Taking Tech Outdoors for EE Week April 14-20, 2013

April 8th, 2013 by Sarah Kozicki

Research indicates that 77% of teachers believe using technology in the classroom increases student motivation to learn, while 75% of 1,900 surveyed educators said students who spend regular time outdoors tend to be more creative and better problem-solvers. Click the image to view the complete, downloadable infographic, Tech & Our Planet, for more stats!

As the weather begins to warm, thoughts turn to outdoor activities. Fortunately, there are many ways to take classroom learning outdoors – sometimes in unexpected ways.

Join National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) for Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors, April 14-20, 2013 and explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom.  Hosted by the National Environmental Education Foundation, EE Week is the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education held each year the week before Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship.

In 2012, EE Week kicked off a multi-year Greening STEM initiative on the important role the environment plays in engaging students in STEM learning and helping them solve 21st century challenges.  The environment provides a gateway to STEM learning through hands-on, real-world projects on topics like energy efficiency and resource conservation that incorporate all four pillars of STEM. For instance, David Munson, Education Director at Project Noah noted that digital tools and other technologies can draw students “into the landscape – into their communities – and can provide an important bridge between the familiarity of the digital world and the discoveries that wait for them in nature.”

Research indicates that 77% of teachers believe using technology in the classroom increases student motivation to learn, while 75% of 1,900 surveyed educators said students who spend regular time outdoors tend to be more creative and better problem-solvers.

Coming up for EE Week

Stay tuned for details about an upcoming EE Week Google+ Hangout which will provide teachers and students from around the country the opportunity to go behind the scenes with meteorologist Dan Satterfield for an interactive presentation on how cutting-edge technologies are being utilized to forecast and understand wild weather. This EE Week offering will be part of a series of biweekly Google+ Hangouts with scientists leading up to Google’s third annual Science Fair.

Educators around the country are encouraged to register free and explore how today’s technology can enhance environmental learning and develop 21st century skills in creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration.

Connect with EE Week on Facebook and Twitter to stay posted.

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.

Green Strides Webinars: April Series

March 25th, 2013 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities the tools to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental literacy, including STEM, green careers, and civic engagement.>>> These are all the tools that help schools and districts move toward the aims of our U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award.  This April, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

The Three T’s of Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools (EPA)
April 3, 2013 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Young children are at particular risk for lead exposure. To assist with implementation of programs and policies to reduce lead in drinking water at school and child care facilities, EPA uses the 3Ts concept: Training, Testing, Telling,  each of which is an important component of a successful lead reduction program. This webinar will cover how to implement a 3T program in your school or child care facility.

Register here!

21st Century Tools for Environmental Learning in the Community (NEEF & Green Teacher)
April 3, 2013 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Learn how to turn student engagement in media & technology tools into a powerful venue for learning. Get to know the Island Institute & their strategies for integrating & applying technology with community-based environmental education programs. Learn how to apply these strategies in your classroom to engage students in hands-on environmental learning through the application of 21st century skills and knowledge.

Register here!

Pathways to Green Jobs and Careers in Natural Resources (USDA)
April 10, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Are you prepared to enter into a meaningful green career? With record numbers of people out of work, the prospect of an emerging green economy is increasingly viewed as the light at end of a tunnel.  This webinar will feature high level participation from the USDA, experts in this emerging realm along with Green Team students who aspire to embrace Green jobs as a career pursuit.

Register here!

Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors (NEEF & EPA)
April 16, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

On this webinar, participants will explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom. EE Week will highlight the growing opportunity to engage today’s students in learning about the environment with new technologies that enable scientific research and develop 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration.

Register here!

Water, Exploration, and the Future (NASA)
April 17, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Discover all the ways NASA is learning about water here on earth and in Space.

No registration necessary. Log on here!
GreenSchool and STEM (USFS & PLT)
April 27, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, parent or student Green Team member, this webinar will demonstrate how STEM can be seamlessly integrated into the school curriculum using the US Forest Service /Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! Investigations and grant program as a model for schools.

Register here!

For more information on the Green Strides Webinar Series, upcoming webinars, and past webinar recordings, please visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/webinar.html

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

What’s on Tap for EE Week 2013

March 7th, 2013 by Sarah Kozicki

Photo Credit: David Munson

Hosted by NEEF, EE Week is the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education held each year the week before Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. The 2013 theme, Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors, will explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom

EE Week will highlight the growing opportunity to engage today’s students in learning about the environment with new technologies that enable scientific research and develop 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration.

