Lisa Peck's Environmental Studies Course

Lisa Peck's Environmental Studies Course.

There are some great resources for teachers out there. But some of the best come from teachers themselves. There are some websites nationally and internationally that serve as repositories for teacher-made resources. Texas GreenSources, Resources for Rethinking and Green Ribbon Schools are among a few of them (more to come in future posts). Today, however, I would like to share with you an excellent resource for engaging your students in inquiry-based thinking. The unit is based on a wiki format. For those who have never used a wiki for projects, it's a flexible tool for online interactive research. student projects. Lisa's wiki project is an excellent example of how online media can be utilized as an instructional tool.

A Caveat to Outdoor Education...Be Wise....

There are many legal protections that ensure the security and well-being of our students and their families, but teachers and administrators know all too well the challenges of maneuvering the intricate web of do's and don'ts. In a recent article that has gone "viral" two fair skinned students came home with sunburns and blisters after being outdoors all day under the sun without protection. According to the article, they were not allowed to use sunscreen due to legal issues associated with schools administering any type of drug, medication, or other substance (sunscreen included). I don't want this to discourage outdoor education, but when you do go outside, be mindful of student safety as a number one priority. If the law prohibits giving sunscreen to students, provide shaded activities. As a rule of thumb, try not to expose students to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time regardless of whether or not they're wearing sunscreen. It's just the safe thing to do. We are stewards of our student's well-being while they're at school.

WHAT'S GOOD IN MY HOOD?: An Urban Approach to Environmental Education

There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.
- Aldo Leopold.

WHAT'S GOOD IN MY HOOD?

The Industrial Revolution and urbanization has given us an amazingly complex and wonderful world. But all the wonders of technology have not come without a price. We have lost our connection to the land. Very few of us own farms anymore; none of us in North America hunt and gather our food in the wild. But we are still dependent on the land. The tragedy is that we do not see it; and, as a result, most of us are unaware of the tremendous impact we have on the Earth. Every time we turn on a faucet, take a shower, wash the dishes, drink a coke, take out the trash, turn up the heat or turn down the cooler, or open the refrigerator, most of us do so, oblivious to the impact we are making on the world around us. Nowhere is this disconnection more apparent than in our urban environments. Because of the lack of green spaces, the lack of natural things, many think environmental education in the city is irrelevant. But it's not. It is, in fact, more relevant. I would like to highlight a resource from a friend of mine; Akiima Price. Her "What's Good in My Hood?" curriculum is an urban-based environmental education program that gets kids in the city outdoors. It encourages students to look at the urban environment in new ways. To help them interpret the world around them and see the connections we have to environment. For more information click on the link above and learn how you can get a copy of "What's Good in My Hood?"

Ideas for Bringing the Classroom Outdoors: Quick Frozen Critters

Quick Frozen Critters is widely popular elementary school lesson on wildlife adaptations and the food chain that comes from our friends at Project WILD. In addition to being educational, it is active, aerobic and immensely entertaining for children (and adults). Although the focus is on wildlife and the food chain; core science concepts in Texas elementary schools, this particular activity is infinitely adaptable across content areas. There are some great mathematics concepts (graphing population curves, predicting outcomes, fractions, percentages etc.) as well as some really cool social studies themes. In one session I held, the students began thinking about human-related influences on wildlife population...such as development, roads, and diminishing habitats. Although the lesson content is best suited for elementary school, I've also used this with high school and college students. If you're like a lot of teachers, particularly in Texas, who struggle with just trying to teach to the standardized test and faced with the challenge of constantly having to apply for authorization to use anything new in the classroom...here is an option. During recess..why not play the game with your students...and then apply what they learned having fun, in the classroom to supplement a pre-approved lesson? Remember, it's not just educational...it's fun and recreational. Maybe even talk to the PE coach, ask him to play the game with your students. Even if you can't get it approved as an educational resource, use it as a supplemental and recreational one. Basically what I am saying is; there's no excuse....so have fun!

Getting Outdoors! Why it's important and why schools should care.

