NAAEE Publications

   Excellence in

   Environmental Education —

   Guidelines for Learning (K-12)

STRAND 1 -
Questioning and Analysis Skills FOURTH GRADE EIGHTH GRADE TWELFTH GRADE

A) Questioning - Learners are able to develop questions that help them learn about the environment and do simple investigations. A) Questioning - Learners are able to develop, focus, and explain questions that help them learn about the environment and do environmental investigations. A) Questioning - Learners are able to develop, modify, clarify, and explain questions that guide environmental investigations of various types. They understand factors that influence the questions they pose.

B) Designing investigations - Learners are able to design simple investigations. B) Designing investigations - Learners are able to design environmental investigations to answer particular questions – often their own questions. B) Designing investigations - Learners know how to design investigations to answer particular questions about the environment. They are able to develop approaches for investigating unfamiliar types of problems and phenomena.

C) Collecting information - Learners are able to locate and collect information about the environment and environmental topics. C) Collecting information - Learners are able to locate and collect reliable information about the environment or environmental topics using a variety of methods and sources. C) Collecting information - Learners are able to locate and collect reliable information for environmental investigations of many types. They know how to use sophisticated technology to collect information, including computer programs that access, gather, store, and display data.

D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability - Learners understand the need to use reliable information to answer their questions. They are familiar with some basic factors to consider in judging the merits of information. D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability - Learners are able to judge the weaknesses and strengths of the information they are using. D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability - Learners can apply basic logic and reasoning skills to evaluate completeness and reliability in a variety of information sources.

E) Organizing information - Learners are able to describe data and organize information to search for relationships and patterns concerning the environment and environmental topics. E) Organizing information - Learners are able to classify and order data, and to organize and display information in ways that help analysis and interpretation. E) Organizing information - Learners are able to organize and display information in ways appropriate to different types of environmental investigations and purposes.

F) Working with models and simulations - Learners understand that relationships, patterns, and processes can be represented by models. F) Working with models and simulations - Learners understand many of the uses and limitations of models. F) Working with models and simulations - Learners are able to create, use, and evaluate models to understand environmental phenomena.

G) Developing explanations - Learners can develop simple explanations that address their questions about the environment. G) Developing explanations - Learners are able to synthesize their observations and findings into coherent explanations. G) Developing explanations - Learners are able to use evidence and logic in developing proposed explanations that address their initial questions and hypotheses.

STRAND 1 - Questioning and Analysis Skills	FOURTH GRADE	EIGHTH GRADE	TWELFTH GRADE
	A) Questioning - Learners are able to develop questions that help them learn about the environment and do simple investigations.	A) Questioning - Learners are able to develop, focus, and explain questions that help them learn about the environment and do environmental investigations.	A) Questioning - Learners are able to develop, modify, clarify, and explain questions that guide environmental investigations of various types. They understand factors that influence the questions they pose.
B) Designing investigations - Learners are able to design simple investigations.	B) Designing investigations - Learners are able to design environmental investigations to answer particular questions – often their own questions.	B) Designing investigations - Learners know how to design investigations to answer particular questions about the environment. They are able to develop approaches for investigating unfamiliar types of problems and phenomena.
C) Collecting information - Learners are able to locate and collect information about the environment and environmental topics.	C) Collecting information - Learners are able to locate and collect reliable information about the environment or environmental topics using a variety of methods and sources.	C) Collecting information - Learners are able to locate and collect reliable information for environmental investigations of many types. They know how to use sophisticated technology to collect information, including computer programs that access, gather, store, and display data.
D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability - Learners understand the need to use reliable information to answer their questions. They are familiar with some basic factors to consider in judging the merits of information.	D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability - Learners are able to judge the weaknesses and strengths of the information they are using.	D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability - Learners can apply basic logic and reasoning skills to evaluate completeness and reliability in a variety of information sources.
E) Organizing information - Learners are able to describe data and organize information to search for relationships and patterns concerning the environment and environmental topics.	E) Organizing information - Learners are able to classify and order data, and to organize and display information in ways that help analysis and interpretation.	E) Organizing information - Learners are able to organize and display information in ways appropriate to different types of environmental investigations and purposes.
F) Working with models and simulations - Learners understand that relationships, patterns, and processes can be represented by models.	F) Working with models and simulations - Learners understand many of the uses and limitations of models.	F) Working with models and simulations - Learners are able to create, use, and evaluate models to understand environmental phenomena.
G) Developing explanations - Learners can develop simple explanations that address their questions about the environment.	G) Developing explanations - Learners are able to synthesize their observations and findings into coherent explanations.	G) Developing explanations - Learners are able to use evidence and logic in developing proposed explanations that address their initial questions and hypotheses.

Excellence in Environmental Education - Guidelines for Learning (K-12) Executive Summary & Self Assessment Tool

Strand 2