Learning from the world

Teaching Pre K-8, Apr 2000 by Riley, Dick

Cross-curriculum environmental studies can help to make students better citizens.

In 1854, the United States Government offered to buy 2 million acres of land from Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Chief Seattle, of the Suquamish tribe, agreed to the purchase. But in his eloquent reply to the request, he challenged the new owners to maintain the tradition of living in harmony with the land.

Today, as responsible citizens, we have an obligation - to past and future generations - to protect the environment and to work to keep the world safe, clean and beautiful. By teaching children to respect the environment, we can pass along our values and protect our natural resources.

Global education. Many teachers participate in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. GLOBE is a worldwide network of students, teachers and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. Students and teachers from over 7,000 schools in more than 80 countries work with research scientists to learn more about our planet.

GLOBE students make environmental observations at or near their schools and report their data through the Internet. Scientists then use the GLOBE data in their research and provide feedback to the students to enrich their science education.

In one GLOBE project, students work with Dr. Russ Congalton, a researcher at the University of New Hampshire, to improve techniques for land cover and vegetation mapping. Dr. Congalton states, "I cannot emphasize enough the potential contribution that GLOBE student data makes to our ability to assess and validate new and existing maps around the world. No one else is collecting these land cover data except GLOBE students."

If you'd like to find out more about how your students can make real contributions to scientific knowledge, visit the GLOBE website at www.globe.gov

The Millennium Green initiative, a national project led by the Department of Agriculture, encourages schools, individuals and community organizations to plant trees, adopt forests and create community gardens. The Millennium Green website, at www.millenniumgreen.usda.gov includes information on how you can become a partner, as well as links to other helpful websites.

Good citizens, good students. There are some indications that environmental education programs can raise student achievement in other subjects. Teachers in schools like Kimbark Elementary School in San Bernardino, California, and Central Middle School in Grand Forks, Minnesota, are using a program called Environment as an Integrating Context for learning, or EIC.

At these schools, teachers have integrated environmental studies into the entire curriculum. They report that their students are performing better on standardized tests in reading, writing, math, science and social studies. EIC teachers also say that they have fewer discipline problems and that they see increased enthusiasm for learning among their students.

A natural opportunity. Julie Tracy, a teacher at Hollywood Elementary School in St. Mary's County, Maryland, is one of many teachers who have found that the environment can be a great tool for teaching. "All the subject areas are right there," Julie says. "You don't have to try to plug anything in; it all just fits in naturally when you use the environment."

With Earth Day on April 22 and flowers beginning to bloom, spring is a great time to teach your students about the environment. In the process, you'll be giving your students a hands-on learning experience and an excellent opportunity to learn important lessons in science, ecology and good citizenship.