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Provided by: Goldman Environmental Foundation |Published on: January 8, 2026
Lesson Plans
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Synopsis
This guide from the Goldman Environmental Foundation helps teachers bring the video and article narratives about Goldman Environmental Prize winners and their accomplishments to the classroom, with note-taking guides, discussion questions, and specific tips for implementation in different subject areas.
The guide includes guided notes for general use, geography, vocabulary, science, social dimensions, leadership, changemaking, and personal reflections.
This guide is very versatile and able to meet the needs of a variety of classrooms.
Hearing stories of everyday people who have made real changes in their communities will empower students to make a difference.
Prerequisites
Teachers will need to select the video or videos they wish to use for this guide from the selections here.
Differentiation & Implementation
Before having a class discussion using the discussion questions, teachers will want to remind students of classroom norms and procedures for large-group discussions.
If they are using the vocabulary notes, some teachers may choose to select the terms they want students to focus on, rather than having students identify terms. Alternatively, students can compare their chosen key vocabulary lists to those generated by peers.
Geography or science classes studying rivers or watersheds may enjoy using the guide in conjunction with this Goldman Environmental Prize video about protecting rivers or this one about the rights of rivers.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
The Goldman Environmental Prize
The Goldman Environmental Prize honors the achievements and leadership of grassroots environmental activists from around the world, inspiring all of us to take action to protect our planet. Prize winners are announced each April, coinciding with Earth Day. They are celebrated with a live ceremony in San Francisco.
Related Teaching Resources
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
