Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Environmental Education Collection

Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence

Published in November 1996 (revised 2004, 2009) by NAAEE, Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence provides a set of recommendations for developing and selecting environmental education materials. These guidelines aim to help developers of activity guides, lesson plans, and other instructional materials produce high quality products, and to provide educators with a tool to evaluate the wide array of available environmental education materials. Developed through a process of critique and consensus, the Guidelines are grounded in a common understanding of effective environmental education. Over 1,000 practitioners and scholars in the field (e.g., classroom teachers, education administrators, environmental scientists, curriculum developers) participated in the review and development of this document. A companion publication, Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence - The Workbook is also available on line to help educators apply The Materials Guidelines (The Workbook is also available in PDF).
Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence points out six key characteristics of high quality environmental education materials. For each of these characteristics, there are listed some guidelines for environmental education materials to follow. Finally, each guideline in accompanied by several indicators listed under the heading "What to Look For." These indicators suggest ways of gauging whether the materials being evaluated or developed follow the guidelines. The Guidelines for Excellence offer a way of judging the relative merit of different materials, a standard to aim for in developing new materials, and a set of ideas about what well-rounded environmental education curriculum might look like.

Table of Contents

Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence

Introduction 1
How to Use the Guidelines 3
Key Characteristic #1: Fairness and Accuracy 5
Key Characteristic #2: Depth 7
Key Characteristic #3: Emphasis on Skills Building 9
Key Characteristic #4: Action Orientation 12
Key Characteristic #5: Instructional Soundness 14
Key Characteristic #6: Usability 20
Glossary of Key Terms 22
Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence - Complete Package

Spanish Version
1-22

The EE Collection - Volume 1

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators
Volume 1

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators (updated 2004) is designed to help educators find curricula, multimedia resources, and other educational materials that can enhance teaching environmental education in a variety of settings. It is hoped that this resource guide will assist educators as they plan, develop, and implement creative and effective environmental education programs.

Curriculum guides and other educational materials included in The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators were evaluated by teams of classrooms teachers, content experts, and environmental educators. The materials were evaluated using the Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence developed by the North American Association for Environmental Education.

The write-ups of the materials included in this document were designed to point out the variety of factors an educator may wish to consider when deciding which materials are most appropriate for a particular group of students and how those materials might be used most effectively.

Table of Contents

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators, Volume 1
