Environmental Science
Environmental science is a great class to teach. The material is interdisciplinary and has a lot of real-world application. It is also challenging, however, as most schools designate environmental science as the science-class-for-kids-bad-at-science. If your students are taking the class because they essentially had no other choice, it can be an extraordinarily hard class to teach. Unlike other core science classes, there is no standard curriculum, set of topics, or set of concepts that everyone teaches.
Environmental science is a true elective. Unlike most other science classes, the teacher must spend a great deal of his time working with students' affective domain. How do you a feeling of importance in the topics you are covering? As this is an interdisciplinary class, there is a highly political component, one which may run counter to the students' own beliefs and philosopies.
The best way to teach this course may be to focus on the facts, present the information in as objective manner as possible, and try to encourage critical thinking, analysis, and informed opinions based on science. The resources in this section hopefully can be a means to that end.
Syllabus
This is a copy of the syllabus I use for my environmental science course with the dates removed. Click on any of the links within the document to access specific Powerpoint lectures on that topic. There is also a set of links to the study guides for each chapter found on the third page of the syllabus. Further resources for each unit can be found within the navigation bar to the left of this page.
Research and Current Events
Current events are an essential part of the environmental science course. Truly, the crux of the class is to gain a better understanding of how we currently interact with the environment. However, finding articles that are relevant, objective, and comprehensive can be a very challenging task. This is particularly true for students who are apt to simply pick the first result on a Google search, or find the shortest article possible.
For your current events assignments, try the Environmental Science Current Articles Search Engine. This is a custom Google search that only takes articles from a select few websites, such as National Geographic and Popular Science.
Textbooks and Curriculums
These are specific textbooks that I have taught from and used as a framework for designing my course.
Living In the Environment, Miller
The value of this textbook depends entirely on what kind of class you are teaching. For an AP Environmental Science class, it is ideal. This textbook by G. Tyler Miller is ideal. It covers all concepts that may be found on the exam in good detail. The book is well-sequenced, and has a lot of real- world examples and scenarios.
For the more typical environmental science class for the non-science student, this book is a nightmare. The vocabulary is cumbersome, the diagrams are abstract, and the reading level is not particularly engaging.
The teacher resources that accompany this curriculum are basic; a test generator and a CD of Powerpoints that are very simplified outlines of the textbook chapters.
Environmental Science: A Global Concern
This textbook, by William and Mary Ann Cunningham, is an highly recommended one for the non-science major elective course. The book covers all of the most prominant topics, while presenting them in a way that is accessible to students who may not have strong science backgrounds. The pictures and tables found within the text are highly relevant to the chapter topics and many of them are good discussion starters in class.
This curriculum comes with the standard set of resources, including a test generator and a CD of lectures that are pretty inclusive of the material from the text and can be used as-is.
This textbook, by Karen Arms, is designed for the low-level reader, or early grade level students taking environmental science. Most of the prominant topics are covered, but only at a very basic level to give the students an understanding of the very essentials. This textbook would work well for a 7-9th grade regular or low-track class, but would be much too basic for any other group.
This curriculum comes with an extensive set of resources, including a test generator, pre-made Powerpoint lectures, pre-made exams and quizzes, and several labs and worksheets for each chapter.
Please select one of the topics to the left for specific resources.
