATSDR, Collaborative on Health and the Environment, Science and Environmental Health Network, Western States PESHU | Grades 9-12+ | Book (e-book) |
| EarthDay Education Resource Library | EarthDay Network | Pre-K-12+ | Lesson plans; Activities |
| One Plastic Bag | Miranda Paul | Pre-K | Book |
| Community Environmental Health (CEH) Kits | University of Rochester Medical School: Environmental Health Sciences Center | Grades 9-12+ | Activities; Presentations |
| RadTown Classroom Materials: Radon | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Grades 5-8, 9-12+ | Lesson plans; Activities |