Conley-Wilson+Curriculum+Review+6+-+Earth+Tomorrow

//Curriculum Review 6: Getting Kids Outside // //Focus here on programs that get kids and families outside -- like the [|White House's Every Kid in a Park initiative.] Explore different ways to accomplish this (funded fieldtrips for families, for example). There are a number of options in this description of the Forest Service's Children's Forests and More Kids in the Woods  programs. //

Word Count 586 The National Wildlife Federation developed the program module I am evaluating which is titled [|Earth Tomorrow] part of the [|Connecting Kids and Nature]: Working towards 10 Million Kids Outdoors.
 * What organization developed the curriculum module you are evaluating? **

The mission of the organization is to protect America’s wildlife and environment, get kids outside, ad finding solutions to the crisis arising from Climate Change. The motto of this organization is “Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.” This organization aims to maintain and protect the diverse wildlife and land the nation has to offer. NWF aims to keep the youth involved in nature as the children are the future stewards of the land and need to value it in order to protect it. The biggest threat to wildlife in this organization’s opinion is global warming therefor they are tackling this issue. The voice of nature is heard through this organization.
 * What is the mission of the organization? **

The educational philosophy of the organization is to reconnect children and other members of society with nature. In their [|We Believe Statement] states that Congress “have a national responsibility to get our children outdoors, for their health, their intellectual enrichments, their daily happiness, and to instill a conservation ethic in future generations.” They believe in connecting kids to nature in order to prepare for the future along with other health benefits.
 * What is the educational mission and philosophy of the organization? **

The program module aims to teach children to appreciate and love the outdoors and their surrounding environment. This program goal is to create environmental leaders. Participants cultivates “a new generation of lifetime environmental stewards” in a yearlong program targeted at inner city teens around the nation. This program is available to rising sophomores and seniors of high school with outdoor experiences including fieldwork and interactions with professionals.
 * What does the curriculum module aim to teach? In other words: what are the learning outcomes supposed to be? **

I think the curriculum is appropriately designed to produce the intended learning outcomes. This program not only gets teenagers involved in the outdoors but provides them the tools and skills required to develop as an environmentalist. Earth Tomorrow a very successful program that has been running since 2001. While teaching young students about their surroundings, it also prepares them for future barriers they may face in their future as an environmentally conscious leader.
 * Do you think the curriculum is appropriated designed to produce the intended learning outcomes? **

The kind of literacies taught in this curriculum include understanding how their own actions have an array of proximate and far off effects, understanding of potential for change and of alternative ways of doing things and organizing society, capacity to recognize the multitude of factors influence what they are told about environmental problems, capacity to recognize and productively deal with diverse perspectives, and understanding of the challenges and value of deliberation and cooperative action.
 * Does this curriculum teach the kind of literacies the EcoEd Research Group advocates? **

An additional focus on science could be layered into this program so that it addresses more of the EcoEd Group goals like having creative info-seeking practices and understanding of different scientific disciplines. Giving these high school students examples of what type of scientists or researcher would do this kind of work could give these future leaders an idea of what kinds of majors and goals they would have for themselves in post-secondary schools. Having professors, students, and other faculty/staff attend these programs as guest could incentivize these high school students to apply to schools and continue this work in their future.
 * What could be layered into this curriculum so that it addresses more of the learning outcomes that the EcoEd Group advocates? **

An additional layer to this program could include these programs reaching out to youth that are at risk for dropping out and younger students of the community who might not have access to nature during the school year or summer. This does not cover on of the goals really but would give this program a more inclusive atmosphere.

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 * Additional Source For Lesson Plans/Programs **