Integrating Environmental Education

1. Integrating Environmental Education Katie Williamson Gr. 5/6 Teacher- ALCDSB August 11, 2011

3. What does Environmental Education mean to you?

4. Content Environmental Education as a context for learning. Environmental Education encompasses a Big Idea/Enduring Understanding. Environmental Education, which is inquiry based, requires integration of the curriculum, through backward design planning. Practical ideas for how to integrate Environmental Education in and out of the classroom.

5. Environmental Education as a context for learning It is: • embedded within the curriculum (science, social studies and geography) • an integral part of Character Development / Catholic Social Teachings /Catholic Graduate Expectations • inquiry based, developed through long range planning using backward design • not “another thing to do/add” but rather a way of making the educational experience for students richer, with a real life applications embedded in the learning

6. Environmental Education, which is inquiry based, requires integration of the curriculum, through backward design planning A 7 week integrated inquiry unit includes: • Catholic Social Teaching Foci/Character Development • Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectation Focus • Cluster of Ontario Curriculum Expectations • Big Idea / Enduring Understanding • Culminating Tasks- “DO”, “WRITE”, “SAY” • Introductory Activities to Commence Unit • Part 1: Subtasks leading to “DO” Culminating Task • Part 2 : Subtasks leading to “Write” Culminating Task • Part 3: Subtasks leading to “SAY” Culminating Task • Concluding Activity to end Unit

7. Environmental Education encompasses a Big Idea/Enduring Understanding • As citizens of our World, we have a social responsibility to care for our Earth. In an attempt to reduce the effects of Climate Change and Global Warming, we can make a positive difference by promoting stewardship and becoming stewards of our Earth.

8. Cluster of Ontario Curriculum Expectations • Geography/Social Studies • Science • Language • Reading • Writing • Oral • Media • Religion

9. “DO” Culminating Task - Collage • Create a collage that shows your understanding of the topic of Global Warming/Climate Change/ Stewardship based on your prior knowledge as well as what we have viewed, read and discussed in class. • You must display your understanding using words, pictures, and sayings. • The positive message that you want your audience to take away from the collage is that “It is still not too late to make a positive difference by being stewards of our Earth.”

10. “WRITE” Culminating Task: Paragraph • To accompany your collage, write a paragraph that explains the message in your collage “It is still not too late to make a positive difference by being stewards of our Earth.” that you want the audience to be left with after viewing your collage.

11. “SAY” Culminating Task - PSA • As a group of Media Consultants, you have been asked to create and produce a Public Service Announcement on Climate Change. Your group will advocate for a hypothetical agency or organization in an attempt to persuade the public to act or adopt a point of view about this topic based on our Big Idea. • Using research and background knowledge from our in depth inquiry on Global Warming/Climate Change/Stewardship, you will create a Public Service Announcement which will display your understanding of the unit’s Big Idea “As stewards of our Earth, we have a social responsibility to care for our Earth. In an attempt to reduce the effects of Climate Change and Global Warming, we can make a positive difference by promoting stewardship.”

12. Subtasks leading Culminating Tasks • Part 1: Leading to “DO” Culminating Task - Collage • Part 2: Leading to “SAY” Culminating Task- Public Service Announcement • Part 3: Leading to “WRITE” Culminating Task- Paragraph

13. “DO” Culminating Task - Collage

14. “DO” Culminating Task - Collage

15. It All Comes Together Displaying Student Work

16. It All Comes Together Displaying Student Work

17. It All Comes Together Displaying Student Work

18. Integrating Environmental Education in and out of the classroom • Field trips- Ryan Center (ALCDSB) • Community Projects • local- tree planting, gardening • international- Ryan’s Well fundraiser • School based recycling programs initiated- ECO Club • student run, staff supervised • Guest Speakers

19. Possible Topics that can be covered in Environmental Education • Water • Climate Change & Global Warming • Energy • Recycling • Weather (natural disasters/extreme conditions) • Pollution • Natural Resources

20. What Have I Learned • Integration is the key to all students’ academic success. • Environmental Education Integration through inquiry is “real” and the students find the connections to be engaging and meaningful. • Environmental Education is everywhere (media, newspaper, music videos, text) • As an educator I can make a positive difference by teaching students to question and make decisions that will be environmental sound. Students need to know that “how we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our respect for the Creator.” (Catholic Social Teaching)

21. Next Steps • There is always more to learn! • Discover new and exciting ways of integrating Environmental Education in the classroom. • Extend Environmental Education beyond the classroom curriculum with school and community based projects to make the learning “authentic.” • Develop an “Audit Trail” to document inquiries and learning and demonstrate how Environmental Education is linked to each of the big ideas studied over the course of the year.

22. Questions