Literature Review on Curriculum for Environmental Studies



Environmental Education Group

A Review of Literature on Environmental Education

Group Members:

Emily Abbott

Shannon Howard

Claire Johnson

Evita Quiroz

Jody Williams

Christian Windsor

Applications to Sustainable Development

Dr. Jay Ashman

February 26, 2008

Environmental Education

A Review of Literature

Implementing a solid curriculum containing a new approach to environmental education and learning in primary schools can only create nothing more than a successful educational program for both teachers and students. Thus, having environmental education in the curriculum generates one of the best methods that students can use as it accounts for a wide variety of key learning components that is beneficial in his/her path to a sustainable future.

When environmental education is incorporated into the school curriculum, students:

• learn about the environment

• develop skills to investigate and solve issues in the environment

• acquire attitudes of care and concern for the environment

• adopt behaviors and practices which protect the environment, and

• understand the principles of ecologically sustainable development

Based on the website, Environmental Education is best utilized when every student uses a wide variety of key learning components in his/her path to a sustainable future. This means that environmental education can have a very positive impact if students are to learn in the classroom, work in the field and collaborate together in possible sustainable projects. Students are to be engaged systematically and academically to truly know the significance and disciplines of learning about the environment. In addition, a student’s active participation in the field of observation and tactical undertaking of projects can inspire students to achieve core values and skills in the environmental education program. Problem solving and critical thinking may also be two important resources whereby teachers and students can partake in open discussion about a student’s view of the environment.

Environmental education can be implemented either as a primary or secondary curriculum. The primary curriculum means that environmental education will be a subject core on its own and will be a more in-depth learning experience for students. On the other hand, environmental education as a secondary curriculum refers to the program becoming and integrating in the general field of science. In other words, the science course will contain the environmental study and program. The two options are regarded as a “stepping stone” for the development of the environmental commitment to young students through learning and projects. The number one choice will be based on the school’s capabilities and resources to efficiently implement the program. Essentially, there is also a cross-curricular approach to environmental studies, other main subject areas are vital to make the E.E. program more successful. This means that subjects like Creative Arts, Literacy, and Information Technology are important partnership cores to environmental education. (New South Wales Department of Education and Learning, 2007).

History of Environmental Education

The history of environmental education in Belize is very shallow. There is little to no programming within primary schools that focuses on environmental education. Most EE programs, curriculum, or opportunities exist through field schools, research stations, and privately owned sectors such as the Belize Zoo and protected natural areas. Much of the EE programming is geared to higher ages and education levels. Watershed, conservation, and stewardship are a few of the areas that are focused on. In Belize, much of the environmental education goes hand in hand with tourism. The education occurs “on-site” of a particular location where the visitors will be educated about the particular area including bird-watching and nature trails activities. (Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education, 2008)

BFREE is the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education located in the Toledo District. The 1153 acres encompasses the Bladen Nature Reserve where short or long-term research and education programs as well as internship opportunies are offered. BFREE triples as a rainforest field camp, research station, and conservation center. Specific to our project, BFREE has a ‘Tropical Watershed Ecology’ program. The goals of the program are clearly laid out:

“1. To teach students about tropical ecology. Students will learn how different aspects of landscapes (geology, climate, hydrology, soils, forests, and fauna) interact to comprise a tropical ecosystem.

2. To encourage students to evaluate the role humans play in ecosystems.

Banana plantations, aquaculture ponds, etc. will be visited to give students a first-hand perspective on development in Belize.

3. To expose students to new cultural environments. Students have the opportunity to live in local villages, including Maya subsistence farming villages and a Creole fishing village.”

The watershed course is designed for a time period of at least two weeks and for as many as fifteen weeks. It may be possible to contact them for potential ideas or activities that we may be able to incorporate into our own curriculum. On site, they also have a large community, organic garden. Within this garden they grow vegetables, medicinal plants, fruits, and hardwood trees. (BFREE, 2008)

Another tourist destination that also has an education program is the Belize Zoo. They have sectors focusing on research, conservation, as well as education. A wonderful attribute of the Belize Zoo is that all of the animals within the zoo are found in Belize! Also none of the animals are taken from the wild; they are given by other zoos, orphaned, rehabilitated, or born at the zoo. The zoo has both teacher’s workshops as well as on-site education programs. The goals of the education department which was started in 1986 are outlined on the website:

1. To heighten awareness and increase appreciation of the natural world.

2. To promote the recognition and understanding of Belize’s unique ecosystems and diverse wildlife.

3. To instill sound knowledge, positive attitudes and valuable skills that will aid in the preservation of Belize’s natural resources.”