With growing obesity rates, record-breaking summer temperatures and a population of youth increasingly more "wired in" to technologies that keep them indoors, the amount of time students spend outdoors is dramatically lower than it was when I was growing up. Let me start by saying, I'm not that old. I'm only in my 30's and I remember a time when I sat in the classroom and pined for the outdoors. I remember anxiously awaiting 3:00pm so I could rush home and ride my bike or go skateboarding with my friends or play in the creek nearby. The most dreaded punishment was to be grounded! To be confined to my bedroom while I watched my neighborhood friends play outdoors. And it wasn't the lack of video games. I had a video game console in my bedroom. We had the Atari, the Odyssey and the Nintendo. They were just as compelling then as video games are now. So why are kids not getting out to the detriment of their health? Why do modern youth seem less and less interested in the outdoors?

There are a lot of reasons, some of which are easier to tackle than others. But one thing we can do, to start making a difference, is in the schools! Now, more than ever, there is a need to expand the learning opportunities outdoors! To inspire interest in the world outside that 5 inch touchscreen and to demonstrate the value of nature, outdoor recreation, and physical activity we have to provide students with opportunities to learn outdoors that are fun, active and recreational in addition to be educational. No one says learning should be boring...even math can be taught outdoors! Why teach the Pythagorean theory on a power point? Why not teach it outdoors using rope and pegs...at least as an alternative once in a while. Why teach elementary students the phases of plant growth using paper cups in a classroom....why not let them dig holes, build a garden, get dirty?! Why teach your students about the difference between absolute distance and relative distance...why not play games outside to demonstrate the concept? There are many many creative ways to incorporate the outdoors; to encourage students to value the outdoors over being inside. If your a teacher, put yourself in your student's shoes for a moment. 8 hours a day, they sit in orthopedic desks designed to force them to sit up straight, face forward and stay still. When they come into our classrooms, we ask them to be quiet, to listen to us talk, to do their work, and to stay in their seats. Everyday, 8 hours a day! And we wonder why our students act out. Why they get defiant, aggressive, frustrated, and ambivalent. All of us have an opportunity to make a difference and a moral obligation to ensure the health and well-being of the next generation. Let's be good stewards of our world and the students whom we are entrusted to teach and push for more activities outdoors! Get 'em out as often and as much as you can! In my next post, I'll share some lessons plans that get students outdoors...stuff that you'd think might belong in a PE class...but really help students grasp complex and abstract concepts.

The Fishbowl: How to Teach Critical Thinking Skills (click on title to view video)

One of the biggest challenges of education today is how to create a viable curriculum for tomorrow. A curriculum that provides students with the experiences to develop the skills that are in demand in the workforce. One of the greatest concerns of business leaders, community stakeholders and the government is how well students are prepared to think critically and creatively. To interact with other collaboratively and effectively without breaking down lines of communication. These skills are critically important now and are an essential part of a student's toolbox of skills that will help them be successful in the future. I encourage administrators and teachers to embrace a real and more meaningful approach to teaching critical thinking skills to students. There are many resources available online for free to help teachers accomplish just that. Here is just one of them from the folks at Edutopia. Please click on the title to view the video.

Utilizing Local Resources in Education

There are A LOT of resources out there for teachers and many of them, are no further than your own city. Many socially-conscientious community organizations and businesses recognize the importance of education and offer free curriculum, education resources and often, free materials and facilities for teachers and their students. With budget cuts an ever present reality, the key word is "FREE".

But "FREE" is not the only benefit to utilizing local resources for education. For one, utilizing community resources connects students with local employers and provides practical experience that students will need when they graduate high school. The school should not be a cloistered institution but a vibrant and actively contributing member of the communities in which they serve. Tapping into the "funds of knowledge" present in any given community gives students a sense of pride in their communities and helps them see, with greater clarity, the value of the people and organizations that live and work around them. J. Gatto, an education critic from Pittsburgh, argues that the community itself is the most effective classroom for any student.

In this blog, I would like to highlight Jumpstart! Jumpstart is a local theater troupe with a keen eye for arts-based education. They offer the following curriculum for FREE to teachers who want to incorporate the arts into their teaching. One of the saddest realities of the streamlining of education has been the de-emphasis on the arts. But even if your school no longer offers jewelry making, theater arts, or photography, doesn't mean you can't use these artistic forms of expression in your classroom to teach. Engaging students in learning through the arts is one of the most effective ways to motivate students to learn while easing the transfer of complex concepts and objectives. Feel free to browse Jumpstart's arts-based curriculum. Hopefully you will find some ideas that you can use in the classroom to motivate your students to learn. I personally recommend the "ecological mural". It's a great way to incorporate arts and creative/critical and evaluative thinking into a science lesson design.