ARLINGTON, Va.—April 8, 2021—The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and the eco-documentary KISS THE GROUND have collaborated to bring new, science-based lesson plans and resources to K-12 teachers nationwide.

The collection of teacher-created NSTA Daily Do lesson plans for elementary, middle level, and high school educators and students, aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, will explore regeneration and environmental health topics.

The new, classroom-ready materials will build key science skills while exploring the importance of these topics. Free of charge to teachers, the Daily Do lesson plans are available now at nsta.org/kisstheground, allowing schools and teachers to incorporate the curricular materials into instruction around Earth Month, which begins in April.

Specifically, the lesson plans and related resources will discuss regenerative agriculture and provide students opportunities to use data from multiple sources—including data they collect themselves—to develop explanations about how saving the soil can have far-reaching, positive impacts on Earth’s environments.

In addition to the lesson plans, schools, students, teachers, and community educators can also access the eco-documentary, KISS THE GROUND at KissTheGroundMovie.com.

The winner of over 50 U.S. and international film festival prizes, KISS THE GROUND is narrated by Woody Harrelson and unveils a game-changer: We can reverse global warming and the Earth’s soil is the solution. By regenerating earth, we can completely and rapidly stabilize our planet’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. With epic footage shot on five continents, striking visuals from NASA and NOAA, and stunning animation, the documentary conveys this critical message through the voices of leading scientists, ecologists, and experts including Nobel Laureates in climate, members of the International Panel on Climate Change, top scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), as well as environmental activists such as Jason Mraz, Ian Somerhalder, Patricia Arquette, and Rosario Dawson.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell and the KISS THE GROUND movie team to provide teachers and students with dynamic, real-world content that will expand their perspectives about how Earth’s systems work together,” said Erika Shugart, NSTA Executive Director. “It is important for students to have access to high-quality lessons and activities that are linked to the world around them and address areas that have a direct impact on their lives.”

“We are so excited to see both the concepts of regeneration and drawdown taught in schools. For the first time students will really see how entire ecosystems can be brought back to life and how we can sink carbon into soils. This is breakthrough science at a time when our world needs it most,” says Rebecca Tickell, who is one of the directors and producers of the KISS THE GROUND movie.

For more information, including access to the new resources, visit nsta.org/kisstheground.

About NSTA
Founded in 1944, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is the largest organization in the world dedicated to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. A vibrant community of 40,000 science educators and professionals, NSTA is committed to best practices in teaching science and its impact on student learning. NSTA offers high quality science resources and continuous learning so that science educators grow professionally and excel in their career. For new and experienced teachers alike, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with like-minded peers at the national level, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field.

About the Big Picture Ranch
The Big Picture Ranch is a multi-award-winning production company that specializes in feature films that inspire, uplift and make a difference. Founded by husband-and-wife filmmaking team, Josh and Rebecca Tickell, Big Picture Ranch’s films have been shown in the White House and won over one hundred prestigious film awards including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Sundance, Impact Doc Awards, and the Social Impact Media Award (SIMA). Their films have been shown in and translated into over 25 languages and seen by over 100 million viewers worldwide. They are currently hard at work on their next movie in the Kiss the Ground / soil series.

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Contacts
For NSTA:
Kate Falk
(703) 312-9211
kfalk@nsta.org

For KISS THE GROUND Movie / Big Picture Ranch:
Imal Wanger, Wagner PR
(301) 325 4085
imalwagner@gmail.com