As you saw in the case studies, teachers and educators find the Environmental Literacy Model (ELM) as a useful tool for planning, organizing, and evaluating their MWEE. During this lesson you will see some of the planning tools that were used to design or improve each of the MWEEs from the case studies.
MWEEs are designed and shared using the Environmental Literacy Model (ELM). The ELM is a planning tool to help situate the MWEE within the scope and sequence of the curriculum and to ensure that the Environmental Action Project is in direct response to the learning that took place during the earlier phases of the MWEE. ELMs may also be helpful with communicating to school leadership, the local community, and colleagues. You can find the ELM introduction and template in the the MWEE Guide (page 21-26) or as a stand-alone worksheet HERE. Open the ELM now in a new window so you can follow along with the explanations below.
The ELM features three primary components—the Curriculum Anchor, Issue Investigation, and Informed Action. These components provide space for you to describe where the essential elements and supporting practices are embedded in the MWEE. As you develop your ELM, you should also plan your methods for incorporating youth voice and integrating required curriculum content and lessons. Your ELM will evolve over time, changing as new challenges or opportunities arise and/or as each group of students develop or co-develop their own supporting questions, investigations, and action projects.
Let’s start by looking at how to complete each of the three components of the ELM.
Curriculum Anchor identifies connections of the MWEE to academic standards and establishes life-relevant, local contexts for learning. Usually the Curriculum Anchor is completed by the teacher and/or partner educator with no student involvement so they can place the ELM within the curriculum.
- Defining the Learning Objectives and Curriculum Connection: Provides a foundation and connection to standards, curriculum, and/or performance indicators. The learning objectives organize concepts and inform practices emphasized in Issue Definition and Environmental Action.
- Describing the Local Context: Establishes the local connections and life-relevancy of the content and core ideas in the learning. It describes the local environmental phenomenon, problem, or issue in which learning will be situated.
- Driving Question: A broad, open-ended, life-relevant question that is based on the standards/learning objectives. The driving question guides inquiry for the investigations and prompts the development of actionable claims.
Issue Investigation provides the opportunities for students to construct knowledge and understanding through multiple investigations or lessons around a life-relevant issue. Some of these investigations should take place outdoors while others may take place in the classroom. In working together throughout the investigation to construct, communicate, and refine explanations about the driving question, the Issue Investigation section of the ELM demonstrates how students engage in the Issue Definition, Outdoor Field Experiences, and Synthesis and Conclusions elements of a MWEE.
- Asking Questions and Defining Issues: Students and teachers work together to define the issue to be investigated and develop supporting questions that are relevant for investigation. Note that this may be ongoing throughout the investigations.
- Planning and Conducting Investigations: Students and teachers work together to plan and conduct indoor and outdoor investigations. Students collect information and data to draw conclusions about the supporting questions.
- Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Students present and share information and/or data to reveal patterns that indicate relationships. Students apply disciplinary concepts as they analyze and interpret information and/or data to make sense of the issue.
- Constructing and Communicating a Claim: Students identify, synthesize, and apply evidence from their investigations (for example, measurements, observations, and patterns) to draw conclusions about the driving and supporting questions. These conclusions will be used to develop claims for informed action.
Informed Action provides the opportunity for students to adapt and apply the knowledge they’ve constructed through investigation toward authentic, meaningful action.
- Identifying Solutions: Students identify and explore a variety of solutions to address the issue reflected in their claim(s). Groups of students or the entire class work together to decide which solution(s) they will implement.
- Designing a Plan and Taking Informed Action: Students develop a plan for implementing a solution in their classrooms, schools, and/or communities. The plans should include criteria for determining the extent to which the action successfully addresses the problem, challenge, or opportunity reflected in the claim. Students implement their plans.
- Evaluating Action: Students reflect on the action(s) and reflect on the extent to which it successfully addresses the problem, challenge, or opportunity reflected in the claim. Students share proposals for sustaining or extending the action.
The ELM planning tool guides you through the components of a MWEE. When you first complete your ELM, it may feel incomplete—it should! You don’t yet know the supporting questions or action project your students will develop or co-develop. After completing your MWEE you can return to your ELM and add in your students’ questions, investigations, and the action project they completed so you can use the ELM to share your MWEE with others. That is what we will dig into during this lesson—completed ELMs from the three case studies we have been tracking during this course.
Choose one case study below to follow throughout this lesson. Choose the one which aligns best with the age group of students you work with or plan to work with. If you are a non-formal educator that works with many age groups, you may want to follow the James Wood Middle School case study because it was co-developed by the school and environmental educators at Blandy Experimental Farm.