Among EE Week’s offerings for K-12 educators this year are a series of webinars:

  • On March 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET, join National Geographic Education and Esri to explore tech tools that engage students in citizen science projects and connect them with their local communities.
  • Then on April 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET, join EE Week and Green Teacher to learn how the Island Institute is turning student engagement with technology tools and media into a powerful venue for learning about their environment.

Google+ Hangout

And stay tuned for more details about how teachers and students can go behind the scenes with a scientist who is utilizing cutting-edge technologies to support environmental work in an upcoming EE Week Google+ Hangout. This is slated to be part of a series of biweekly Google+ Hangouts with renowned scientists leading up to Google’s third annual Science Fair.

Register for EE Week now to take advantage of these learning opportunities. There is no cost to register and participate in EE Week.

In addition to webinars, educators who register for EE Week 2013 will be able to take advantage of:

  • A free educator toolkit including tech tools, educational resources and suggested activities for engaging students in Greening STEM learning outdoors.
  • Case studies of technology in action and the educators and programs using it to enhance environmental and STEM learning and achievement in core subject areas.
  • Discounts, giveaways and special offers from our partners on environmental education tools, resources and professional development.

Stay tuned as more offerings become available. Visit www.eeweek.org/greening_stem to learn more or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.

2012 Environmental Education Week Photo Blog Contest

May 28th, 2012 by Sarah Kozicki

These students learned about the health of a local stream by examining macroinvertebrates. What activities did your students do during National EE Week?

Do you have an inspiring story and photo of how you and your school or organization are engaging students in environmental education? National Environmental Education Week wants to hear about it! Simply upload your photos and stories to the EE Week Photo Blog.

The 2012 EE Week Photo Blog Contest – which will end on May 31 – is open to individuals affiliated with a school or organization providing K-12 educational programs. Photo Blog Contest applicants must be 18 years of age or older, have a valid email address and be residents of the United States. Please read the complete contest rules before entering.

Each photo blog entry must include a photograph and accompanying blog text no longer than 1,500 characters that clearly describes the environmental education activity shown in the photo. Release forms are required for each identifiable person in a photo. Entries will be judged on the quality of the photo and blog text, visual appeal and the student learning that took place as a result of the environmental education efforts depicted in the blog.

First, second and third place winners will receive a digital camera and be featured on EE Week.org.

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.

Celebrate Earth Day with These Featured Lessons and Activities

April 16th, 2012 by Sarah

For Earth Day or EE Week, have your students learn about Math by examining your school's recycling habits! Image courtesy of Tulane Public Relations via Flickr.

This year Earth Day falls on a Sunday, so you can encourage your students to celebrate with their families by being active outside over the weekend.  Whether they help their parents with yard work and gardening, participate in a stream clean-up, or plant trees at a community celebration your students will be getting some exercise while enjoying the outdoors.

Though your students will not be in class on Earth Day, this week is National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), and it is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the earth in your classroom. During the week, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day, no matter what subject you teach.  Here is a selection of some activities you could use:

In Social Studies – Have your classes learn about the First Earth Day and watch these video clips of Senator Gaylord Nelson’s April 21, 1970 Earth Day eve address. Your class can discuss why we celebrate Earth Day, how the social, political, and environmental climate of the 60s and 70s may have influenced public support for the grassroots movement, and how that support impacted federal policies and priorities (the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, etc.). Your students can also check out the EPA@40 website from 2010 to learn about some of the progress that has been made since the 70s.

In Math – Have your students inventory your class, cafeteria, or school waste to determine how much recycling and trash is produced.  You can also have them calculate how much of the trash could actually have been recycled.  This type of activity can feed into a longer term Waste-Free Wednesday or Litterless Lunches initiative in your school.  For more information on how to use such programs as teaching tools, please refer to our Waste-Free Wednesday and Litterless Lunches blogs.

In Science – One of the most important components of any Earth Day/EE Week Celebration is simply to get your students outside, and outside your options are limited only by your imagination.  For example, you can get your students outside and teach them about the Chesapeake Bay with the Grasses, Grasses Everywhere Lesson Plan; in which students investigate the properties of aquatic grasses (SAV) and compare them to the grass in the schoolyard.  Alternatively, you could use the Succession and Forest Habitats Lesson Plan. This lesson has several components, and for the last one your students will collect data on trees in the schoolyard, use the information to predict how many birds will be found in the schoolyard, and devise a plan to improve habitat for migratory songbirds in the schoolyard.