The Zoo’s on-site education program caters to primary schools focusing on adaptation, wild-life, and conservation depending on grade level. They have recently developed a Wetland program for high school levels. On the zoo website, it says that four environmental education manuals were developed by the Belize Ministry of Education, The Belize Zoo, and Peace Corps. If we contact the zoo, perhaps they could provide us with instructions on how to obtain one or all of these manuals in the development of our own curriculum and teaching our program. To receive these manuals, it may be necessary to attend one of these workshops which are offered during the summer. (Naturalight Productions Ltd, 2008)

Examples of Environmental Education Learning:

Children’s learning in Science and Mathematics

In this article, the focus in the study of learning is being given to the learner’s activity; both mental and physical. According to this article, the emphasis in science education is on “learning by doing”. Learning depends upon what is learned, in what contexts and with what motivation. The recognition of the role of the activity of the learner led to the notion of learning by discovery. Also there exists the desire to give pupils the excitement of finding things out for themselves. It was extremely difficult for pupils to arrive at accepted generalizations through their own observations, so the concept of ‘guided discovery’ was introduced, giving the teacher a role in structuring the learning situation. Particular value was placed on problem solving, using realistic and relevant problems. Realistic means realistic to pupils. In other words, it is not just daily life, but play and imagination are also realistic for children. Realistic situations and contexts are essential conditions for the learning of Science because applications are met, learned and practiced from the very beginning. But it was realized that ‘activity’ is not necessarily accompanied by learning. To solve this problem, students create their own learning activities starting from a relevant problem.

According to the article, children bring to their new experiences, existing ideas formed as a result of earlier experiences and their own ways of reasoning. These ideas make sense to the children, often more than the accepted scientific views of things. The recognition of the existence and nature of children’s own ideas led to the realization that it was frequently ineffective simply to attempt to teach the ‘right’ concepts. Attention then turned to different ways of teaching which took account of existing ideas. An early and still popular strategy of teaching is to introduce an event or phenomenon which is conflicting with the pupils’ view so as to cause an adjustment in thinking. At the primary level, it is important to take children’s ideas seriously.

Together with knowledge and skills in the field of science, pupils acquire a specific attitude towards activity, which is identifying, tackling and solving problems. It is this attitude that supports continuous learning, even in situations outside the classroom.

Science brings worthwhile knowledge and skills if it becomes an integral part of an individual’s ‘common sense’. By common sense we mean the approach which makes sense to the individual and which s/he uses to tackle problems in daily life. It seems to be evident that in science ‘learning by doing’ needs teacher’s support and intervention. This will involve children in using some or all of the process skills of science: observing, hypothesizing, predicting, discussing etc. It is an important strategy which can, and should, be used often.

We believe this article will be useful to our group because we want to help children in stimulating their minds about thinking scientifically, to identify problems and to figure out ways in which to tackle these problems. Environmental education is very important in Belize and preparing people from they are young will defiantly benefit our country in the long run. (Harlen, W. 1993)

Environmental education in Mexican schools: the primary level.

Mexico has recognized the importance of incorporating environmental education into their curricula, allowing students to accumulate knowledge in ways other than traditional methods. The curriculum focused on the wealth of natural resources, biological diversity, unequal development, and population. The curriculum was developed in order to help students acquire the skills necessary to have a responsible relationship with the environment. Students were encouraged to observe, question, and formulate answers surrounding the lessons in order to gain skills. The goals of the curriculum were to relate the knowledge to the natural world and practice, associate scientific knowledge with its implications in technical ways, bring attention to conservation and health of the environment, and encourage a healthy relationship between the student and the environment through the use of all subjects (Math, Spanish, Geography, History, etc).

The subjects generally covered were living beings, human body and health, environment and environmental protection, raw material, energy, and change, and science, technology and society. The curriculum brings attention to humans as a part of nature rather than apart from nature, and encourages students to question and problem solve around the environment and human behaviors. In particular, information was given surrounding the environmental problems facing Mexico today: primary problems-erosion from natural causes, pollution, and extinction of species caused by socioeconomic factors, especially poverty and lack of education. Secondary problems also exists (caused by socioeconomic issues)- loss of ecosystems, deforestation, lack of water, population growth, migration from the country to cities, commercial distribution of some products that are of no fulfillment of basic needs for the majority, and the high economic, social, and environmental costs of maintaining big cities, with their industry and services, for all the inhabitants. (Barraza, L. 2001). 

Learning outside the classroom

In this article students have show the improvement of educational standards students become motivated and express interest in wanting to learn. Not only do the academic standards rise but the social and personal skills of students evolve. Students become more interested in the environment and this result in the need to socialize for accessing better learning from each other. Thus, this is the importance of learning outside the class room. The value of outdoor education accounts for:

• Better academic achievement;

• More engagement of learning;

• Improved fitness;

• Better behavior and lower rates of re-offending

With having all these facts in mind students become more participants than that of an audience and with this students begin to learn twice as much. They become more focused and disciplined. (National Foundation for Educational Research. 2004)

Prototype environmental education curriculum for the middle schools:

A discussion guide for UNESCO training seminars on environmental education

This long and detailed article from the United Nations Environmental Program gives an excellent overview of the purpose and importance of environmental education. It also outlines an example of a three year environmental education curriculum for middle school children worldwide, ranging from ages 10-15. The first part of the article provides the reader with a history of environmental education, leading up to what the writers deem “the goal of environmental education”. In brief, the writers’ see this goal as helping students become environmentally aware skillful problem solvers and inspiring them to work toward an equality between quality of life and quality of the environment. One noteworthy point includes the stress the authors place on the issue of telling verses discovering. It is more valuable for students to “discovery how they interact with the environment themselves”, instead of merely telling the students about Ecology.

