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Office of Environmental Education
All of North Carolina's EE Resources in One
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The North Carolina Environmental Education Plan
1.5: Characteristics of Environmental Understanding |
Strategies to implement environmental education in formal or non-formal settings contain certain essential characteristics. These characteristics also describe an environmentally aware and prepared citizenry. First among these are knowledge and skills in the key areas of ecology, civics, social studies, mathematics, technology and science. With basic knowledge and skills in place, the commitment to individual and corporate responsibilities for each other and the environment can develop. Finally, environmental stewardship depends upon the ability to resolve conflicting interests, make decisions and take action.
A course of preparation for environmental stewardship appropriate for any age includes learning in the natural and social sciences and the humanities. Hands-on experiences are the best way for students to build understanding of the complex world around them and their place in it. These include energy, minerals, land, soil, water, atmosphere, aquatic and terrestrial plant and animal communities, weather, climate, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, evolution, extinction, food webs, habitats and populations. These investigations must have humans and their interactions with natural systems as part of the exercise and must not be taught as separate components. This emphasis will bring into focus questions about population, technology, renewable natural resources, nonrenewable natural resources, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, construction, communication, education, government action and community stewardship. |
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