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Environmental Stewardship

Elementary, Middle

Description

“Leave no Trace” is an environmental concept that encourages outdoor enthusiasts to protect the natural world by striving to not leave any evidence of human activity in wilderness areas visited. It's a philosophy this lesson focuses on to teach students how they can become global participants in safeguarding our planet. Learners become environmental citizens as they develop a school stewardship plan by completing the following learning tasks:

 

  • Examine potential human impacts and conservation measures for a national protected area.
  • Investigate litter decomposition rates and create a visual trash timeline.
  • Explore the school and grounds to identify an area that needs stewardship.
  • Create a stewardship project with the goal of presenting a formal school involvement proposal to the principal.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • Brainstorming.
  • Critical thinking.
  • Problem solving.
  • Communication.
  • Community engagement.

Strengths

  • Strong emphasis on action-based environmental stewardship.
  • Encourages teamwork.
  • Clear and organized teacher instructions and instructional timeline.
  • All support materials included.

Weaknesses

  • Does not outline any assessment methods.
  • Does not contain any curriculum links.
  • Emphasizes producing clear and coherent writing pieces which may be difficult for some students.

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This lesson supports science learning outcomes related to ecosystems, habitats, conservation and human impacts on the environment.  The traditional relationships of humans with nature are included in discussions and the entire lesson strengthens global and community citizenship concepts.

The "School Stewardship Plan" creates an opportunity for the class to implement and complete an action project that involves the whole school and local community.  Teachers are encouraged to finish the final phases of the project with their class to clearly demonstrate the role of environmentally engaged youth in protecting our planet.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 4
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring connections strengthens our understandings of relationships to help us make meaning of the world.
        • Matter and Energy Understandings of the physical world are deepened through investigating matter and energy.
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring connections strengthens our understandings of relationships to help us make meaning of the world
    • Grade 5
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Wetland Ecosystems
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Evidence and Investigation
        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions
        • Trees and Forests
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Democracy: Action and Participation: Citizens Participatiing in Decision Making
  • British Columbia
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
  • Manitoba
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Habitat and Communities
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Manitoba, Canada, and the North: Places and Stories: Living in Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
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    • Grade 5
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 5: Living and technological Systems: Learning and Living Sustainably
    • Grade 6
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 6 Wayfinding: Making sense of your world: Scientific Literacy
  • Newfoundland & Labrador
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Habitats
  • Northwest Territories
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Life Systems: Habitats & Communities
        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • The NWT: Our Places, Stories and Traditions: Beginnings and Traditions
    • Grade 5
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      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Our Northern Land and Its People: The North's Resources
  • Nova Scotia
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    • Grade 4
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 4: Habitats
  • Nunavut
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Life Systems: Habitats & Communities
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Provinces and Territories: Our Places, Stories, and Traditions: The Land: Place & People
    • Grade 5
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      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Our Northern Land and Its People: The North's Resources
  • Ontario
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science & Technology
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Life Systems: Habitats and Communities
    • Grade 5
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science & Technology
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Matter and Energy: Properties of and Changes in Matter
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • People and Environments: The Role of Government and Responsble Citizenship
    • Grade 6
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
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    • Grade 4
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Habitats and Communities
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Social Studies 6: Canada & Our Atlantic Neighbours -Resources and Wealth
  • Yukon Territory
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 4
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (2)

  • Community-Building and Participation
  • General Guide to Taking Action

Ecosystems (3)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Habitat Loss
  • Interdependence

Waste Management (1)

  • Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

Each activity includes "Getting Started" and "Getting Engaged" sessions during which students use critical thinking skills to consider how the "Leave no Trace" principles relate to ecological integrity.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

The social and economic benefits of the recreational use of wild areas are balanced against human impacts on environmental health.  Students will expand their understanding of the connections between sustainable lifestyles and community stewardship.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

Students gather information from a variety of sources which supports understanding interconnections in ecosystems and informed analysis, reflection and solution design.

 

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good

Pupils work cooperatively to design a local stewardship project.  It is suggested that the class uses their "School Stewardship Plan" to prepare a formal proposal to the principal that outlines how students can become involved, the project timeline and support required.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

The learning experience develops thoughts about citizenship and fosters student reflection about everyday choices that can help or harm the environment.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

By burying and measuring the decomposition of actual litter items students will discover that responsible behaviour is critical to protecting natural environments.  Exploring outdoor areas from the context of stewardship also develops awareness of the need to care and respect local green spaces.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

The introductory discussions examine the environmental issue from a national perspective with the goal of building a strong connection between learning activities and the local community.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Poor/Not considered
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

The problem-based learning approach strengthens critical thinking skills and guided questioning in the "Getting Engaged" sessions supports analysis and synthesis of new learning.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good

Students explore science concepts surrounding ecosystems, habitats and pollution while considering social studies ideas about citizenship and human relationships with the land.  Pupils also use English language arts skills to prepare organized writing pieces and collect information from a variety of sources.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

The teacher's role is to support rather than direct student discussions and reflection, and facilitate active student involvement in the learning process.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Poor/Not considered

Although differentiation is not explicitly addressed, the action-based activities like taking photos and burying litter items in the "Breaking It All Down" task encourages student involvement from pupils that may struggle with the research and writing components of the lesson.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

Learning by creating their "School Stewardship Plan" inspires students to consider how they can make the community and the world a better place through meaningful environmental action.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

The teamwork approach fosters respectful dialogue and participation.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Poor/Not considered

Assessment strategies are not provided but the worksheets can be used to determine if learning goals are being accomplished.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Satisfactory

Exploring local habitats ensures students appreciate human environmental impacts within their own community.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Poor/Not considered
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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