Next the article displays the goals necessary for an environmental education curriculum followed by advice for planning the curriculum for environmental education. Rather than memorizing facts and definitions, the goals outlined here require that students be able to apply their knowledge of concepts to predict and respond to environmental issues and problems in relation to the ecological knowledge they have gained through the course. The writers provide a wealth of information and support for their goals using data from studies as well as literature on how students learn and what kinds of teachers are most effective.

Educational module on conservation and management of natural resources.

This article defined the importance of developing environmental education in primary schools, and gave teachers a guide on how to set up lessons. It outlines a number of subjects and delves deeper into each subject. For example in the lesson covering “the source of our wealth” includes observing a landscape, our food, what do we consume, and our needs apart from food. Each subject gives background information on the subject and for each lesson gives goals and objectives, duration, disciplines, equipment, activities, and applications. In addition, at the end of the lessons, an evaluation is given in order to allow the teachers to assess the level of knowledge acquired. We feel as if this is an important document because it can easily be adapted to work with students of all ages as well as students in different countries. This curriculum covers a wide range of topics extensively and gives educators ways in which to get the material across. (UNESCO.1986).

Environmental education activities for primary schools: suggestions

for making and using low cost equipment.

This curriculum outlines activities that are cheap and easy to use for primary school children in the subject of environmental education. Plans are given for the subjects of energy, landscapes, air, water, wildlife, and positive action. The curriculum aims to help children better understand the environment, in which they live, provide aids in which to actively involve participants in the exploration of their natural environment, and encourage positive action for the future. Each activity aims to introduce children at young ages to the natural processes in nature and how we affect them as well as encourage children to ask questions and experiment on their own. (UNESCO,1992).

Discussion and Analysis

One of the facts realized was that we need to understand the needs of middle school students and how best to relate educational materials to pre-teenage students. One important point that we should keep in mind while interacting with the students at St. Barnabus is the necessity of focusing “instruction on real life problems and on the encouragement of independent, critical thinking.”

Another point we agree with is the importance of field trips and how they can be used to reinforce what is discussed in the classroom. Children are likely to learn more and understand more by not only hearing and doing classroom work, but by also doing field work. The statement means that the senses of sight, touch and hearing are being used to facilitate and acknowledge the essentials of providing a solid base for core learning for the students. These extra curriculum activities emphasize how children become motivated and do express interest in learning. Ultimately, all these sum up to better learning and higher standard of achievement for the students.

The information researched and analyzed are a crucial asset to our project because the more effective the curriculum is implemented will reflect on the long term benefits of the project. It will be more than just going to teach environmental studies, but a learning experience for both students and teachers for them to live sustainable in their daily lives. The students are the future and for a developing country like Belize will greatly impact the environmental future of the country.

Conclusion

Each article relates many ways by which this project can be carried out successfully. Also with these articles we can understand and take into consideration other methods by which the experiences and motivation of students can be addressed! These articles will be highly useful for our group while developing our curriculum and during its implementation. Most of these articles were published by the United Nations, thus it comes across as a valid and credible source and gives the group an idea of what children around the world, in the age group, should be familiar with in terms of environmental science.

A well established curriculum can only be possible if our group can organize a complete and relevant analysis of environmental education at St. Barnabas. It will be more than just teaching young students, but it is to inspire them to pass on what they know to others. Today many developing countries in this part of the hemisphere recognize the importance of environmental education and it has become a growing trend in primary education.

Literature Review:

BFREE Belize (2008). Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education. Retrieved Feb 25, 2008, from

Barraza, L. 2001). Environmental education in Mexican schools: the primary

level. Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 3. p.31(6). Retrieved February 20, 2008, from Expanded Academic ASAP via Gale:



The Belize Zoo (2008). Naturalight Productions Ltd. Retrieved Feb 25, 2008, from



Harlen, W. Children’s learning in Science and Mathematics.Published in 1993 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrived on February 20, 2008 from website:



Hungerford, H. A Prototype environmental education curriculum for the middle schools:

A discussion guide for UNESCO training seminars on environmental education

UNESCO-UNEP International Environmental Education Programme. Retrieved February

20, 2008 from website:



333_49.pdf+environmental+education+curriculum&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7

UNESCO ( 1992). Environmental education activities for primary schools: suggestions

for making and using low cost equipment. Environmental Education Series. 99 p. Retrieved on February 24, 2008.

National Foundation for Environmental Research. Learning outside the classroom.Retrieved

February 11, 2008, from website:



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