| PLEASE NOTE: For more detailed information about the guidelines briefly listed below, see pages 10-28 of Excellence in Environmental Education - Guidelines for Learning (K-12) produced by the North American Association for Environmental Education. |
| Check the appropriate column to indicate the degree to which your program(s) address each item.
Our program provides K-4 learners with educational experiences so that by the time they finish 4th grade they are able to. . . |
Yes - fully addressed |
Partly addressed |
No - not addressed |
Strand 1 - Questioning and Analysis Skills |
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| A. Generate and develop questions that are appropriate for initiating inquiry. |
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| B. Design simple investigations. |
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| C. Locate and collect information about the environment and environmental topics from a variety of sources. |
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| D. Understand the need to use reliable information; explain some of the factors to consider in judging the merits of the information they are using. |
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| E. Describe data and organize information to show relationships and patterns. |
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| F. Work with models and simulations, using them to describe relationships, patterns, and processes. |
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| G. Describe their observations and develop simple explanations. |
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Strand 2 - Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems |
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2.1 - The Earth as a Physical System |
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| A. Identify and explain changes and differences in the physical environment. |
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| B. Identify and describe basic characteristics of and changes in matter. |
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| C. Describe the basic sources and uses of some different forms of energy (light, heat, etc.). |
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2.2 - The Living Environment |
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| A. Identify similarities and differences among a wide variety of living organisms; describe organisms' basic needs, habitats, and ways organisms meet their needs in different habitats. |
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| B. Explain that both plants and animals have different characteristics and that many of the characteristics are inherited from their parents. |
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| C. Explain basic ways in which organisms are related to their environments and to other organisms. |
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| D. Explain that living things need some source of "energy" to live and grow and that matter is recycled – e.g., through life, growth, death, and decay. |
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2.3 - Humans and Their Societies |
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| A. Identify ways that people act as individuals and as group members, and give examples of ways groups influence individual actions. |
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| B. Give examples of how experiences and places may be interpreted differently by people with different cultural backgrounds, at different times, or with other frames of reference. |
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| C. Describe government and economic systems that exist because people living together in groups need ways to do things (such as provide for needs and wants, maintain order, and manage conflict). |
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| D. Understand how people are connected at many levels – including the global level – by actions and common responsibilities that concern the environment. |
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| E. Recognize that change is a normal part of individual and societal life and that conflict is rooted in different points of view. |
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2.4 - Environment and Society |
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| A. Identify ways people depend on, change, and are affected by the environment. |
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| B. Describe ways places differ in their physical and human characteristics. |
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| C. Demonstrate an understanding of "resources" and describe various sources and origins of resources they use in their lives. |
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| D. Understand that technology is an integral part of human existence and culture. |
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| E. Identify and describe a range of local environmental issues and understand that people in other places also experience environmental issues. |
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Strand 3 - Skills for Understanding and Addressing
Environmental Issues |
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3.1 - Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues |
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| A. Identify and investigate local environmental issues. |
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| B. Speculate about and explore the social, economic, and environmental consequences of issues and proposed solutions to them. |
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| C. Identify and evaluate alternative approaches to resolving issues. |
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| D. Discuss and critique ideas representing different perspectives; hear and respect viewpoints that differ from their own. |
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3.2 - Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills |
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| A. Examine and express their own views on environmental issues. |
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| B. Consider whether they believe action is needed in particular situations and whether they think they should be involved. |
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| C. Learn the basics of individual and collective action, by participating in close-to-home issues of their choosing. |
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| D. Evaluate the results of actions, understanding that civic actions have consequences. |
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Strand 4 - Personal and Civic Responsibility |
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| A. Identify the fundamental principles of U.S. society and explain their importance in the context of environmental issues. |
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| B. Understand the basic rights and responsibilities of citizenship. |
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| C. Possess a realistic self-confidence in their effectiveness as citizens. |
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| D. Understand that they have responsibility for the effects of their actions. |
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