Do you know where the water goes when it rains in Hampton Roads? Did you know that the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and the third largest in the world? The region’s third-grade students will have fun learning these facts, and a great deal more, thanks to shipments of the free askHRgreen.org Green Learning guides recently delivered to elementary schools.

Featuring a fun, interactive format with colorful graphics, puzzles, reading passages and creative class activities, Green Learning was developed according to Virginia SOL guidelines by experts who work in the region’s public works and public utilities departments. It is accompanied by a teacher’s guide, making it easy for instructors to bring the environment into the classroom in a way that directly relates to critical science, math and English skills.

“Green Learning covers concepts that we want all students to know, such as pollution prevention, stormwater management, water conservation, recycling and wastewater management,” said Katie Cullipher, a team leader with askHRgreen.org. “It’s written in language they can relate to and illustrated with local landmarks they will recognize like the Hampton Coliseum and King Neptune in Virginia Beach.”

The Green Learning third-grade edition follows a sixth-grade guide that was produced in 2012 and still available online. The publication was warmly received by area educators, many of whom incorporated the resource into their lesson plans.

“Teachers told us how much they appreciated the well-researched content and use of real-life examples that puts environmental ideas into a different perspective,” said Cullipher. “We took their comments into consideration in creating this new edition. While it’s written for third-grade students, the activities will be plenty of fun and informative for all elementary-aged students.”

The Green Learning guides are free to download at: www.askhrgreen.org/green-learning-educational-guide/. For additional classroom resources such as recycling in school, the “green” classroom pledge and details about the askHRgreen.org Environmental Education Mini-grant program, visit www.askHRgreen.org.