Michigan schools are taking environmental awareness seriously. Eighteen schools have been “Green School Certified,” so far, according to the Green Options website. To be certified, schools must complete at least ten criteria from a list of programs ranging from recycling paper, to holding an Earth Day event, to growing a natural Michigan garden with native plants, to holding solar power cookouts.

This is a perfect opportunity for teachers. They can have students reading about the environment, helping out in the garden, and doing environmental experiments, all while showing the practical applications of real world environmental measures.

Speaking of environmental reading, one of the things about Reading A–Z of which I am most proud is the vast collection of book topics. While the primary purpose of Reading A–Z is to teach children how to read, there is nothing stopping teachers from using the readers to teach all sorts of topics, including the environment. In fact, Reading A–Z has a special collection of Earth Day readers, along with other collections about space and flight, U.S. History and Government, and many more.