In Language Arts – It may seem obvious, but a great way to celebrate Earth Day with your students is to have them read environment-related books (especially outside).  The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is a great option for younger students, and selections from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson would work well for advanced readers.  For more literature selections, please refer to Bay Backpack’s Reading the Environment blog, the National Environmental Education Foundation’s Green Reading List for Educators, or the EPA’s Wetlands Reading List for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Join EE Week April 15-21, Highlighting Green STEM Innovation!

April 9th, 2012 by Sarah Kozicki

National EE Week 2012 STEM and Our Planet Infographic

Increasing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) knowledge and expanding STEM education and career opportunities for students is a national priority.  A projected 2 million STEM-related jobs will be created by 2014, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics. Jobs relating to the environment are among those expected to see the fastest growth this decade. The National Environmental Education Foundation recently developed an infographic (image to the right) that illustrates some of this compelling data.

Recognizing the role of the environment as an impetus for STEM learning, National Environmental Education Week’s 2012 theme is Greening STEM: The Environment as Inspiration for 21st Century Learning. EE Week takes place the week before Earth Day—this year from April 15-21.

The environment is an engaging context for teaching and learning about STEM, providing real-world challenges and hands-on opportunities to apply and reinforce STEM concepts across multiple subject areas. Environmental projects such as designing a rain garden to reduce stormwater runoff or using mobile technology to identify and track invasive plants can inspire students to learn firsthand how STEM skills factor into innovative solutions to local needs.

EE Week, the nation’s largest environmental education event, offers educators environmental resources to build K-12 students’ STEM skills while increasing their knowledge about the environment

Local organizations, like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, plan to participate in EE Week 2012 by connecting area students to the Bay using high-tech water quality testing equipment and collecting data from NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS).  You can conduct similar investigations with your class by sampling the water quality of a local stream and using CBIBS data on National Geographic’s Chesapeake Bay FieldScope webtool!

To celebrate Greening STEM, EE Week offers a set of educator planning toolkits featuring STEM activities and resources focused on popular environmental topics and is offering webinars that help educators utilize cutting-edge technology to conduct a local field investigation or bioblitz within their own schoolyard or nearby nature area. EE Week will also be partnering with Earth Gauge to highlight the role STEM plays in the work meteorologists do across the country.

To participate in or learn more about EE Week, please visit www.eeweek.org.

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.

Celebrate Earth Day All Month Long

April 4th, 2011 by Sarah

Earth Day is a great opportunity to engage children in learning about their environment. Photo courtesy of US FWS via Creative Commons, photographer Rick L. Hansen.

Earth Day was founded by Unites States Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin as a “national teach-in on the environment,” and was first held on April 22, 1970. It became a global event in 1990 with environmentally focused events taking place in 141 countries.  This April, don’t just celebrate Earth Day on the 22nd, make it a month long celebration!  Here are some resources and events to help you get started:

National Environmental Education Week: In 2011, National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the nation’s largest environmental event, will be held from April 10-16.  Here in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed we will be celebrating the 2011 EE Weeks’s focus on Ocean Connections in the nation’s largest estuary!

National Park Week: Celebrate National Parks Week from April 16-24, 2011 in one of our 364 national parks! This year’s focus, Healthy Parks, Healthy People, highlights the connection between human and environmental health and the vital role America’s national parks play in both.

International Year of the Forest: The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Learn more on their website!

US EPA Earth Day Website: This website contains information on how to find and get involved in local Earth Day Activities. It also provides teachers with links to EPA environmentally focused lesson plans

Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools: Use this resource to help your school and school district reduce the amount of waste you generate. This detailed resource will guide you through how to conduct a waste assessment and tell you how to start a waste reduction program or expand an existing one.

The Quest for Less: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-8: The Quest for Less is designed for teachers to use as one of the many tools in the development of lesson plans. The activities and concepts in this resource can be used to commemorate Earth Day through their focus on Natural Resources, Products, Waste, Source Reduction, Recycling, Composting, Landfills and Combustion, and Putting it all Together.

