Earth and Environmental Science

for Elementary Educators

June 22-27 2008 at Brevard College

This workshop will provide elementary educators with classroom lessons, field experiences and laboratory activities that capitalize on the topics in the Earth and Environmental K-5 science curricula.  Teachers will be presented pertinent background information along with tangible methods to introduce these Earth and Environmental concepts to their students.  Emphasis will be placed on using the environment around us as a "living classroom".  Some of the specific topics include soil, rocks and minerals; water and air quality; and weather, along with integrating pertinent ecological issues.

This workshop is eligible for up to four Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits based on forty contact hours and is eligible for criteria I or II credit in the North Carolina Environmental Educators (NCEE) certification program.

Earth and Environmental Science for Elementary Teachers is a week-long workshop that seeks to integrate many of the components that make up the natural environment and subsequently fall under the heading of earth and environmental science.  The specific topics chosen for this workshop are directly in line with the North Carolina Earth and Environmental Science Standard Course of Study and the National Science Education Standards.

Participants will receive a supplemental workshop notebook that provides educational resources, teacher information, lessons and activities that can easily be adapted to each educator's specific classroom needs.

Participants will venture into the nearby Pisgah National Forest and examine first hand the flora, fauna, streams and rocks that provide the southern Appalachian region with such a rich ecological diversity.  Over the course of the five day workshop participants will see the Pisgah National Forest not only as a national forest but as a “living classroom”.

Each day of the workshop is designed to present material that is pertinent to a central topic, such as weather, water and air quality, or soil composition. The daily information will be presented through a variety of instructors, from elementary school teachers, to agency representatives, college professors, and the PFI staff.  Participants will engage in actual classroom lessons, field trips, and other hands-on experiential learning activities to further illuminate the topics and expand on the application of a “living classroom”. 

See photos from our most recent EESe workshop HERE