Environmental education
Environmental education is the responsibility of the whole school community. It is more than a curriculum issue and involves schools in managing resources and grounds in a way that causes no significant damage to the environment and considers the needs of future generations.
| Environmental education policy for schools |
This policy is based on the principles of ecologically sustainable development endorsed by the New South Wales Government and reflects the findings of the New South Wales Council on Environmental Education.
The adoption of the policy is mandatory for all government schools from Kindergarten to Year 12.
The policy comprises 3 main areas of implementation:
- Curriculum
- Management of resources
- Management of school grounds.
Schools are asked to develop their own environmental management plans using these three areas of implementation. A support document accompanies the policy along with a Training and Development package for school teaching staffs.
It was the scientists who were one of the first to consider the environment as a priority study area and contribute to the development of environmental education itself. Individual student research projects in Science, Stages 4 and 5 could include:
- surveying animals in a local ecosystem and observe how numbers change over time
- testing water quality in a local creek. Suggest reasons for current quality and strategies to improve quality
- Investigating the effectiveness of recycling programs
- Investigating how abiotic features of an environment can vary over an area eg. a steep slope
- Designing an experiment to monitor the response of plants to changes in temperature
- Investigating the efficiency of generating electricity form renewable and non-renewable resources
- Investigating the distribution of lichen in relation to pollution levels
- Investigating the effectiveness of energy efficient products
- Researching and designing an energy efficient house
Classroom and school-based activities could include:
- Landcare programs
- Participation in Streamwatch in conjunction with the local Catchment Management Trust; monitor the water quality of the local creek
- Research and understand the meaning of a catchment and its management, implement a management plan for the school and local area
- Greenhouse Progam involving the collection and recording of energy usage by the school, followed by suggestions on how to save energy
- The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme which encourages students to participate. This program develops leadership and an awareness of the environment
- Exhibits which encourage students to put together displays of their environmental programs at local shows, fairs, P&C meetings and festivals
- Excursions and incursions which can be organised in conjunction with local councils, businesses, local interest groups and mining companies in the context of how they are contributing to a sustainable environment. Career opportunities can be addressed also.
More examples and ideas for Science can be found in the document supporting the Environmental Education Policy for Schools.
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