ED 347, Environmental Education

Instructor: Rebecca Burton, Ph.D.
Office: CO 221
Classroom:
Email: rebecca.burton@alverno.edu

Credits: 1
Prerequisites: Licensure student in education, ED 201

Required Text: A Guide to Curriculum Planning in Environmental Education, Wisconsin DPI

Resource: Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Environmental Education

Introduction

Environmental education explores the interactions between people and the environment. In this course you will develop methods of teaching environmental science to elementary and secondary students. Drawing upon your previous experiences in lesson and unit planning, you will incorporate content knowledge with process skills and assessment strategies to create integrated learning experiences in environmental education. You will focus on helping students develop positive environmental behavior. You will learn to facilitate their development of environmental awareness, knowledge, ethics, and citizen action skills and experience.

This course is required for degreed educators seeking licensure in early childhood and elementary education and for those seeking secondary education licensure in science and social studies.

Course Goals

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

  1. Apply environmental education frameworks in designing integrated instructional units
    1. Make meaningful connections between content areas, such as language arts, mathematics, natural and social sciences, and the arts using environmental issues.
    2. Select and design effective teaching and assessment strategies, based on an accurate analysis of learner needs.
    3. Evaluate and use appropriate resources such as prepared projects, computer software, etc.
    4. Evaluate both the unit designed and the process used to design it.
  2. Identify, interpret, and apply problem solving and decision making models based on environmental principles.
    1. Employ teaching strategies that build environmental skills.
    2. Employ appropriate resources in instructional design.
    3. Employ appropriate strategies for discussion of controversial issues.
  3. Identify the contribution of environmental education to the development of a professional teacher.
    1. Communicate an awareness of how to create a safe learning environment.
    2. Use national, state, and district standards to evaluate curriculum design.

    Resources

    Lesson Plans
    		Standards
    		Writing in
    Science
    		Sample
    Lab Report
    		Research
    Tools
    		APA
    Style
    		Stats in
    Excel

    Alverno Environmental Science home page

    Last update:11/3/03 by Rebecca Burton, Dept. of Biology, Alverno College