The synergy between the various parts of the primary Reviews - the summary of reviewer comments, the subjects, the brief description of the materials, and the reviewers' quotes - creates the richness and integrity of these reviews. It is strongly recommended that educators read both pages of each review in order to take in the full flavor of the materials. The "Reviews in Brief" do not contain a substantial teacher's guide and are therefore presented in a shorter format. These resources were reviewed using the same rigorous guidelines as the longer reviews. Click on the resource titles to see a brief description of each curriculum or resource and the review summary [PDF]
Welcome1
Why Environmental Education?1
How Was The EE Collection Developed?2
The Review Criteria2
Summary Of The Guidelines3
Using The Environmental Education Collection4
About this Collection5
Reviews-
Acid Rain: Teacher's Guide8
Always a River: Supplemental Environmental Education Curriculum10
Aquatic Project WILD: Education Activity Guide12
At Home With The Sun: Solar Energy for Young Scientists14
Biodiversity Basics: An Educator's Guide to Exploring Biodiversity16
Biology on a Shoestring18
Building Block Chemistry20
A Child's Place in the Environment: Caring for Aquatic Systems22
A Child's Place in the Environment: Protecting Soil24
Community Connections: An Interdisciplinary Urban Environmental Education Curriculum26
Conservation Biology28
The Cycles for Science Series: Curriculum Supplements30
Discover A Watershed: The Everglades32
EM POWER! Environmental Management Leader?s Guide34
Energy, Economics & The Environment: Case Studies and Teaching Activities for Middle School36
Environmental Chemistry38
Environmental Education in the Schools: Creating a Program that Works40
Environmental Science Field Laboratory42
Getting to Know the Waters of Yellowstone: An Educator's Guide44
Global Environmental Change Series: Biodiversity & Deforestation46
Global Systems Science Series48
The Great Ocean Rescue50
How Nature Works: Habitat Ecology Learning Program52
Investigating and Evaluating STS: Issues and Solutions54
Learning About Insects56
Let's Reduce and Recycle: Curriculum for Solid Waste Awareness58
Living Lightly In The City: An Environmental Education Guidebook - Volume I60
Living Lightly On The Planet: A Global Environmental Education Guidebook - Volume II62
Magical Migrating Monarchs: A Program to Enhance Awareness of our Interactive Role in the Environment64
Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects and Recipes for Families66
Oceanography for Landlocked Classrooms68
On Safari: Animals and Their Habitats70
Pablo Python Looks At Animals72
Pond and Stream Safari: A Guide to the Ecology of Aquatic Invertebrates74
Project Learning Tree: Environmental Education Activity Guide76
Project Seasons: Hands-on Activities for Discovering the Wonders of the World78
Project WET: Curriculum & Activity Guide80
Project WILD K-12: Activity Guide82
Rainforest Researchers84
The San Diego Zoo Presents... The Animals!86
Science Sleuths Volume I: The Mysteries of the Blob and the Exploding Lawnmower88
Sea Search90
SimFarm: School Edition92
Terrarium Habitats: Teacher's Guide94
Understanding Earth96
Understanding Environmental Health Risks: Teacher's Manual98
A World In Our Backyard: A Wetlands Education and Stewardship Program100
WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands: An Educator's Guide102
Reviews in Brief (Short Nutshells)-
The Amazon Trail106
Discover The World: Empowering Children to Value Themselves, Others and the Earth107
Ideas For Environmental Education: In the Elementary Classroom108
Imagine A Green Tomorrow: A Visual Learning Environmental Project Guide109
The Kid's Guide To Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference110
Likeable Recyclables: Creative Ideas for Reusing Bags, Boxes, Cans, and Cartons111
Marine Biology: An Introduction to Ocean Ecosystems, Student Book112
Science in the Marketplace113
Simple Things You Can Do To Save Energy: The Power is in Your Hands114
Songbird Story115
Curriculum Matrix118
Publisher Index122
Author & Editor Index123

