Empowering, Engaging, and a Joy to Teach
Seeds to Solutions™ is a set of free, solutions-oriented instructional resources for grades K–12 on California environmental issues. Developed in response to teacher and community demand, the lessons empower students to address real-world environmental issues, from food waste to water use to wildfire management. Age-appropriate, solutions-focused, and trauma-informed, Seeds to Solutions prepares students to be environmentally literate, engaged community members.
Why Seeds to Solutions?
- Includes everything needed to teach the topic and guide student investigations
- Aligns with California standards and Environmental Principles and Concepts
- Transforms classroom learning into discussions that go beyond school
- Empowers students to explore environmental solutions with confidence
Browse Units by Grade Level
What Teachers Are Saying
“This did a great job of piquing students’ interest and sparking opposing points of view, which created lively discussions on the topic.”
“The kids become more engaged because now they are actually actively doing things. They’re really having to look for themselves. It’s not given to them on a platter, but all the resources are right there.”
“I have learned ways to improve my teaching, and I have been at this for 38 years. The students are gaining a deeper understanding of what climate change is: what causes climate change, and the impact of climate change on crop yield.”
“This lesson brought in cultural stories from the original people who inhabited California. This is a perspective that is not often taught in science. I think that the kids liked having science be a little less facts and figures and more story.”
Who We Are
Seeds to Solutions was developed through a unique and diverse partnership of community organizations, experts in science and traditional ecological knowledge, educators, youth leaders, and curriculum-development specialists.
Instructional Model
Seeds to Solutions uses the Storyline Instructional Model. Students engage in sense-making as they work together to explore questions and understand real-world phenomena. This sparks students’ curiosity and teaches them how to think, not what to think.
Thank You to Our Funders
Seeds to Solutions was developed using funds provided by the California Department of Education through Assembly Bill 130, Chapter 44, Statutes of 2021 Section 151(a). Additional support was provided by the Cisco Foundation, First Republic Bank Foundation, S.H. Cowell Foundation, and Ten Strands for the development of these materials.
