A Balanced Approach to Environmental Education ~ Elementary Classroom

A Balanced Approach to Environmental Education~ Elementary Classroom Date: Saturday, February 4th 2017 Time: 2:15pm – 3:30pm Location: OISE 252 Bloor St West, Toronto, ON Room: 5-260 By: Thomas Mullrooney and Bonnie Chu San Marino, Italy Photo taken by: Bonnie Chu

Workshop 2.8A Balanced Approach to Environmental Education in the Elementary Classroom by Bonnie Chu & Thomas Mullrooney, TDSB Focus: Elementary. Learn from two experienced Eco-team leaders! This presentation focuses on Environmental Education's ties to curriculum in the elementary grades, and shows examples of how to integrate it into daily instruction. We'll introduce a balanced approach to learning experiences in, for, and about the environment that includes inquiry, critical thinking, higher-order thinking.

Environmental Education Education ABOUT the environment FOR the environment and IN the environment that promotes an understanding of, rich and active experience in and an appreciation for the dynamic interactions of • The Earth’s physical and biological systems • The dependence of our social and economic systems on these natural systems • The scientific and human dimensions of environmental issues • The positive and negative consequences, both intended an unintended, of the interactions between human –created and natural systems EcoSchools Toolkit 2012/13 p. 104

Learning “IN” the Environment Students are given the opportunity to experience learning in the environment. Examples include: • school yard • community gardens • forests • Wetlands • parks • creeks • local community - urban environment

Learning “ABOUT” the Environment Students are given the opportunity to learn how nature works in all aspects such as the earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems as well as how we are connected to these systems. Ideas may include environmental issues.

Learning “FOR” the Environment This is the area where students learn about what they can do to become advocates for the environment. Take a magnifying glass and look into our every day routines and how those can impact the earth. What small changes can we make to make a difference? ~ stewardship

Ecological Literacy Connect the dots between people and the environment. - All that we teach and learn are in ‘parts’ which make up a whole that is “greater than the sum of its parts.” - Interaction of the parts helps us understand the cause and consequence of human impact.

Some important terms: Inquiry ~ placing student’s questions, ideas and observations at the centre of the learning experience. ~ problem solving and problem-finding Critical Thinking ~ Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. Higher Order Thinking (HOTS) ~ a part of Blooms levels of intellectual behaviour concentrated on the top three levels fo Blooms Taxonomy: analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Creating an environmentally aware Classroom • What are some things that you do in your classroom that promote environmental awareness? • In order for it to work, you need to set an example and stick to it! • What are some areas in the curriculum that you really enjoy teaching? • Make the connections.

Table 1 (Student samples) Inquiry (Learning “about/for” the environment) • Take a look at this picture. Write down any questions that you have. • ~ shared questions • ~ wrote what they though was happening. • Connects with Matter (solids, liquids, gases) as well as Living Things and habitats, Canadian geography • Language ~ persuasive writing/letter writing

Table 2 (Books) Learning “in” the Environment Taking students outdoors as much as possible to gain a sense of respect for nature. Read a story under a tree. Explore your school grounds or nearby park. Have students find an ant to observe and track. Draw a map and a diagram.

Table 3 (Touch)Learning “about” the environment When bringing in real life artifacts, students have the opportunity to touch and ask questions. What are some questions your students may ask? What curriculum connections can you make with a set of deer antlers?

Table 4 (Sketching) Learning “in/about” the environment Observations and Sketching • Science • Mapping

Table 5 (Planting)Learning “about” the environment Don’t limit yourselves to planting in the spring. We have cracked the code!

Action Research Enviromental-Education and the Curriculum A Practical Gardening Guide for Teachers

Planting

Curriculum Connections Math – Graphing, Collecting, Predicting, Estimating, Mapping Science – Energy, Living things, Seasonal Changes, Language – Journal writing, Stories,

Goal • Plant a seed • Monitor changes • Record information • Write Journals • Harvest and eat • Share the results with others

Collecting Data Height

Observations

Results 10 weeks later

Enrich Student Learning • Combats the growing disconnect between children, their food and their natural world. • Students understand how parts of the food system work together. • Builds environmental stewardship and care for nature • Builds a positive relationship with the natural world.

We hope you enjoyed this workshop and if you have any questions please contact us: Bonnie.chu@tdsb.on.ca Thomas.mullrooney@tdsb.on.ca

A Balanced Approach to Environmental Education ~ Elementary Classroom