NAAEE Publications

   Excellence in

   Environmental Education —

   Guidelines for Learning (K-12)

Strand 1--
Questioning and Analysis Skills

References to Standards:
Geography 49
Mathematics 248
Science 145
Guidelines:

A) Questioning--Learners are able to develop, focus, and explain questions that help them learn about the environment and do environmental investigations.

Identify environmental questions based on personal experiences both in and outside school, newspaper and magazine articles, television or radio news, or videos.
Summarize an environmental problem or situation to provide context for, or explain the origin of, a particular question. Create visual presentations (such as maps, graphs, or video tapes) and written and oral statements that describe their thinking about the problem.
Pose clear questions and ideas to test (hypotheses), reformulating them when necessary.
Clarify their own beliefs about the environment and discuss how those beliefs are reflected in the questions they ask.

Mathematics 248
Science 145, 148 B) Designing investigations--Learners are able to design environmental investigations to answer particular questions--often their own questions.

Select types of inquiry appropriate to their questions.
Define the scope of their inquiry, identifying the main variables and phenomena to be studied.
Select appropriate systems of measurement and observation.
Select tools that are appropriate for their environmental investigations based on the question asked and the type of information sought.

Arts 47
English Language Arts 27-28, 38-40
Geography 49-50, 144-145
History 67-68
Mathematics 214, 222, 232, 240
Science 145
Social Studies 85-87 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.

Observe systematically, measure accurately, and keep thorough and accurate records, which may include written notes and data tables, sketches, and photographs.
Understand and use various systems of measurement and derived measurements such as rates.
Assess, choose, and synthesize materials from resources such as aerial photographs, topographic maps, and satellite images; library and museum collections, historical documents, and eyewitness accounts; computerized databases and spreadsheets; the internet; and government records.
Collect firsthand information about their own community using field study skills.

History 67-68
Mathematics 248, 256
Science 143, 148 D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability--Learners are able to judge the weaknesses and strengths of the information they are using.

Identify and evaluate vague claims they hear on television or through other media. For example, examine the credibility of results of public opinion polling about environmental topics, considering such factors as sampling methods, logical conclusions, and appropriate analogies.
Identify factors that affect the credibility of information, including assumptions and procedures used to create it; the social, political, and economic context in which the information was created; and potential bias due to omission, suppression, or invention of factual information.
Examine evidence, identify faulty reasoning, and apply other basic logic and reasoning skills in evaluating information sources.Identify gaps in information that indicate a need for further discovery or inquiry.
Evaluate data and evidence for accuracy, relevance, significance, appropriateness, and clarity.

Butterflies After the Hurricane
From: Judi Kohler, Village Pines School
Grade Level: 5th - 6th

Correlating Guidelines:
Strand 1 B, C, E, F
Strand 2.2 A, C

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew left this Florida school with little remaining landscaping. By creating a butterfly garden, one middle school class turned the difficult experience into a rewarding interdisciplinary unit on habitat restoration.

Students used their math skills to measure the garden plot and figure out how many plants could fit into the area. In language arts, they wrote letters seeking help selecting plants, and spelling lessons focused on related vocabulary words. The butterflies inspired haiku and acrostic poems, while illustrating the poems drew upon the students' artistic skills.

In social studies, students researched the places butterflies live, and studied the different cultures found along their migratory routes.

A field trip to a local nature center provided an opportunity to learn from a local expert about the needs of butterflies, and scientific observations unveiled the mysteries of metamorphosis and the life cycle of a butterfly.

