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    Eco Literacy

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    hashirama0801
    Eco and literacy

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    Eco Literacy

    Uploaded by

    hashirama0801
    13 views8 pages
    Eco and literacy

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    Eco-Literacy

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Eco and literacy

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    13 views8 pages

    Eco Literacy

    Uploaded by

    hashirama0801
    Eco and literacy

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 8

    Eco-Literacy

    Eco-literacy is the ability to understand the natural system that makes


    life on earth

    The Seven Environmental Principles

    • Nature knows best.


    • All forms of life are equally important.
    • Everything is connected to everything else.
    • Everything changes.
    • Everything must go somewhere.
    • Ours is a finite Earth.
    • Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God's creation.

    Green School

    A green school is a school that creates a healthy environment conducive to


    learning, while saving energy, environmental resources and money. It reduces
    environmental impacts and costs. It improves occupants’ health and performance. It
    increases environmental and sustainability literacy.

    Characteristics of a Green School

    Green, healthy, and high-performance schools provide many benefits for


    students, teachers, parents and the community, including:

    1. Protect Health
    Asthma is the primary cause of poor school attendance, and schools with poor
    indoor air quality usually have numerous asthma precursors. Schools built with
    more daylighting, better ventilation, and healthy green building materials, like
    non-VOC carpets and paints, are healthier for students and staff, and result in
    fewer sick days.

    2. Increase Student Performance

    A lack of fresh air can reduce student attentiveness. Studies have shown that
    student test scores can improve up to 20% when kids learn in green classrooms
    that have more daylighting, improved classroom acoustics, and healthier paints
    and carpets that don’t release toxic chemicals into the air.

    3. Save Energy, Save Money

    Operating costs for energy and water in a green school can be reduced by 20%
    to 40%, directing more funding towards teacher salaries, textbooks, and
    computers.

    4. Reduce Carbon Emissions

    Green schools significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Building 34 new


    green schools in Los Angeles alone would reduce 94,000 tons of CO2 — the
    equivalent of eliminating more than 15,000 cars from the road every year, or
    planting more than 280,000 trees.

    5. Reduce Water Usage


    On average, a green school reduces water usage by 32%. This reduction has
    direct savings for the building, as well as substantial societal benefits, such as
    reducing stormwater runoff, and transporting and treating wastewater.

    6. Improve Teacher Retention

    A green school can reduce teacher turnover by as much as 5%, which improves
    student learning and school community, and can result in financial savings for
    the school.

    7. Improve Daily Attendance

    Students in green schools are absent less frequently. By reducing absenteeism


    just 15%, a typical elementary school would save $40,000 to $60,000.

    8. Provide A Unique Educational Opportunity

    Buildings can become teaching tools and important features of science, math,
    and environmental curriculum when green features and advanced technology
    and design in schools are used to excite kids about learning real world
    applications of green technologies. BPS is committed to using schools and
    schoolyards as living laboratories

    9. Create Green Jobs

    Investing in building green schools is an investment in green jobs, including


    green construction, building product manufacturing, and green architecture.
    10. Improve Equity

    Greening public schools creates an opportunity to improve the health and


    educational settings for all students, while taking into account students’ diverse
    identities and needs.

    Source: https://www.centerforgreenschools.org/green-school

    7 Steps to a Green School (Adapted from Eco-Schools International)

    1. Establish A Green Team or Eco-Committee

    The Green Team is the heart of the Green Schools process, both organizing and
    directing activities at the school. Consisting of the stakeholders of the school
    environment - students, teachers, custodians, facilities managers, parents and school
    board members - the Green Team is democratic and can often be run by the students
    themselves. Whatever the type of school or age group, student involvement in the
    committee is essential. This group can be charged with coordinating many of the
    greening activities, making recommendations to relevant school decision-makers, and
    facilitating communication among -- and actions by -- the whole school community.
    Use our tips for starting your Green Team.

