How do I Integrate EE into the Curriculum?

In order to achieve environmental literacy in Colorado, environmental education needs to be integrated into all aspects of students’ learning experience. Environmental literacy is a part of Colorado’s Academic Standards, and a tool that can be used to teach concepts and skills across disciplines.

Curriculum is the foundation of student learning. If curricula are designed with environmental education in mind students will experience increased engagement with environmental education.

What are the key ideas to integrate into curricula?

Schools and districts should infuse environmental education into the curriculum and engage students in environmental education experiences, to ensure that upon graduation from 12^th grade; environmentally literate students in Colorado are able to (These ideas were informed by the Project for Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning PreK-12, created by the North American Association for Environmental Education):

• Connect content across disciplines related to natural and human systems
• Understand the connections between people and places and the interrelationships between humans and the environment
• Demonstrate processes and skills including critical thinking, inquiry and issue investigation
• Participate in proactive decision-making in their community and school

The knowledge and skills that make up these ideas are an integral part of Colorado’s State Academic Standards. They can be both integrated into existing courses or units of study or inserted as a new course or unit of study depending on school or district needs.

What steps can I take?

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		We are all part of the plan for Environmental Literacy! Click one of the groups below to find action steps you can take to help integrate environmental education into the curriculum in Colorado schools.
		Educators	Schools
		Districts	Higher Education: Coming Soon
		Community Orgs and Agencies

What Resources are Available?

Curriculum Planning Resources

• Project for Excellence in Environmental Education Materials Guidelines
• Project for Excellence in Environmental Education Prek-12 Learner Guidelines and Self Assessment
• Curriculum and Standards Planning Template
• 21^st Century Skills in Environmental Education
• CAEE’s online course in Designing Environmental Issues Investigations
• Learn and Serve Colorado Service Learning Toolkit

Standards-Based Resources from the Colorado Department of Education

• Colorado Environmental Literacy Standards Indentified by CDE
• CDE’s Online Searchable Colorado Academic Standards
• CDE’s Content Connections Tools:  Making Connections across Content Areas
• CDE’s Vertical Progressions

Ready to Use Curricula and lessons

• Search CAEE’s Environmental Education Directory
• EPA’s Teacher Resources 
• Project Food, Land & People
• Project Learning Tree
• Project Wet
• Project WILD
• Promise of Place Curriculum and Planning Tools for Place Based Education