About the Project

North American Association of Environmental Education

Environmental education curriculum should be/have:

Fair and Accurate: provides accurate information from a variety of sources

Depth: recognizes the complexity of environmental issues

Skill Building: builds skills to form a foundation for action

Action Oriented: emphasizes civic responsibility

Instructional Soundness: is age appropriate

Usability: clearly understood and well organized for straightforward comprehension

UNESCO Tbilisi Declaration of 1977

Environmental education curriculum should create:

Awareness of environmental issues and current events.

Knowledge of environmental issues and their solutions.

Attitude that promotes respect and compassion for the natural environment.

Skills that provide a baseline for addressing environmental issues.

Action that encourages personal involvement in environmental movements and solutions.

Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Learners come in all shapes and forms, all of which should be included to create a fair learning environment:

Linguistic: Also known as “word smart”, this group has highly developed auditory skills and often think in words instead of pictures. They enjoy playing word games, making up poetry or stories and reading.

Logical: Also known as “mathematical” or “number smart”. This group thinks conceptually and easily notices patterns and relationships but often needs to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details. They enjoy solving puzzles, and doing experiments.

Spatial: Also know as “picture smart”, this group thinks in terms of physical space and is very aware of their surroundings. They enjoy drawing, reading maps and learning through verbal and physical imagery such as graphs, photos and 3D modeling.

Kinesthetic: Also known as “body smart”, this group is very aware of their physical being and therefore knows how to use their body effectively. They enjoy making and learning through touch or movement. They communicate well through body language and learn well through acting things out and role playing.

Musical: Also known as “sound or song smart”, this group is more sensitive to rhythm and sound. They communicate and learn best by speaking rhythmically, tapping out time or listening to music while studying.

Interpersonal: Also known as “people smart”, as they are often very aware of others feelings. This group often is very social and understands and enjoys interacting with others. They learn best through dialogue and group activities.

Intrapersonal: Also known as “self smart”, this group deeply understands their own interests and goals in life. Unlike the interpersonal group, they often shy away from crowds and enjoy introspection. They are in tune with their emotions, and have good intuition, motivation and confidence. They learn best by taking their time and reflecting independently.

Naturalist: Also known as “nature smart”, as this group often seems to be in love with the natural world. They are skilled and confident outdoors and often thrive while learning outside. They enjoy discovering, investigating, collecting, and sorting natural objects for further study. They dig both physically and metaphorically into their environments to observe and gain knowledge about the landscapes they live within.

David Sobel’s Theory of Cognitive Development

In his article Beyond Ecophobia, David Sobel articulates his theory on cognitive development, which recognizes how children’s relationship to the environment changes as they develop, By incorporating his theory in our curriculum, we ensure our approach is age-appropriate. Our lessons cater to different cognitive levels in order to foster a learning environment where students are better able to retain information.

 

Age 4 -7

Empathy: Children of this age group learn through becoming; as they start to get to know the world, their understanding of the environment is focused on their home and close surroundings. At these ages, children are quite fascinated by the worms and squirrels in their backyard. Encouraging a sense of wonder and connection to the natural world is important with this age group.

 

Ages 8-11

Exploration: Children at these ages learn through examining; when children begin to explore outside their home, their understanding of the world increases rapidly. New places and adventures await as they discover unique places in new areas. Creating a bond with the natural world is important at this level of cognitive development; as their maps of the world expands, it is important for these children to maintain a sense of place.

 

Ages 12-15

Social Action: In these years, children begin to discover themselves and their need for connection to society. As their social world continues to grow, the need for action follows. Issues faced locally and globally become concerns and many youth begin to seek solutions at this age. By focusing efforts on the local landscape, these individuals have the opportunity to become engaged in many hands-on learning opportunities.