Environmental Education (EE)
Links to Background Information & Research
Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education
Pennsylvania
Center for Environmental Education - The History and
Philosophy of Environmental Education
Environmental
Education and Training Partnership Program - What is
EE?
Changing
Minds: The lasting impact of school trips
A recent study from the The Innovation Centre, University
of Exeter UK documents the educational benefits of
sustained, local field experiences for students.
Benefits of outdoor EE to pupils and schools:
- The virtually unanimous view amongst students that learning was fun, exciting, enjoyable and better than working in the classroom
- Development of social skills such as tolerance, caring, group awareness and self-discipline
- Research skills involving understanding and management of the natural environment
- Skills ranging from gardening and cooking to using digital cameras and microscopes
- Development of 'community spirit' and valuing what was 'in their own back yard'
- Benefits of outdoor EE to families, friends and the community Increased willingness of parents to come into school for events and meetings
- Parents and siblings visited natural sites more frequently as a consequence of the awareness-raising by their primary age children
Closing
the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context
for Learning
This report, prepared by the State Education and Environment Roundtable, is the story of the schools, teachers, and students who are involved in implementing EIC programs (using the Environment as an Integrating Context for learning). It presents the results of a nationwide study; describes the major concepts and assumptions underlying EIC; explores a range of successful EIC programs across the; United States; identifies the major characteristics of successful EIC programs; and, analyzes the implications of EIC-based education for student learning and instruction.
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
Environmental education at school forests can help meet many academic standards including math, science, language arts, social science, environmental education, agriculture education, art and design education, and family and consumer education.
To access the Wisconsin Academic Standards: www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/index.html
To go directly to the environmental education standards: www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/pdf/envired.pdf
The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB)
website provides templates (blank correlation grids) which you may
use to correlate your own activities, lessons, and/or curricula with
the model academic standards:
www.uwsp.edu/cnr/weeb/publications/academic-standards/templates.htm
Environmental Education Organizations and Agencies
Department
of Natural Resources - EEK!
http://dnr.wi.gov/eek/
Department
of Public Instruction - Agriculture Education
http://dpi.wi.gov/ag/index.html
Earth
Partnership for Schools
http://uwarboretum.org/eps/
National
Wildlife Federation - Schoolyard Habitats Program
www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/programoverview.cfm
Trees
for Tomorrow
www.treesfortomorrow.com
The
Wild Ones
www.thewildones.org
Wisconsin
Association for Environmental Education
www.uwsp.edu/waee
Wisconsin
Center for Environmental Education
www.uwsp.edu/cnr/wcee
Wisconsin
Environmental Education Board
www.uwsp.edu/weeb
Wisconsin
Forest Resources Education Alliance
www.wfrea.org
Student Science Projects
Learn about environmental monitoring projects and how to get your students involved. (MORE)