Bay Backpack Teacher Resources: Use our Teacher Resources section to find an activity or lesson plan related to the Chesapeake Bay for your Earth Day event!

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Environmental Education Week Webinar: Teaching Ocean Connections from Watersheds to Reefs

March 21st, 2011 by Sarah Kozicki

Celebrate "Ocean Connections" by participating in a Teacher Webinar to help prepare for National Environmental Education Week! Photo courtesy of Suchana Chavanich/Marine Photobank.

The ocean covers nearly three quarters of our planet’s surface, provides 70 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere and houses about 20 percent of the known species on Earth. It regulates climate and weather and provides food and energy resources for humans worldwide. Water in every stream or river on the planet eventually ends up in the ocean, and all life on Earth is dependent upon its health. More than half of all Americans live within 50 miles of the coast, but whether near or far our lives are inextricably linked to the ocean.

In 2011, National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the nation’s largest environmental event, will be held from April 10-16.  Here in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed we will be celebrating the 2011 EE Weeks’s focus on Ocean Connections in the nation’s largest estuary!

Registered EE Week participants are invited to participate in a free educator webinar hosted by the National Environmental Education Foundation.  The Teaching Ocean Connections: Watersheds to Reefs Webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from and interact with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) experts Rob Ferguson, Paulo Maurin and Cathy Sakas, who will share their knowledge and ideas for compelling classroom activities on watersheds and introduce participants to NOAA’s Rivers to Reefs Program. This webinar should be a great chance to learn about watershed lessons that can be connected back to the Chesapeake Bay and can be used in your own classroom!

Register for 2011 EE Week to participate in this online professional development experience. Registration is free, and registered participants will receive login information via email prior to the webinar.

Click this link to learn more about the Teaching Ocean Connections: Watersheds to Reefs Webinar, and be sure to check out Bay Backpack’s watershed lesson plans for more fun ideas on how to teach about watersheds!

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.

National Environmental Education Week Celebrates Ocean Connections

February 14th, 2011 by Sarah Kozicki

Celebrate "Ocean Connections" as part of National Environmental Education Week, April 10-16, 2011!

Join teachers and students in exploring our Ocean Connections as part of National Environmental Education Week, April 10-16, 2011!

We might have divided it up and given the different areas different names, but there really is only one ocean. And it is the dominant feature of our planet. No matter how far we live from the coast, we are all connected to the ocean, sometimes in nearly invisible ways. For those in the Chesapeake Watershed, this connection is very strong.  In Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, and the District of Columbia, we live a 64,299 square miles drainage basin that flows into the largest estuary in the United States of America: the Chesapeake Bay! 

From the vast network of streams and rivers that make up the major watersheds on Earth (all of which, including the Chesapeake Bay, drain into the ocean) to the ingredients in products we use every day, there is no escaping our dependence on the ocean. The ocean supplies us with food and medicine, cycles our water, generates most of the oxygen we breathe and balances our climate. Recognizing the vital importance of the ocean to all life on Earth, National Environmental Education Week’s 2011 theme is Ocean Connections.

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the nation’s largest environmental education event held each year the week before Earth Day – this year, April 10-16. EE Week inspires environmental learning and stewardship among young people by connecting educators with environmental resources to promote K-12 students’ understanding of the environment. The goal of EE Week is to assist educators in incorporating more high-quality environmental education across the curriculum. In 2010, over 2,000 schools and organizations across the country organized EE Week events. Collectively these organizations reached millions of students with environmentally themed lessons and activities. 

This year, EE Week will celebrate the ocean by offering resources and curricula for teaching about the ocean and oil spills, facts about our ocean connections in English and Spanish, online Ocean Bee quizzes for students (created in partnership with National Ocean Sciences Bowl) and a series of educator webinars. The first Educator Webinar: Teaching about the Gulf Oil Spill will be held Feb. 23, 2011 at 7 p.m. EST. Register for EE Week to participate.

Registration takes only seconds but has many benefits. Registered EE Week participants receive grade-appropriate toolkits for each school day during EE Week, with outstanding lessons and activities on prevalent ocean subtopics created in partnership with Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence.

Learn more about EE Week by visiting  EEWeek.org and register your school or organization to participate and join a national network of educators dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of students.

Do you have a successful environmental education project to tell us about? We’d love to hear about it. Contact EEWeek@neefusa.org and info@baybackpack.com to share your story.

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.