California's environmental policy starts in kindergarten
Cheri Carlson
Ventura County Star
02/20/2010
VENTURA — In what officials are calling a landmark move, California public schools now have state-approved environmental curriculum for students all the way from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The state Board of Education this year signed off on 76 sections of curriculum — part of California's Education and the Environment Initiative — and they are expected to be available for teachers online in the spring at no charge.
"This is another example of California leading the nation in environmental policy," said Lindsay VanLaningham, deputy director of communications for the California Environmental Protection Agency. The K-12 curriculum is serving as a model, she said, and other states have requested information about California's efforts.
Legislation written by Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, and signed into law in 2003 called for putting environmental education into public schools, and developing the curriculum was a lengthy process with multiple agencies involved, including the California EPA, state Integrated Waste Management Board and the California Department of Education, VanLaningham said.
It includes 85 sections of science and history-social science with academic standards, and the state board signed off on 76 of them at its January meeting. The remaining nine sections are expected to go to the board this spring.
While many schools already have some environmental education, state officials said much of it is considered supplemental because lessons are not focused on state academic standards.
Using the environment as the context, the new curriculum teaches standards required in other subjects, such as social science, officials said. That way, it can better engage students but not create an additional lesson to fit into an already-busy school day.
Some schools or teachers may be doing it already, but the new curriculum will make it easier, officials said.
"I have seen the curriculum and it's absolutely beautiful," said Valerie Chrisman, executive director of curriculum, instruction and continuous improvement for the Ventura County Office of Education. The curriculum ranges from lessons on food production for second-graders to studies on the role of government in economics from an environmental perspective for 12th-graders.
During the past two years, the curriculum was tested in 19 school districts throughout California, including the Albany and New Haven districts in Alameda County. It's expected to be available for free online later this year, VanLaningham said, and state officials are trying to find funding for printing costs and teacher training.
The curriculum is so new that some education officials are not yet aware of it. Louise Barbee, who helps coordinate a summer environmental sciences camp for the Contra Costa County Office of Education, said she had not seen the curriculum, but it sounded interesting.
"It might even be usable for our summer camps and could strengthen what the kids are learning in school," she said. "I'll look forward to reviewing it when it becomes available."
Vince Rosato, a fourth-grade teacher at Searles Elementary in Union City, piloted the curriculum in his class two years ago. He said he was impressed by lessons that taught about ecosystems and the economy.
"The great thing about this is not only is it aligned to state standards, but it allows for firsthand experiences for kids who live in the cities to learn about where their food comes from," said the New Haven school district educator. "It incorporated all the things a good teacher wants to use in the classroom."
His students have continued to be more environmentally conscious since he presented the lessons, he said. They recycle, garden, compost with worms and recently raised money for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
"They extended their knowledge and their understanding of these processes that connect what we eat and how we grow it," he said. "They extended it for the benefit of the community."
Rosato also helped edit some lessons about the watershed and how water gets to farms. Other lessons explained the main food staples in different areas of the state and showed why California is suitable for them, he said.
The curriculum, he said, also includes lessons on storm drains, water treatment, where Native Americans lived, what they ate and how the Port of Oakland helps with the dissemination of food.
Students especially liked a lesson about food webs and food chains that included a card game with pictures, Rosato said. Students built food chains using the cards, starting with producers such as grass and grains and ending with consumers such as bugs, birds and animals.
