“Going paperless” might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

In the rush to adopt environmentally sustainable policies and initiatives, many offices and organizations have opted to go paperless, believing that reducing or eliminating paper use altogether has a significant impact on their ecological footprint. While wasting paper is never a good idea, the environmental benefits of going paperless are commonly overstated.

Two Sides North America, an organization consisting of members of the Graphic Communications Industry, seeks to dispel this environmental misconception by providing verifiable information on why paper is still a practical and sustainable communications medium. To help promote sustainable and responsible forestry, paper production and printing, Two Sides has compiled a list of resources for teachers and students of all ages.

We’ve broken down Two Sides’ list to help connect teachers with resources for their grade level. Take a look:

Resources for Students of All Ages

These resources were created for students of all ages, from kindergarten to 12th grade.

1. American Tree Farm System

Created by the American Forest Foundation, the American Tree Farm System outlines Forest Certification Standards and Sustainable Forest Management policies using activities designed for all ages. Younger children can participate in forest activities designed to help them learn about the natural world, while older students can earn their tree farm certification standards.

Learn more about the American Tree Farm System.

2. Forestinfo.org

Forestinfo.org’s teacher resources, created by Dovetail Partners, include teacher’s tools, lesson plans, forestry tools, and a variety of resources about sustainable forestry issues that teachers can use in the classroom.

3. Idaho Forests Products Commission (IFPC)

Developed by teachers who have attended special sustainability workshops, the IFPC’s resources include lesson plans and teaching activities, as well as resources for students and teachers. Some material is specific to Idaho, but much is general to the United States.

Learn more about the Idaho Forest Products Commission.

4. Learnforests.org

Created by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, learnforests.org provides classroom programs, teacher workshops, lesson plans, and other resources focused on forest education.

Visit learnforests.org for more information.

5. Paperrecycles.org

The American Forest & Paper Association’s teacher resources cover the basics of paper making, myths, and realities.

Visit paperrecycles.org for materials relating to paper recycling in your school, community, or workplace, and discover compelling statistics about paper recovery and recycling.

Kindergarten – Grade 5

Two Sides’ list of teacher tools includes many resources for students from kindergarten to 5th grade.

6. Paper is Power

International Paper’s Paper is Power program helps students develop motor skills and discover key scientific processes, as well as learn about sustainability, recycling, and how paper is made.

Download teacher’s guides, lesson plans, hands-on tutorials, a coloring book, and more from Paper is Power.

7. Education in Nature

Designed for grades 2-5 and created by Georgia Pacific, this program focuses on forest products, wetlands, and greenhouse gases, and includes brochures, lesson plans, and videos.

Learn more about Education in Nature.

8. The Responsible Package

This program is ideal for grade 5 students.

Sponsored by the AF&PA, the FBA, the Corrugated Packaging Alliance, the Paper Shipping Sack Manufacturing Association, the Paperboard Packaging Alliance, and the Paperboard Packaging Council, the Responsible Package aims to raise awareness about responsible consumer behavior regarding paper-based packaging. Teacher’s guides, a Family Recycling Pledge, and family booklets to encourage recycling at home will help students learn that paper-based packaging can be a responsible choice.

Learn more about the Responsible Package.

Kindergarten – Grade 8

Two Sides has also compiled a list of resources for teachers of students from kindergarten to 8th grade.

9. LEAF

Created by the Wisconsin DNT Division of Forestry and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, LEAF addresses urban forests, wildland fires, biodiversity, management and sustainability, and an introduction to trees and forests. The program includes curriculum lesson plans, videos, and grade kits, and can even include visits from foresters.

The program is mainly specific to Wisconsin, but some resources are applicable nationwide.

Read more about LEAF.

10. Paper is Good: Pass It On

Domtar’s program includes lesson plans and background documents on a wide variety of tree-related subjects and paper production.

Learn more about the Paper is Good program.

11. University of Illinois Schools Online

The University of Illinois Extension’s program covers topics such as “A Walk in the Woods”, “The Secret Life of Trees”, and “Trees are Terrific”, including videos and teacher’s guides.

Visit the University’s website for more information.

Grades 4-7

These resources are ideal for older children and preteens.

12. Forest Academy

Domtar’s Forest Academy program includes an online game and background materials for teachers. Users can create avatars and earn badges as they successfully complete sessions that teach them about the forest.

Become a forest expert at the Forest Academy.

13. US Forest Service

The USDA and the US Forest Service joined forces to create the National Inquirer, a science journal written by Forest Service scientists for middle school students. There are also webinars on pollinators, climate change, wetlands, bats, bird migration, butterflies, and rainforests available for teachers to use in the classroom.

Download these resources here.

Grades 5-12

Two Sides has compiled a number of resources for older students.

14. PaperOnWeb

Students from grades 5-12 can access a variety of pulp and paper resources created by PaperOnWeb. PaperOnWeb’s resources include information on pulp and paper, including the history of papermaking and links to other resources.

Grades 9-12

High school teachers can take advantage of a number of pulp and paper educational resources.

15. Academic Invest

Academic Invest provides descriptions of careers in the pulp and paper industry, including the skills and knowledge needed for these positions.

16. Environmental Footprint Comparison Tool

Created by the National Council for Air and Stream Development Inc., this resource includes tools to help high school students understand the environmental footprint of manufacturing forest products and how these products interact with each other.

Check out the environmental footprint comparison tool.

17. Forest Stewardship Council

The Forest Stewardship Council’s resources include information on forest certification standards, chain of custody certifications, and sustainable forest management.

Learn more here.

18. NetLogo Models Library: Spread of Forest Fire

Created by NetLogo, this resource provides software modelling that shows that the spread of a fire through a forest is dependent on the density of trees. Take a look here.

19. PEFC International

These resources, created and compiled by the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), includes documentation on forest certification standards, chain of custody certification, and sustainable forest management.

Visit the PEFC website for more information.

20. Sustainable Forestry Initiative

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative has created fact sheets and webinars for teachers and high school students. Check them out here.

Teaching Sustainability

caUsing paper doesn’t have to be wasteful! Despite environmental misconceptions, paper is a sustainable, practical communication medium.

Learn more about Two Sides.