Environmental Education for Children: Going Beyond the Hype
An opportunity to present and share ideas, discuss and debate issues and network with people and organizations.
June 5 and 6, 2008
Sponsored by the Applera Corporation, with additional support from the Wheelock College Math/Science Education Initiative, the Colleges of the Fenway Environmental Science Program, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
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Date: June 5 and 6, 2008
Location:
Wheelock College (Brookline Campus)
43 Hawes St.
Brookline, MA - For more information, please contact Cathy Clemens, Math/Science Education Center Manager, at cclemens@wheelock.edu or Karen Worth, Elementary Math/Science Instructor, at kworth@wheelock.edu.
Environmental issues are filling the media as more and more concerns are raised about our impact on the environment and the destruction of our natural resources. Often these issues are presented to the public from political, economic and emotional perspectives, without serious discussion of the science behind them. The environment is also in the news because of a concern that children are spending less time outdoors, affecting their physical and emotional health as well as their appreciation for the natural environment.
This conference is focused on environmental science for children in early childhood and elementary classrooms. The speakers and the workshop leaders will go “beyond the hype.” Rather than dwelling on actions to take, such as recycling and saving endangered species, speakers and workshop leaders will focus on basic science concepts children can explore and experiences educators can provide to begin to build a foundation of understanding and appreciation for future action and decision-making.
The conference will begin with a late afternoon session of speakers and panels on environmental education and the public. The following day, three sessions of concurrent workshops will give participants the opportunity to explore the science of the environment with local scientists and learn about inquiry based projects from teams of teachers and informal educators who have developed innovative ways to engage their students with indoor and outdoor study of their local environments.
PDPs available
Registrants will receive complimentary education materials including an environmental education book. Lunch is also provided in the registration fee.
As well as breakfast and lunch, your choice of ONE of the following outdoor education books is provided in the registration fee.
- Outdoor Inquiries
Taking Science Investigations Outside the Classroom
By Patricia McGlashan, Kristen Gasser, Peter Dow, David Hartney and Bill Rogers
- Childhood and Nature
Design Principles for Educators
By David Sobel
In addition, the first 50 registrants will receive a copy of
- Ready, Set, Science! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms
By Sarah Michaels, Andrew W. Shouse, Heidi A. Schweingruber
(with paid registration fee)
