Verizon Thinkfinity Brings the Lessons of Earth Day Into the Classroom, With Free Educational Online Resources, Podcasts

Teachers looking for lessons on environmental issues ranging from climate change to renewable energy sources to local ecosystems will find a host of educational resources available for free in Verizon Thinkfinity's new Earth Day feature.

The Verizon Thinkfinity Web site, (www.thinkfinity.org), contains thousands of free, engaging educational resources that make learning fun. Lesson plans, in-class activities and homework help can be found quickly and searched by grade level, keyword or subject.

Among the resources in the Verizon Thinkfinity Environmental/Earth Day feature (http://www.thinkfinity.org/EarthDayResources.aspx) are:

• Green Roof Design: In this lesson from Science NetLinks, students work in small teams to design a heat- and water-conserving roof of plant material for an urban apartment building.

• True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet: This lesson from Science NetLinks helps students understand that products and objects that humans produce have lifespans, too, and that they need to be recycled, reused and re-imagined so there will be less pollution and waste on the planet.

• National Geographic Environment Video Library: A series of short videos from National Geographic on various topics ranging from water conservation to farm restoration to manatees.

• Protecting Our Precious Planet: Sharing the Message of Earth Day: In this lesson plan from ReadWriteThink, students can take part in an Internet-based Earth Day groceries project, decorate paper bags with environmental messages, and examine similar work by children around the world.

  Earth Day will be observed on April 22.

"The days leading up to Earth Day offer a timely opportunity for teachers to provide their students with information on alternative energy, smart building design and a multitude of topics in environmental science," said Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston. "Whether it's a teacher searching for an engaging lesson on climate change, or a parent seeking an educational video to watch with his or her child, those resources and more can be found quickly and for free at Verizon Thinkfinity."

In addition to providing standards-based resources from the nation's leading educational organizations, Verizon Thinkfinity also offers a comprehensive professional development program that allows teachers to sign up for free online or face-to-face training to learn how to make the most of Verizon Thinkfinity tools.

Content for Verizon Thinkfinity is provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation's leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Council for Economic Education, International Reading Association, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Center for Family Literacy, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence.  In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad.  It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in combined contributions of $26.1 million to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 91 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of approximately 222,900 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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