The EE Collection - Volume 2

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators
Volume 2

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators (updated 2004) is designed to help educators find curricula, multimedia resources, and other educational materials that can enhance teaching environmental education in a variety of settings. It is hoped that this resource guide will assist educators as they plan, develop, and implement creative and effective environmental education programs

Curriculum guides and other educational materials included in The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators were evaluated by teams of classrooms teachers, content experts, and environmental educators. The materials were evaluated using the Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence developed by the North American Association for Environmental Education.

The write-ups of the materials included in this document were designed to point out the variety of factors an educators may wish to consider when deciding which materials are most appropriate for a particular group of students and how those materials might be used most effectively.

Table of Contents

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators, Volume 2

The synergy between the various parts of the primary Reviews - the summary of reviewer comments, the subjects, the brief description of the materials, and the reviewers' quotes creates the richness and integrity of these reviews. It is strongly recommended that educators read both pages of each review in order to take in the full flavor of the materials.  The "Reviews in Brief" do not contain a substantial teacher's guide and are therefore presented in a shorter format. These resources were reviewed using the same rigorous guidelines as the longer reviews.  Click on the resource titles to see a brief description of each curriculum or resource and the review summary [PDF]
Welcome  1
How Was The EE Collection Developed? 1
The Review Criteria 1
Summary Of The Guidelines 2
Using The Environmental Education Collection 3
About this Collection 4
 Reviews
Activities for the Changing Earth System 6
Aluminum Beverage Cans: The ABCs of Environmental Education 8
Arctic Animals 10
Botany For All Ages: Discovering Nature Through Activities for Children & Adults (Second Edition) 12
Closing the Loop: Integrated Waste Management Activities for School & Home 14
Cycling Back to Nature--Soils Alive! From Tiny Rocks to Compost 16
Discovering Salmon: A Nature Activity Book 18
Discovery Curriculum 20
Diversity of Life 22
Earthcycles: Environmental Education with Preschool Children 24
Ecology of Creatures We Love to Hate 26
Economics and the Environment: EcoDetectives 28
Environmental Resource Guide--Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Grades 6-8 30
Environmental Science Activities Kit: Ready-To-Use Lessons, Labs & Worksheets 32
Environmental Science--Ecosystems 34
Fish Ways--Intermediate/Senior 36
Flight for Survival 38
Forest Fires: Disaster or Not 40
Global Energy Perspectives: Middle School Module #5 42
Grow Lab: Activities for Growing Minds 44
Hands On Plastic: A Scientific Investigation Kit 46
A Home for Pearl 48
Hunters of the Sky: An Activity Guide on Birds of Prey 50
Investigating Science through Bears 52
Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories & Wildlife Activities for Children 54
Ladybugs 56
Mapping Fish Habitats 58
Nature Close-Up: Earthworms 60
Nature Puzzlers 62
Ozone Layer 64
Protected Areas: Preserving Our Future: An Environmental Education Guide to Protected Natural Areas 66
Ranger Rick's NatureScope: Geology, the Active Earth 68
Ranger Rick's NatureScope: Wading into Wetlands 70
Rocks, Sand, and Soil 72
Science and Social Issues 74
Science, Technology, & Society: Populations 76
Sharing Nature with Children: Volume 2 78
STREAMS--Science Teams in Rural Environments for Aquatic Management Studies 80
Themeworks: Night Time 82
Tropical Rainforest: An Activity Guide for Teachers 84
The Universe at Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity & Resource Notebook 86
Urban Forestry Laboratory Exercises 88
Waste in Place 90
What Do We Need to Live on Planet Earth? 92
Who's Endangered on Noah's Ark? Literary & Scientific Activities for Teachers & Parents 94
Why Design? 96
WILD About Elk: An Educator's Guide 98
Wildlife 100
Worms Eat Our Garbage: Classroom Activities for a Better Environments 102
 Reviews in Brief (Short Nutshells)
The Big Empty  106
Coral Kingdom 107
Creature Features  108
Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Nature  109
Making Waves  110
The Mount St. Helens Volcano: Fire and Life 111
Recycle Time & Time Again 112
Volunteer-led Investigations of Neighborhood Ecology (VINE) 113
The Water Story 114
What's Wrong with this Picture? 115
Curriculum Matrix 118
Publisher Index 122
Author & Editor Index 123


The EE Collection - Volume 3

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators
Volume 3

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators (updated 2004) is designed to help educators find curricula, multimedia resources, and other educational materials that can enhance teaching environmental education in a variety of settings. It is hoped that this resource guide will assist educators as they plan, develop, and implement creative and effective environmental education programs. Curriculum guides and other educational materials included in The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators were evaluated by teams of classrooms teachers, content experts, and environmental educators. The materials were evaluated using the Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence developed by the North American Association for Environmental Education. The write-ups of the materials included in this document were designed to point out the variety of factors an educators may wish to consider when deciding which materials are most appropriate for a particular group of students and how those materials might be used most effectively.

