The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers and other educators with classroom lessons and instructional techniques that build a fundamental understanding of the environment. The guide is aimed at grades kindergarten through sixth and consists of eight instructional units and six action projects. Each unit is organized around a theme and the lessons within each unit build upon each other sequentially to provide an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the theme. Lessons are based upon concepts that are taken directly from the California State Department of Education frameworks. All units attempt to integrate content areas, consider developmental levels of learning and learning styles, and balance content and learning processes. The units cover such topics as: (1) diversity of life; (2) homes and habitats; (3) earth supporting life; (4) caring for the environment; (5) communities and cultures; (6) adaptation and variation; (7) energy; and (8) fostering a healthy environment. The six action projects are designed to provide teachers and students with ways to participate in a cycle of investigation, action, and reflection. Action projects address concerns that are closely related to the themes of the instructional units. (TW)