Classrooms and Curriculum

School districts can provide opportunities for teachers and students to engage in "awareness to action" discussions and learning programs. As school buildings and grounds demonstrate sustainable practices, teachers need the necessary tools to involve students in understanding the reason behind the change and how it impacts the natural and social world they live in.

School Districts like State College, Manheim Township, Lower Merion and Great Valley are examples of those who have made improvements in gardens, wetlands, composting, and food service-and incorporated those into the lesson plans and curriculum.

The resources available to help meet the challenges facing districts, teachers and students are available through this web site. Many agencies, organizations and companies have come together to provide a place where one-stop shopping can provide you with materials. The goal is to make sure good programs can be shared and lesson learned can help move experiences in the right direction.

Find Out More: Visit the The Environment and Ecology Standards and Environment and Ecology Education  web sites.

The Environment and Ecology Standards are grounded in the complexity of the world we live in and its sustainability. Through the five major standard categories of environment and ecology, a systems approach has been taken along with opportunities for hands-on, place-based learning to occur. The Environment and Ecology include the study of watersheds, sustainable systems and practices, ecosystems and their interactions, agriculture and society and humans and the environment. Allowing students to understand, through a sound academic content, how their ever day lives revolve around their use of the natural resources, the resources it provides and the laws that influence it.

Web Resources:

Featured Case Study:

IConserve Pennsylvania - Conservation tips, ideas and information to help children and adults understand how they can help protect our natural resources. State Parks Programs and Service - From school programs, to teacher workshops, to hands-on outdoor discoveries, our state parks system is full of learning opportunities for teachers and students. School of Rock - Explore Pennsylvania’s rich natural history, abundant mineral resources, and varied landscape in an awesome geoscience classroom Earth Day 40 - Learn more about what actions you can take in your everyday life that were part of the Earth Day 40 Challenge or learn about the amazing schools that participated in the ED40 Schools Challenge and their projects by clicking on the Schools button.

Name of School District:   Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living, a non-profit educational farm focuses on educating students, teachers, and families in Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, and Jefferson counties on sustainable lifestyle techniques related to energy, gardening, nutrition, building, and physical fitness.  Name of Project:  Quiet Creek Herb Farm:  Hybrid Renewable Energy System Read Full Case Study

Additional Curriculum Resources
"Green" Lesson Plans