Nature: Balance Between Humans and Nature
How do we sustain the balance between human needs and nature’s beauty? These sites explore this theme and provide information on human impact on the environment, conservation, National Parks, sustainability, consumption, and invasive species. There are maps, slideshows, factsheets, and more. Included are eThemes resources on habitats and renewable energy sources.
Grades
- 6,
- 7,
- 8
Links
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This is the official website of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here you can view webcams of the park, see slideshows of the park's natural beauty, download maps of the park, or learn about viewing wildlife. Explore the links on the left to learn more about the park's history, culture, and biodiversity.
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Great Smokey Mountains at Tremont
Find out about the mission of the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont. This page has information about the programs and research that the Institute oversees, as well as many images from the park.
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National Geographic: Appalachia
Click on the links to learn about sustainable geotourism and explore the interactive map.
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PBS: Razing Appalachia
This is the companion site to the documentary about the practice of mountaintop removal and its effect on the environment and local communities. Includes statistics about coal consumption.
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Electricity Basics
How much electricity do Americans use? How much of it comes from coal? Click under "Basic Electricity Data" to find out.
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Mines and Communities
This is a news article about the conflict between mining interests and local activists on the issue of mountain top removal mining in Appalachia.
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Tennessee Wildlife Federation
This site has information on sustainable natural resource management in Tennessee. Read about the elk restoration project, the Duck Stamp program, Hunters for the Hungry, and more. NOTE: This site has a donation button.
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Paper Facts
This page has statistics about paper production and consumption, driving forces behind deforestation practices. NOTE: This site has a link to a newsletter sign-up and links to commercial sites selling books.
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Why Recyled Paper?
This four-page PDF file contains questions and answers about paper recyling.
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Get Bear Smart
This site has lots of information about how humans can peacefully coexist with wild animals, specifically bears.
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North American Bear Center
This site has information about bears, their relationship to humans, and their role in the environment. Includes slideshows.
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Invasive Species Info
Find information on invasive species by state or by pest. Click on the PestTracker to see interactive maps.
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Sustainable Consumption
This site contains a series of articles and features on sustainable consumption. Includes production fact sheets, a discussion guide, profiles, recipes, and more.
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NPR: Big Trees
This is a series of radio broadcasts about big trees and the lives they have changed. Listen to the stories and two poems by Kentucky poet Wendell Berry.
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eThemes Resource: Habitat: An Overview
This resource covers the different ecosystems on our planet. Find out how these biomes differ, what characteristics make them unique, and where they are located. Includes a map of the different habitats found in Missouri and information about habitats in Utah. There are links to eThemes Resources on specific habitats and animal food chains.
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eThemes Resource: Energy: Renewable and Non-Renewable: Graphic Approach
These sites deal with energy in many forms, both renewable and non-renewable. Learn about hydropower, fossil fuels, nuclear, wave energy, fuel cells, solar, geothermal, wind, and biomass. Students can view many photographs on energy. Included are eThemes resources on windmills and energy.
Education Standards
- AL
- MO
- NV
