Presentations and Handouts from the 2009 MAEE Conference

As a service to our MAEE members, several of the 2009 Conference Presenters have agreed to post their handouts and PowerPoint presentations on our web page. We hope these resources will serve as a valuable resource in your work.

Full Circle Superior
Full Circle Superior is a walk around a lake by two people in their sixties who love both adventure and nature. Mike Link and Kate Crowley will connect schools and students to Lake Superior, fresh water and expedition planning through project based learning and a 2010 expedition.Check the website for a classroom project around this expedition.

Visit their web page to learn more and participate in the program:
http://www.fullcirclesuperior.org

Grandparents: Bridging generations and connecting with nature
Kate Crowley and Mike Link were Keynoters for the MAEE 2009 state conference. Their message was simple. Grandparents represent the great untapped resource in education. Their numbers, their experiences, and their time can contribute to the education of our youth and is one answer to Richard Louv's questions in his book Last Child in the Woods. Let the Earth Day generation unplug this generation and connect them to the outdoor world.

Visit the web page to learn more about grandparents and nature:
http://www.grandparentsamericanstyle.com

Using Findings, Foundation, and Framework to Build Success
In the ever-changing worlds of environmental and sustainability education, having the right footing to build your EE makes life a whole lot easier. The 3rd MN Report Card on Environmental Literacy, the GreenPrint and the Environmental Literacy Scope and Sequence are guiding documents that can help support and strengthen your efforts.

Online links to the documents:
GreenPrint: www.mnseek.net/greenprint
3rd MN Report Card on Environmental Literacy: www.mnseek.net/reportcard
Environmental Literacy Scope and Sequence: www.mnseek.net/scope.

The Third Report Card on Environmental Literacy
As Minnesotans, we continue to study environmental issues such as water quality, air quality, energy and climate change to name a few. What knowledge and skills do we need to be able to face and solve these issues? This MN Report Card on Environmental Literacy documents the results of the third statewide survey concerning environmental literacy of MN adults in 2007.

3rd MN Report Card on Environmental Literacy web page link: www.mnseek.net/reportcard

Jumpstart your EE program!
Discover how you can use your local national wildlife refuge as your own outdoor classroom and training resource! As a Partner Teacher, refuge staff can show you how to lead your class on free fieldtrips, using refuge curriculum and field equipment, to integrate environmental education across your curriculum!

Koenig and Trapp Session: Koenig, Trapp; Mn Valley NWR Resource Center.pdf

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge NatureWise: Forest Exploration Series: FREE Summer Field Biology MN Valley NWR NatureWise Free Training Flyer.pdf

In A Nutshell. FREE Summer Field Biology For Elementary Teachers, Tree ID session Aug 11: MN Valley NWR In A Nutshell Tchr Training.pdf

Project WILD Training, Aug 18 at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge flyer: MN Valley NWR PWILD Training.pdf

Support for Outdoor Classroom Leaders
Whether you're an EE novice or veteran, you know that your teaching depends on getting the right help. The MN Dept. of Natural Resources is one of those helpers! And every year, its resources and programs continue to develop. In this session, you can learn how to enroll in the School Forest Program (Minnesota's program for outdoor classrooms), find a local DNR professional to help you with your site, where to find research that supports children's learning in the outdoors.

Duffey, DNR Session- How do I start using the outdoor classroom.pdf

Duffey, How the MDNR Supports Teachers.pdf

Environmental Service Learning: Ideas
Learn about current models and definitions of environmental service learning, as well as practical tools to help you in plan an environmental service learning project

Presentation in pdf format: Pokorney, Environmental Service Learning.pdf

Environmental Service Learning Definitions Handout in pdf format: Pokorney, Environmental Service Learning Definitions.pdf

Green & Healthy School Pilot Results
Re-building and rethinking our world. Building Green Teams in our schools and neighborhoods that identify projects that build intergenerational involvement. By working with school districts, faith communities, local businesses and governments participants with be empowered to take actions to move our culture to a future of clean energy, green jobs, healthy people and leaders that listen to what we have to say. We will use the techniques from the Community Earth Council process to connect, communicate and have compassion for each other and the challenges and opportunities before you.

Presentation in pdf format: Countryman, Greening Schools Project.pdf

Sustainable Consumption
Consumption is central to the environmental impacts of humanity. The focus of this presentation is an academic unit, designed from the environmental education paradigm to enable willing fifth-grade teachers to effectively teach their students to consider the environment and sustainability in their consumer choices, particularly yet not exclusively in the realm of food selection.

presentation coming soon

Homeschool Children
Is there a link between the homeschool atmosphere and fostering responsibility and respect for life? And how can environmental educators help make that connection? This presentation discusses the connection between homeschool students' environmental attitudes and how that relates to animals and environmental education with the use of contact

PowerPoint presentation in pdf format: Larsen, Homeschool, The Animal Connection.pdf

New MN Elementary School Science Standards

Items highlighted in yellow are standards/benchmarks where an outdoor classroom is the best teaching option. Items in green are standards/benchmarks where an outdoor classroom is required. Thanks to Cara Reickenberg, Environmental Education Coordinator, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools for developing this resource.

Note: this is a resource developed for the use of the Prior Lake-Savage School District and does not reflect the input, needs or programs of other schools.
Prior Lake - Savage Public School Elementary Science Standards: academic standards.pdf

Field Desk Pattern
Pattern for a handy field desk. This tool will make outdoor learning, journaling and note-taking easier for your students.

Project Learning Tree, Fied Desk Pattern.pdf

Intergrating Nature Into Your Classroom
Including nature into your classroom does not mean skipping other subjects! Get tips from a teacher who takes students out everyday, while covering core subjects such as language arts and science.

Presentation PowerPoint in pdf format: Ellis, Intergrating nature into every day curriculum.pdf

Outdoor Classroom: What? Why? How?
What distinguishes an Outdoor Classroom? Why is this designated area important? How do you set up an outdoor classroom? What resources do you need to make it work and last? Gather ideas and resources to establish or advance your school's outdoor classroom.

Outdoor Classroom Handout: Kerber, Rieckenberg, Outdoor-Classroom-Handout.pdf

Outdoor Classroom, pdf file of PowerPoint presentation: Kerber, Rieckenberg, Outdoor-Classroom-PowerPoint.pdf