If you help children connect with their environment and community, add your voice here: 2026 Census of Community-Based Environmental Learning

Joan Newkirk

Joan Newkirk (she/her) is a retired elementary educator with 32 years of teaching experience. She holds a Master of Literacy from the University of Southern Maine and spent her career inspiring young learners through engaging, hands-on instruction across all elementary subjects. 

Lesson Plans

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Lesson Plan

The Importance of Insects: A Writing Lesson
In this language arts lesson, students learn about threats to insects and actions to support their survival.

Inquire: Students read and analyze “Hurt No Living Thing” by Christina Rossetti to learn about insects and people’s perceptions of them.

Investigate: Students research why insects are important and why they are threatened.

Inspire: Students write and draw about what they have learned in a class book to be shared with younger students.
Grade 3-5
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

Biking for Good: Math Lesson
Students consider the impacts of biking on their community and how to encourage people to bike more through a school survey. 

Inquire: Students view a short video of students biking to school and discuss their experiences with biking.

Investigate: Students create and analyze graphs and survey results about biking.

Inspire: Based on their findings, students generate suggestions to encourage biking in their school community.
Grade 3-5
Subject Mathematics
Resource Type Lesson Plan
SubjectToClimate
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