Sanding+vs.+Salting+-+Alex+Fox 

Alex Fox 02/04/14 Sustainability Education Curriculum Review Memo 2

What organization developed the curriculum module you are evaluating? Department of Environmental Conservation

What is the overall mission of the organization? “To conserve, improve and protect New York’s natural resources and environment and to prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution, in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well-being” (“Education” 1)

What is the educational mission of the organization? The organization uses education as a step or tool in reaching their goal. Part of the DEC’s goal is to empower “individuals to participate in environmental decisions that affect their lives” (“Education” 1). Education plays into reaching this goal therefore the DEC has created curriculum for teachers, various camps, and various programs for children.

What does the curriculum module aim to teach? What are the learning outcomes supposed to be? The curriculum is supposed to show kids how salting and sanding roads during the winter works and what the negative consequences on vegetation that result from doing so. The curriculum is not aimed at telling the kids what is right or wrong but to present to them the information they need to decide what is better.

Do you think the curriculum is appropriately designed to produce the intended learning outcomes? I think that the curriculum is designed in way that would produce the learning outcome but the curriculum could definitely be improved in many different ways. First, the curriculum is very vague and does not give detail or instruction. I think a teacher coming across this curriculum might like the idea but if they did not have the tools or the knowledge to further plan the curriculum they would be deterred from using it. Also, the curriculum is very simple. The grade level listed for the curriculum is elementary intermediate and after reading it I see the curriculum as being geared for kids in 2nd to 3rd grade. With that being said, I also think that the curriculum could include a lot more and incorporate more things. There is no mention of salt contaminating ground water, possible negative health effects, and other alternatives to salt and sand. Also, the effect of salt on cars is only briefly mentioned. The curriculum could be expanded to cover so much more and could hold more lessons than just the effect on vegetation.

Does this curriculum teach the kids of literacies advocated by EcoEd? This curriculum touches on the kids understanding of how their own actions have an array of proximate and far off effects. When their parents, and possibly them one day, decide to drive in the snow they creating the need for salt and sand on the road. If no one drove in the snow or if there were no cars, there would not be a need for the roads to be salted. It is human action creating this problem.

What could be layered into this curriculum so this addresses more of the learning outcomes advocated by EcoEd? If the curriculum was expanded to include other effects from salting the roads such as health effects and alternatives to salting and sanding the curriculum would reach two literacy goals. The curriculum would reach the goal of kids understanding their own health and wellbeing as shaped by an array of causes and kids understanding the potential for change. Another aspect that could be added to reach another literacy goal is regulation of salting and sanding. This is regulated on a state and local government basis. Incorporating this into the curriculum would reach the goal of helping kids understand that government works at various scales.

Works Cited

"Education." //- NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation//. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.

"Icy Roads: Sanding vs. Salting." //- NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation//. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.