Wachstumshormone

Oct

7

Filed Under Activities, Carol Malnor, Children's Literature, Environmental Literacy, Language arts, Outdoor education, Programs, Questioning strategies, Schoolyard Classroom | Leave a Comment

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One of my favorite nature quotations comes from the Japanese conservationist Tanaka Shozu who said, “The question of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart.”

I wanted to touch the hearts of my middle school students with the beauty of nature as well as inspire them to take care of the local environment. I found the perfect spot for a nature experience less than an hour away from our school campus in the Sierra Nevada. Read more

Oct

25

Preparing Teachers to Teach About Sustainability

Filed Under Justice and Equity, Place-based Education, Sustainability | Leave a Comment

Recently Gregory Smith, Professor in the Lewis and Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling, received a $19,380 grant from the Gray Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation to train teachers in the West Linn (OR) School District on environmental issues. The Environmental Education Program seeks to encourage a strong local land ethic, sustainable communities, and stewardship of the natural environment by citizens throughout Oregon. The Fund is committed long term to institutionalizing a series of age-appropriate experiences that build a sense of place and responsibility towards Oregon and the region.

The Sustainability Education Initiative is a program of professional development coursework and activities for K-12 teachers in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. During three courses offered in 2009, Smith prepared 50-60 teachers to incorporate sustainability issues into their classrooms and help them implement school or community projects that will enhance local natural and social environments. Participants will be eligible for small seed grants to fund start-up projects. The grant aims to increase the number of teachers implementing sustainability projects in schools, and increase student and educator awareness of local natural systems, ecologies, and social needs.

Apr

2

Activity: Imagine That!

Filed Under Activities | Leave a Comment

By John Miller and Michelle Smith

(reprinted from BugNet, the newsletter of the Montana EE Association)

Introduction

The traditional method for teaching students about ecosystems has consisted of lab specimens, worksheets, films, and lecture by the instructor. Absent from this approach are process-oriented, critical-thinking challenges along with meaningful field experience. This activity is used throughout the year as a means to introduce new concepts and to increase student motivation along with practical and critical-thinking skills. This activity facilitates the application of these skills and knowledge to solving current problems in our society. Read more

Apr

2

K-12 Activities: Monitoring Biological Diversity

Filed Under Activities, Biological Diversity, Outdoor education, Place-based Education, Schoolyard Classroom, Science, Sustainability | Leave a Comment

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by Roxine Hameister

Developing a biodiversity monitoring project at your school can help students develop many skills in an integrated manner. Here are some simple ideas that you can use to get your students started.

Children and teachers are being pulled in many directions. Children want to “learn by doing/’ but because of societal fears for children’s safety, they are very often not allowed to play outdoors and learn at will. Teachers are encouraged to meet the unique learning styles of all students but the classroom reality often means books and pictures rather than hands-on experiences. In addition, children are under considerable pressure to be thinking about their futures and what further, post secondary, education they might be considering.

Sometimes children just like science. Many are of the “naturalist intelligence” and enjoy learning how to classify their world. Activities that meet all these requirements are within schools’ meagre budgets and are indeed possible. These projects are equally possible for the teacher with little science or biology background knowledge. The science skills are readily picked up; being systematic about collecting and recording the data is the main skill needed. The curriculum integration that is possible from these projects range from field studies to computer skills, to art and literature; the entire curriculum is covered in these activities. Read more

Mar

16

No Student Left Indoors

Filed Under Resources, Schoolyard Classroom | Leave a Comment

NoStudentLeftIndoorsCoverCreating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard

No Student Left Indoors is your opportunity to learn and teach about our planet by helping your students to create a field guide to your schoolyard. Whether you’re a nature buff or nature-phobe, a literary genius or writing impaired, artistically talented or one who can’t draw a straight line with a ruler, and teaching gift or challenged students in an urban, suburban, or rural school—you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of this before.
You’ll learn:

  • Who can participate in and benefit from a schoolyard study
  • What those benefits are
  • Where to look for nature in your schoolyard
  • When to conduct your studies
  • How to teach students to discover, observe, and record the nature in your schoolyard
  • Why everyone is talking about No Student Left Indoors

This is a project for a class, grade, or entire school. It can be a long-term project based on inquiry, investigation, and hands-on learning, The project connects science, language arts, history, creative arts, and technology.

Available from http://www.takeawalk.com/
or through Acorn Naturalists http://www.acornnaturalists.org

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