Table of Contents

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators
The synergy between the various parts of the primary Reviews -- the summary of reviewer comments, the subjects, the brief description of the materials, and the reviewers' quotes - creates the richness and integrity of these reviews. It is strongly recommended that educators read both pages of each review in order to take in the full flavor of the materials. The "Reviews in Brief" do not contain a substantial teacher's guide and are therefore presented in a shorter format. These resources were reviewed using the same rigorous guidelines as the longer reviews. Click on the resource titles to see a brief description of each curriculum or resource and the review summary [PDF].
Welcome1
How Was The EE Collection Developed? 1
The Review Criteria 1
Summary Of The Guidelines 2
Using The Environmental Education Collection 3
About this Collection 4
Reviews
City Kids & City Critters! Activities for Urban Explorers 6
Composting: Waste to Resources8
Connections: Guide to a Healthy Environment10
Creepy Crawlies & the Scientific Method?
Over 100 Hands-On Science Experiments for Children
12
Cycling Back to Nature: With Biodegradable Polymers14
The Digital Field Trip to the Wetlands16
Earth Day to Arbor Day: An Opportunity for Stewardship18
Earth Matters: Studies for Our Global Future 2nd Edition20
Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children22
Eco-Inquiry? A Guide to Ecological Learning Experiences
for the Upper Elementary/Middle Grades
24
Environmental ACTION!26
Environmental Resource Guide? Air Quality Grades 3-528
Environmental Science: Water & Air30
Environmental Teaching Guide:
21 Ways to Bring the Environment into the Classroom
32
Global Change Education Resource Guide34
Great Lakes Instructional Material for the
Changing Earth System (GLIMCES)
36
Growing Together with the Treetures:
Activity Guide Series 1
38
Hands-On Minds-On Science: Environmental Issues40
How Can Biodiversity Be Preserved?42
Interactive Lake Ecology44
The Intriguing Past: Fundamentals of Archaeology
a Teacher's Guide
46
Investigating & Evaluating Environmental Issues & Actions:
Skill Development Program
48
Investigating Groundwater: The Fruitvale Story50
Investigating Your Environment52
The Leopold Education Project: Lessons in a Land Ethic54
Living in a Material World: Lessons on Commercialism,
Consumption & Environment
56
Marine Ecology & Conservation: Teacher's Guide58
Migratory Birds: Issue Pac60
Mud, Muck & Other Wonderful Things:
An Environmental Curriculum for 5-8 Year-Olds
62
An Ounce of Prevention: A Middle Level Science
Curriculum on Source Reduction
64
Ranger Ricks's NatureScope: Trees are Terrific!66
River of Words: National Environmental Poetry & Poster
Contest for Students - Teacher's Guide
68
Sea Turtle Trek70
Search for the Great Sharks72
Teacher's Guide to World Resources74
Themeworks: Trees76
Themeworks: Under the Ground78
Turning the Tide on Trash:
A Learning Guide on Marine Debris
80
Waste: A Hidden Resource82
The Waste Hierarchy: Where is "Away"?84
Water: Teacher's Guide86
Water Matters: Water Resources Teacher's Guide,
Volume 1
88
The Water Sourcebook:
A Series of Classroom Activities for Grades 9-12
90
Wetlands: Critical Issues/Critical Thinking Experiences for Youth92
Wetlands: An Interdisciplinary Unit for Science & Language Arts94
What a Waste! A Teacher's Resource for Integrating the Solid Waste
Crisis into the Classroom
96
Wild About Life! Activity Guide98
Wormania! Live Worms & Song100
Zebra Mussel Mania: Teacher's Guide for Grades 5 & 6102
Reviews in Brief (Short Nutshells)
Earth's Endangered Environments: Picture Show106
Eco-Adventures in the Rainforest107
A Guide to Groundwater Guardian: 1998 Program Year108
North American Ecosystems109 
Oceans Alive!110
Oceans: Earth's Last Frontier111 
Reducing, Reusing and Recycling: Environmental Concerns112 
TakingAction: An Educator's Guide to Involving Students
in Environmental Action Projects
113
Understanding Ecosystem Management114
WILD School Sites: A Guide to Preparing Habitat Improvement
Projects on School Grounds
115 
Worm Worlds116 
Acknowledgements117 
Curriculum Matrix118 
Publisher Index122
Author & Editor Index123

The Biodiversity Collection

The Biodiversity Collection is designed to help educators find outstanding curricula, multimedia resources, and other educational materials that can enhance biodiversity teaching in a variety of settings. The Biodiversity Collection was produced by World Wildlife Fund in association with the North American Association for Environmental Education with support from Eastman Kodak Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Curriculum materials included in The Biodiversity Collection: Resources for Educators were reviewed and evaluated by teams of classrooms teachers, content experts, and environmental educators.? The materials were evaluated using the Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence developed by the North American Association for Environmental Education.
The resources reviewed in this guide provide dozens of ideas for developing lesson plans, units, and courses that focus on biodiversity. These are some of the best resources available today for developing exemplary environmental education programs. The Biodiversity Collection is a part of a series of environmental education resource guides designed to help educators find exemplary teaching materials. Other guides include The Environmental Education Collection: Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3, which are compendia of general environmental education resources on a variety of topics.
Table of Contents

The Biodiversity Collection: Resources for Educators


The collecton consists of two major parts. The first part highlights 47 of the best supplementary curricula evaluated by reviewers focusing on some aspect of biodiversity. The second part includes an annotated bibliography that features general background information, children's books and magazines, multimedia resources, web sites, and a variety of other resources focused on biodiversity issues. Although these materials were also reviewed, the review was not as extensive and the goal was to include a variety of high-quality supplementary materials that would enhance a biodiversity unit or program.
Click on the resource titles to see a brief description of each curriculum or resource and the review summary [PDF]

table of contentsPage
 Introducing The Biodiversity Collection - Resources for Educators4
 Why Biodiversity?4
 The Environmental Education Process4
 Picking the Best - What Was the Process?5
 The Review Criteria6
 The Review Process7
 Using The Biodiversity Collection8

