 |
From the Executive Directo
r:
Place-Based Education Opens Doors to Authentic Learning
Those of us who are engaged in environmental and sustainability literacy talk a lot about developing a "sense of place," or a better understanding and appreciation for our immediate environment. This is not an easy task within the confines of a classroom environment. There is only so much you can convey about "sense of place" using textbooks, videos, and worksheets. To really know and love a place requires getting out and interacting with the plants, animals, and people that are closest to us. When we connect and care about these places, that is our communities, we are more invested in their health and sustainability. This is the essence of place-based education.
|
Using the Schoolyard for Place-Based Learning: A Close Look at the Lessons Learned by a Sustainable School in Washington DC
Tara McNerney, Sustainability Coordinator at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School,
discusses lessons learned in implementing place-based learning at her school, and shares how one grade level is tackling place-based education in their schoolyard.
|
Project-Based Environmental Protection: Fostering the Next Generation of Problem Solvers
Leanne Vennemeyer, science writer and communications specialist, and Camille Sowinski, Director with the
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Internship Program, describe how this unique program is teaching students about stormwater runoff's impact on their communities and encouraging them to come up with solutions to mitigate the problem.
|
Building Diverse Perspectives through Place-Based Education
Sarah Anderson, Fieldwork and Place-Based Education Coordinator at Southwest Charter School in Portland, Oregon, discusses the many ways her school uses place-based education to
expose students to the diverse perspectives and experiences within their communities.
|
Place-Based Learning is Rigorous and Relevant
Liz Minks, co-Director of the Science and Math Institute in Tacoma, Washington discusses how her school has embraced place-based education as a way to connect students to the wider community, using the school's unique assets to guide learning.
|
Wednesday in the Woods: Place-Based Education at Hartland Elementary School
Amy Powers, co-founder and principal at Program Evaluation and Educational Research Associates shares how Hartland Elementary School practices place-based education with its kindergartners through Wednesday in the Woods, as related by classroom teachers, parents, and the school's administrator.
|
Place-Based Education: Harnessing the Value of Nature
Ashley Whitehead, a teacher at Littlewood Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida, describes the steps she has taken to introduce place-based education at her school and shares some tips and resources for getting started.
|
Oscar the Tree Teaches Students Math, Science, and Compassion
Chloe Brown and Nathan Hall, eighth grade students at Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School in St.Louis, Missouri, share how a prized school tree is teaching students to embrace place-based education.
|
Reading the World, Not Just the Words
Why it's crucial to take students of all ages out of the classroom and into the community. Reprinted with permission from Green Teacher magazine and originally authored by Amy Demarest.
|
|
Green Schools National Network is seeking guest authors for its newsletter, GreenNotes. Learn more about our upcoming topics and how you can contribute.
|
|
Green Schools National Network |
info@greenschoolsnationalnetwork.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
