Teacher Resources

These supplemental resources have been provided to support educators in leading the Live Net Zero Classroom Challenges. Below you’ll find links to websites, videos, tools, and guides that connect directly to each activity or theme.

Overview

Slide deck for choosing activities A ready-to-use presentation teachers can share with their class to select which 10 of the 21 Live Net Zero challenges they’ll complete together.

PPTX

Curriculum Resources

Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Hub A global collection of resources for educators, including activities, toolkits, videos, and more to support teaching about sustainable living.	Website
Teaching materials collection Lesson plans and classroom activities directly from the Sustainable Lifestyles Education Hub.	Website
Helping Teachers and Their Students Think About the "Stuff" They Use An interview with Susan Salterberg exploring lessons for K-12 educators about consumption, product life cycles, and how to support students in questioning the stuff they use.	Article

Our Homes & Energy

Home Energy Basics Tips and guides to help households understand where energy is used and how to reduce waste.	Website
Video on phantom power A short explainer on how plugged-in electronics use energy even when switched off.	Video
When Off Means On A clear overview of standby energy use and how it adds up	PDF
Device energy use A rough estimate tool for how much common devices consume in watts and kWh.	Tool
Water and the Environment Information on water resources and conservation in Canada.	Website
Biinaagami: Our Shared Responsibility to the Great Lakes A multimedia project sharing Indigenous knowledge and perspectives on water and the Great Lakes.	Website
Drip Calculator Calculate how much water a leaky faucet wastes.	Tool
The Story of Stuff: Water documentaries Short films on water privatization and communities protecting water.	Video
Kicking the Bottled Water Habit A recorded webinar offering guidance on how to start a campaign to reduce or eliminate bottled water in schools or communities.	Video
Exploring Alternatives A video series showcasing creative and sustainable ways people are rethinking homes and lifestyles, from tiny houses and off-grid living to innovative building techniques and eco-friendly design.	Video
Tour of 10 Eco Homes A video tour showing ten sustainable homes that demonstrate different green-building strategies.	Video
Green Building Guide to Sustainable Building Design A Canadian-focused primer introducing the key goals and methods of sustainable building.	Guide
UNEP: Building Materials & Climate Report Guidance on sustainable construction materials.	PDF
TED Talk by Vancouver architect Michael Green Why we should build skyscrapers out of wood.	Video
Make laundry day more energy efficient Energy efficient laundry tips	Website
Cold Water Saves A short video highlighting how washing in cold water saves energy, protects clothes, and reduces environmental impact.	Video

How We Get Around

Basic Bike Maintenance at Home A beginner-friendly video series from Global Cycling Network on fixing and maintaining your bike.	Video
UN Sustainable Transport Publications on sustainable transport systems around the world.	Website
Equity graphic with discussion guide A helpful illustration contrasting inequality, equality, equity, and justice.	Website
US EPA Green Streets Guide How to integrate natural systems into street design.	Guide
Urban Street Design Guide Elements of street design for safety, accessibility, and sustainability.	Website
Discover Your Neighborhood: One-Mile-Radius Living Activity encouraging people to map out what everyday services and destinations are within a one-mile radius of their home and then try walking there instead of driving.	Article
Google Arts & Culture Virtual Tours Explore museums, landmarks, and cultural sites from around the world, giving students a chance to “visit” destinations for the Around the World Challenge.	Website
When Planning Family Vacations, Don’t Forget the Train Story highlighting the joys and benefits of train travel.	Article
Tips for sustainable commuting Practical suggestions for walking, biking, and car-free trips.	Website

Our Stuff

The Story of Stuff movies Animated short films explaining consumerism and its impacts.	Video
Repair café Community initiatives where people can bring broken items and learn repair skills.	Website
Repair Your Stuff AND Build Your Community: Lessons from the CVille Repair Café A story on how a community Repair Café was launched and grew.	Website
DIY upcycling ideas Creative reuse projects for kids and classrooms.	Website
PBS KIDS Upcycled Activities This collection offers over 50 creative ideas for turning everyday items like milk cartons, cereal boxes, and toilet paper rolls into fun art projects and imaginative play.	Website
More Fun Less Stuff Gift Catalog 100s of fun, low-cost, non-material gift ideas you can use today!	PDF
Planned Obsolescence, Perceived Obsolescence Exploring how many products are made to have a limited lifespan or to appear out of style before they wear out.	Video
The Story of Electronics Exploring e-waste and the hidden costs of electronics.	Video
The Story of Cosmetics A short film on toxic chemicals in personal care products.	Video

Our Food

Food systems overview Food Systems resources from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.	Website
Grocery Store Wars Humorous video on industrial vs. organic food.	Video
Love Food Hate Waste Canada Tips and strategies to reduce food waste at school and home.	Website
Our World in Data Environmental Impacts of Food Production.	Website
Origin of Crops Explore the geographic origins of major food crops and see how regions of diversity still shape what we eat today.	Website
Maple Scan Scan product barcodes to check their origin and find local alternatives, helping students explore food sourcing and local choices.	App
My Maps Tutorials Get help with creating annotated maps in Google Maps.	Website
Food Hero Easy, family-friendly recipes for healthy, affordable meals.	Website
Planetary Health Diet Science-based guidance on healthy, sustainable eating.	Website

How We Celebrate & Play

Decking the Halls Sustainably A real-life story about a Canadian family adapting a traditional holiday meal and gift-giving practices to reduce carbon emissions.	Website
Connecting Culture and Sustainability Insights from culture professionals on how traditions and cultural narratives can shape sustainable futures.	Website
How Cultural Traditions Foster Sustainability Article highlighting how long-standing practices offer timeless wisdom for low-waste living.	Website
Citizen science projects in Canada Join projects like eBird, iNaturalist, or local habitat cleanups.	Website
Nature Canada A collection of hands-on activities and resources that invite students to connect with and care for local ecosystems.	Website
Canadian Museum of Nature Interactive, curriculum-aligned live workshops offered free to Canadian classrooms.	Website
Become a Citizen Scientist A portal to dozens of citizen science projects across Canada that students can join to contribute to real environmental research and restoration.	Website
Go Green This Halloween Tips for eco-friendly costumes and decorations.	Article

Video Challenge

Live Net Zero 101 A concise primer that explains what sustainable living really means and why everyday actions matter.	Article
One Planet Student Challenge examples Inspiring student projects from past sustainability video challenges.	Video
The Story of Change Short film on moving beyond consumer choices toward systemic change.	Video
The Good Stuff Conversations about what’s working for a just and sustainable future.	Website
How to Create a Storyboard A simple guide from Canva.	Guide
Canva for Education Free access for teachers and students to templates, stock media, and design tools.	Website