The Benefits of Environmental Education For Primary School Children
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Authors
Weeks, Katherine
Issue Date
2011
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
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Abstract
Part one elaborates on the benefits of incorporating environmental education into
the United States education system. Over the past several years, Americans have
become increasingly' disconnected from their environment. Today's society has
become so structured and sterile that we no longer experience the outdoors like we
once did. Children have especially been affected, moving their play indoors with
increasing frequ~ncy and suffering from what has to come to be called "nature
deficit disorder." Environmental education offers a solution to this lack of nature in
children's lives. Environmental education is a wide ranging discipline which uses
the natural world as a teaching tool to both learn in and about. An incorporation of
environmental education, specifically including a regular usage of one's local
environment, into the traditional education system can provide a wide variety of
benefits for students, teachers, and communities. The benefits of environmental
education can be seen in education, health, and the establishment of an
environmental ethic. An integrated form of education, as well as the involvement of
hands-on science can excite students and provide a more thorough, accessible
understanding, potentially resulting in decreased dropouts and increased test
scores. In terms of health, environmental education offers the opportunity for
outdoor stimulation as a solution to both childhood obesity and ADDjADHD
symptoms, as well as allow for more thorough development during childhood.
Lastly, environmental education can also improve environmental literacy, and
potentially establish an internalized environmental ethic and a reconceptualization
of nature. Overall, environmental education offers us an ability to reconnect with
,nature and regain all the benefits we experienced in the past.
Part two is a curriculum created for the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in Augusta,
Michigan. The curriculum is intended for use j;)y elementary school teachers
bringing their students to the Sanctuary for field trips. The activities are designed to
enhance the experience of visiting students and create a more ~irect connection
between what is learned at the Sanctuary and what is taught in the classroom. The
activities focus on three main themes: adaptations, food chains, and migration. The
nature of the activities are also such that they may be used in their entirety or
individually. They are purposefully independent so that they may be adapted for
each teacher's need. The intent of the curriculum is to promote environmental
education in the classroom and further develop many of the lessons learned while
out at the Sanctuary.
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U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.