EEI News: Fall Edition

    

Welcome Back!

We hope that you've had a fun and relaxing summer vacation! As you head back into the classroom, don't forget to use the EEI Curriculum to help engage your students in relevant, real-world science and history-social science lessons that foster environmental literacy.

If you're unsure which EEI Curriculum unit to teach, follow along with us on Facebook and Twitter as we highlight a new EEI Curriculum unit each week. It's a great way to learn more about our units and preview lesson plans and teaching components. Follow along and use hashtag #ExploreEEI to join in on the conversation!

Updates:

 

Teaching About Fire in California

Make sure you don't miss the latest installment of Current Context from our friends at the California History-Social Science Project, available now for free download.  This issue, Our Complicated Relationship with Fire, is the first in a series that includes a focus on the environment.  As Hurricane Harvey has demonstrated once again, human history is inextricably linked to the natural world. "Fire has its own influence and power over us, too, and our history, as well as the Earth's, will always be linked by fire." There is also an accompanying teaching blog which outlines suggested EEI Curriculum units that address the relationship between fire and human history.

Join EEI at the California Science Education Conference

Want to learn how to use EEI Curriculum resources to support environment-based 3D learning? Join us for our session at the CSTA's Science Education Conference in Sacramento on Friday, October 13 @ 2:30p.m. More details to come, including room number. Check back soon on our conference webpage.

Teams Wanted for Environmental Literacy Short Course

The Environmental Literacy Steering Committee is looking for teams of district personnel, administrators, and teachers to participate in a short course at the California Science Education Conference in Sacramento. The course, "Teaching CA NGSS Through Environmental Literacy" will take place on October 14 from 8:20 - 11:30 a.m. Participants will examine classroom examples and will learn how California’s Science Framework connects to the implementation of CA Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), California’s Environmental Principles and Concepts, and environmental literacy. More information here.

Apply for the 2018 Green Ribbon Schools

The California Department of Education is now accepting applications for the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools. This award honors schools and school districts for excellence in resource efficiency, health and wellness, and environmental and sustainability education. Interested applicants should take this brief survey and online application by December 6, 2017.

Environmental Literacy in the News:

Science education inspires PUSD teachers to use the environment as a classroom 

How Environment-Based Learning Encouraged me to Master Next Generation Science Standards

Creec Coordinators Connect Educators to Local Ecosystem

Stanford Analysis Reveals Wide Array of Benefits from Environmental Education

EEI News: Spring Edition

It's hard to believe that we are more than half-way through the school year and spring is just around the corner! This Sunday is Daylight Saving Time so as you move your clock forward (and struggle with losing that hour of extra sleep), grab a cup of coffee, and cozy up to this latest edition of the EEI news.

Lodi Students Learn about California Watershed with the EEI Curriculum

Three years ago, Kathy Grant, the City of Lodi Watershed Program Coordinator, enlisted the help of CalRecycle’s Office of Education and the Environment (OEE) to organize a free teacher professional development program to equip educators with resources to teach students about water. Read more.

EdSource Article Features Environmental Principles & Concepts

In case you missed it! A recent EdSource article entitled "California renews push to promote environmental literacy in schools" featured the Environmental Principles and Concepts and the EEI Curriculum. Read the article here.

Join us at the NSTA Conference in Los Angeles

Planning to attend the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) conference in LA? We'll be presenting a session entitled, "Using the Environment as a Springboard to Real World 3D Learning" on March 30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more information, please visit our conferences page.

2017 CSTA Conference: Call for Environmental Literacy Workshop Proposals

We are pleased to announce that the 2017 California Science Education Conference will include an environmental literacy strand. Interested educators who can provide teachers with resources that promote environmental literacy and specifically address implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards are encouraged to apply. Applications are due March 20. Learn more.

Parent Feedback Needed on Environment-Based Learning

The statewide Environmental Literacy Steering Committee is seeking parent feedback for a statewide initiative that will bring environment-based learning to all of California’s 6.2 million K–12 students. A facilitated listening session will take place remotely on March 15, 2017 from 7:00–8:30 pm. If you are interested in participating, please sign up here. Parents selected to participate in the session will receive detailed call-in instructions, as well as a $50 gift card as a thank you for their contribution.