Environmental Literacy Curricular Resources
Below is a list of curricular resources teachers may want to use to foster environmental literacy with their students.
PLT’s instructional materials for early childhood through grade 12 can be used with students in formal school settings and with youth in non-formal settings. Our hands-on activities make teaching and learning fun. They connect children to nature, engage students in learning, improve student achievement, and grow 21st century skills – including the ability to think critically and solve problems.
Contact your STEAM TOSA for access to these materials.
The CA Science Framework highlights that a Key Instructional Shift for the CA NGSS is instruction that is “Relevant to local communities and student interests. Content and skills build on students’ existing experience to learn about and solve real-world problems.”(Chapter 1, Page 8). This relevant context allows all students to have a common foundation to construct science knowledge upon. Science experts and local environmental educators in California are supporting teachers to connect their classroom instruction to the environmental phenomena in the region.
The benefits of outdoor education are extensive and well-documented. Learning outdoors improves academic performance, health, and childhood development. It can also instill a sense of civic responsibility and empathy and build ties within the community. Finally, getting outside is fun! Students who venture outside during class time cherish these opportunities and remember this part of their education fondly. We’ve put together a compilation of fun and educational ideas for you to get your students into the fresh air.