Arts 50 English Language Arts 35-36 Geography 50-51, 144-145 Mathematics 222, 248, 274, 280 Science 145	E) Organizing information--Learners are able to classify and order data, and to organize and display information in ways that help analysis and interpretation. Present environmental data in a variety of formats including charts, tables, plots, graphs, maps, and flow charts. For example, chart stream flows, create a map of local businesses that require air quality permits, or organize survey results into a table. Explain why they chose specific ways of ordering and displaying information. Consider factors such as the question being answered, the type of information, and the purpose of the display. Present environmental data in ways that demonstrate possible relationships between sets of information such as population census counts of a certain bird species and the prevalence of certain tree species or habitat types.
Geography 144-145 Mathematics 222, 232 Science 145 Science Benchmarks 286-287	F) Working with models and simulations--Learners understand many of the uses and limitations of models. Describe how models are used to think about long-term processes such as population growth or processes that are difficult to see such as bird migration or the movement of the planets in relationship to the sun. Use models to represent and investigate aspects of the physical world such as weather and specific phenomena such as hurricanes. Manipulate mathematical and physical models using a computer. Evaluate models based on the question being investigated. Account for variables such as the complexity of the model, its scale, its ability to represent important features of the process being modeled, and its reliability and accuracy. Recognize limitations of models and simulations. For example, describe a situation in which a model of an environmental phenomenon is not useful.
English Language Arts 39-40 Geography 51-52 History 68-70 Mathematics 222, 248, 274, 280 Science 145, 148	G) Developing explanations--Learners are able to synthesize their observations and findings into coherent explanations. Distinguish between description and explanation and give examples of each based on their own environmental investigations. Consider the possible relationships among two or more variables. Propose explanations based on what they observed or learned through research, selecting which evidence to use and accounting for discrepancies. Synthesize and interpret information from a range of sources. List strengths and weaknesses of proposed explanations. Discuss how the proposed explanation could be rejected or its reliability improved. Use their proposed explanations to form new questions and suggest new avenues of inquiry.

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	Strand 1-- Questioning and Analysis Skills
References to Standards: Geography 49 Mathematics 248 Science 145	Guidelines: A) Questioning--Learners are able to develop, focus, and explain questions that help them learn about the environment and do environmental investigations. Identify environmental questions based on personal experiences both in and outside school, newspaper and magazine articles, television or radio news, or videos. Summarize an environmental problem or situation to provide context for, or explain the origin of, a particular question. Create visual presentations (such as maps, graphs, or video tapes) and written and oral statements that describe their thinking about the problem. Pose clear questions and ideas to test (hypotheses), reformulating them when necessary. Clarify their own beliefs about the environment and discuss how those beliefs are reflected in the questions they ask.
Mathematics 248 Science 145, 148	B) Designing investigations--Learners are able to design environmental investigations to answer particular questions--often their own questions. Select types of inquiry appropriate to their questions. Define the scope of their inquiry, identifying the main variables and phenomena to be studied. Select appropriate systems of measurement and observation. Select tools that are appropriate for their environmental investigations based on the question asked and the type of information sought.
Arts 47 English Language Arts 27-28, 38-40 Geography 49-50, 144-145 History 67-68 Mathematics 214, 222, 232, 240 Science 145 Social Studies 85-87	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. Observe systematically, measure accurately, and keep thorough and accurate records, which may include written notes and data tables, sketches, and photographs. Understand and use various systems of measurement and derived measurements such as rates. Assess, choose, and synthesize materials from resources such as aerial photographs, topographic maps, and satellite images; library and museum collections, historical documents, and eyewitness accounts; computerized databases and spreadsheets; the internet; and government records. Collect firsthand information about their own community using field study skills.
History 67-68 Mathematics 248, 256 Science 143, 148	D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability--Learners are able to judge the weaknesses and strengths of the information they are using. Identify and evaluate vague claims they hear on television or through other media. For example, examine the credibility of results of public opinion polling about environmental topics, considering such factors as sampling methods, logical conclusions, and appropriate analogies. Identify factors that affect the credibility of information, including assumptions and procedures used to create it; the social, political, and economic context in which the information was created; and potential bias due to omission, suppression, or invention of factual information. Examine evidence, identify faulty reasoning, and apply other basic logic and reasoning skills in evaluating information sources.Identify gaps in information that indicate a need for further discovery or inquiry. Evaluate data and evidence for accuracy, relevance, significance, appropriateness, and clarity.