Free environmental education lesson plans, classroom toolkits,
activity guides, and more for all grade levels.
Expertly curated. Created around current issues.
Our Ecosystem of Services
for Educators and Students
We’ve designed Wayfinder Society to provide
environmental educators with whole classroom support.
Ready-to-Use Lessons with Editable Handouts
Our standards-aligned lesson plans incorporate real-world scientific research and data. They were written together with experts in the field and educators in our network. Our hands-on lessons include easily editable handouts, keys, and student worksheets to fit any classroom.
Hands-On Science Toolkits with Materials Included
Our reusable, zero-waste toolkits provide educators with out-of-the-box real-world science and social science labs that help students explore environmental issues. They include all but the most easily found materials.
Immersive Educational Videos
Our educational videos help bring environmental issues to life. Filmed during our organization's 10 ocean expeditions, they provide a close up view of the ocean plastic pollution problem. Bring your students on a virtual experience, and use our journaling and discussion questions to dive in deeper.
Standards-Alignment Guides
Our guides explain how our resources fit into Next Generation Science Standards and the Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES) course outline. Our How-to Guides give helpful tips and ideas for getting started.
Student Hub with Community Action Projects
Task students with turning their knowledge to action with over 30 project ideas. Students can submit their projects for hourly credits to use on college applications, resumes, and community service requirements.
Student Project Financial Support
Our Student Mini-Grants are awarded once a year to support students who need funding for community projects or pursuing their education goals related to taking action on plastic pollution and related issues.
Funding For Educators
We know teaching effective environmental education often requires extra materials and funding. Get support through our unrestricted Educator Mini-Grants awarded every other month.
Educator Development
In addition to our teaching resources, we're committed to building up our educator community through virtual events with guest speakers from our movement.
Uplifting Everyday Leaders in Environmental Education
Our Educator Spotlight articles highlight the incredible work being done by environmentally-minded teachers around the world. Get inspired with ideas to incorporate in your own classroom.
Featured Toolkit:
Synthetic Sand Investigation Kit
Investigate beach sand for plastic contamination levels, and observe human impacts on coastal ecosystem health, using our microplastic-filled sand samples from Southern California. Each sample kit contains 4 sample jars and 4 magnifying glasses, plus an information card about the sample. Incorporate this lesson into your synthetic materials unit. Students use their senses and a clue sheet to distinguish synthetic debris from natural components in sand like shells, rocks, and plant matter. They then calculate the spatial density of microplastic pollution, and discuss their results.
Applicable Units: Synthetic Materials, Human Impacts on the Environment, Water Pollution
Grades 5 and up
Time Needed 30 to 60 minutes, or 2 hour fieldtrip
Free for public school educators in the US.
Our Partners
Explore lessons and activities designed by the world’s most
respected plastic pollution solutions experts.
Our community is as strong as our connections with each other.
Our Strategy
Our environmental education materials are designed
to support educators and empower students.
Here’s how.
Open access and editable resources
allow any educator to adapt our resources for their classroom.
Engage students in real research
on current environmental issues with our science toolkits.
Build knowledge into effective action
by combining our lessons, toolkits, action projects, and mini-grants.
Educators are our greatest allies in our quest
to create a world where plastic pollution is unthinkable.
We’re charting the course to a world where plastic pollution
is unthinkable.
It’s easier together. Join us!
About Algalita
We’re Algalita, the non-profit behind Wayfinder Society.
We have over 25 years of experience investigating and teaching about the plastic problem.
We’re helping educators lead, inspire, and empower students in and outside of the classroom.
We envision a world where plastic pollution is unthinkable.
We believe every educator is an environmental educator.
We’re champions for those who believe in their power to make change.