Curriculum resource reviewsPage
A Child's Place in the Environment, Unit 3: Preserving and Restoring Ecosystems10
Activities for the Changing Earth12
Adaptations (Regional Environmental Education Program - REEP)14
Alaska's Ecology16
Alberta's Threatened Wildlife18
Animal Tracks20 
Backyard Biodiversity & Beyond22
Biodiversity Basics - Exploring the Web of Life24
Biodiversity: Understanding the Variety of Life26
Biodiversity Works for Wildlife, You Can Too!28
Biological Diversity Makes a World of Difference30
Bottle Biology32
Connections: The Living Planet34
Conservation Biology36
Eco-Inquiry: A Guide to Ecological Learning Experiences38
Ecological Citizenship40
Ecology for All Ages: Discovering Nature through Activities for Children and Adults42
Economics and the Environment44
Eco-Sense: An Economic Environmental Learning Kit46
Endangered Species48
Environmental Education Module on Biological Diversity for Secondary Education50
Environomics: Exploring the Links Between the Economy and the Environment52
Global Environmental Change Series54
Global Environmental Education Resource Guide56
Global Issues in the Middle School58
Global Systems Science Series60
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect62
Habitat and Biodiversity64
Health Environmental Literacy Program66
Mud, Muck, and Other Wonderful Things68
Ocean News70
Our Oceans, Ourselves: Marine Biodiversity for Educators72
Our Only Earth Series: A Curriculum for Global Problem Solving74
Population Reference Bureau, Inc76
Project Learning Tree78
Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide80
Project WILD82
Ranger Rick's NatureScope Series84
Relationships of Living Things, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Science86
Science-Technology-Society: Preparing for Tomorrow's World88
Teacher's Guide to World Resources: Biodiversity90
Threatened and Endangered Animals: An Extended Case Study92
What Is It? A Guide to Biological Identification 94
Wildlife for the Future96
WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands 98
Zero Population Growth100
Zoobooks: Exploring Ocean Ecosystems102
 Appendix
 Resource Matrix - an index of resources by grade levels, subjects, and topics104
 Additional Resources
    General Background Children's Books and Magazines Mulitmedia Resources Biodiversity-Related World Wide Web Sites Other Curriculum Resources
106-
112
 Index of Authors, Editors, and Publishers114
 Feedback Form116


The Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of  Environmental Educators

The Guidelines are recommendations about the basic knowledge and abilities educators need to provide high-quality environmental education. The guidelines are designed to apply:
  • Within the context of pre-service teacher education programs and environmental education courses offered to students with varied backgrounds such as environmental studies, geography, liberal studies, or natural resources;
  • To the professional development of educators who will work in both formal and nonformal educational settings, offering programs at the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade levels; and
  • To full-time environmental educators as well as for those for whom environmental education is just one of their responsibilities.

Environmental educators work in a variety of settings, at a variety of jobs. They teach in public and private classrooms, and lead activities for children and adults at nonformal educational institutions such as nature centers, zoos, museums, and parks. They teach at universities in education, environmental studies, geography, natural resource, and science programs. They develop curriculum materials and administer national, state, and local programs. Regardless of the setting, Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators outlines the experiences and learning that will help them deliver instruction that effectively fosters environmental literacy.

This document presents an ambitious overview of the abilities and knowledge of a well-prepared environmental educator. The guidelines, organized into six themes, provide a mechanism for gauging the quality of pre-service and in-service preparation programs and the abilities of environmental educators working in the field. Instead of offering fixed rules, these guidelines suggest a broad vision—a goal to work toward and a guide for professional and programmatic development.

Table of Contents

Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of  Environmental Educators



Preface 
Introduction1
Environmental Education: A Vision for the Future1
The Instructional Vision of Environmental Education2
How to use these Guidelines4
The Guidelines at a Glance5
Theme #1 - Environmental Literacy7
Theme #2 - Foundations of Environmental Education8
Theme #3 - Professional Responsibilities of the Environmental Educator 11
Theme #4 - Planning & Implementing Environmental Education Programs14
Theme #5 - Fostering Learning21
Theme #6 - Assessment and Evaluation23
Appendix: Executive Summary
Excellence in Environmental Education - Guidelines for Learning (Pre K-12)
27
 Full pdf of Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators >> 1-27