    2. Adopt An Environmental Vision Statement or Planet Pledge

    Each school produces its own vision statement, setting out what the students and/or
    school community are striving to achieve. The Environmental Vision Statement or
    Planet Pledge is displayed in various places within the school and is recognized by the
    students and other school community members as a statement of beliefs and intents.
    This statement is often in the words of students, and can be an inspiring classroom,
    art, or school-wide assembly project. Such statements can also be accompanied by a
    resolution from the school board, Parent Teacher Association, the Green Team, or
    other school bodies (see the sample school board resolution and sample policies on
    our Take Action page). Use our Four Pillars Graphic to help you understand and
    define the key components of a Green School.

    3. Conduct A School Environmental Survey or Audit

    To identify priorities for action, begin with conducting a review of your


    school's environmental impact. Students are involved in this work at every step, from
    assessing the level of waste from school lunch, to checking the building for
    inefficiencies such as leaky taps, or electrical equipment left on overnight. The school
    and the Green Team can work with local organizations, businesses, or other resource
    people or experts during the review. Take the "How Green is Your School Quiz" and
    see how you rate. Find other examples of environmental surveys and audit tools on
    our Resources page, under Curricula. We've also got lots of ideas and resources on
    our Curriculum Ideas for Hands-On Audits page. These audits can be fun and really
    help educate the school community about the health and environmental impacts of
    the school.

    4. Create A Green School Action Plan

    Use the results of your environmental survey or audit to identify priorities of the key
    areas where you want to make change and create an action plan. It is important to
    set realistic and achievable targets to improve environmental performance at the
    school so kids and adults can take pride in tangible accomplishments in the short
    term. And it is important to set long-term, inspiring and challenging targets to move
    beyond the status quo and foster greater environmental improvements. The action
    plan could involve and promote, for example, a school recycling program; eco-
    friendly, non-toxic cleaning materials; carpooling; energy conservation like turning off
    lights, computer monitors and printers; or a school garden. See the "sample school
    board resolution" and "Steps Forward" on our Take Action page for examples of
    policy resolutions, and specific action items under a range of environmental and
    health topics. Download a sample worksheet (Word doc) to help create a one-year
    workplan.
    5. Monitor and Evaluate Progress

    The Green Team, students, or other school community members can assist with
    monitoring and evaluating progress on the priorities in the action plan. This could
    involve conducting an annual environmental audit to monitor levels of waste,
    recycling, energy use, purchases of environmentally-preferable products, and
    financial savings and/or costs. Use these ecological footprint tools combined with our
    resources on school audits. The information from the monitoring is needed to ensure
    that progress towards the goals and targets is made and that the action plan is
    modified, if necessary. It also ensures that environmental education is an on-going
    process in the school, since students can be responsible for the annual audits. The
    basic data collected over time can show the waste, pollution, and energy avoided -
    big motivators for people to continue the efforts.

    6. Integrate Greening into the Curriculum

    Greening activities can be integrated into existing curricula in science, art, humanities,
    math, language arts, or electives. Using the school as a hands-on laboratory offers
    opportunities for real-world problem-solving. Students can undertake study of
    themes such as energy, water, forests, toxic pollution, and waste. The whole school
    should be involved in practical initiatives - for example, saving water, recycling
    materials and saving energy. Outdoor education, and time spent in nature locally -
    whether the schoolyard, a park, or a field trip - is a critical component of a hands-on,
    place-based, experiential education. Where environmental education is not part of
    the regular curriculum, recommendations can be made by the Green Team as to how
    these themes can be incorporated. See our Teach Stewardship and Resources pages
    for a Sustainable Curricula Directory, examples of environmental curricula, on-line
    quizzes, and other teaching and learning resources, including reviews of books and
    other media with environmental themes. No need to reinvent the wheel - there are
    loads of existing curricula you can use!

    7. Inform, Involve, and Celebrate!


    Honor, celebrating, and communicating about achievements are critical components
    of a Green School! Greening programs can often unify the whole school and
    strengthen community relations. Your school might consider partnering with external
    organizations from the community to benefit from their experience and expertise. In
    some schools, environmental consultants have offered to take part in the
    environmental review process. Many local government agencies and utilities offer free
    advice on energy, recycling, and hazardous waste management. Schools should also
    consider the wider community when preparing action plans - for example, schools
    could offer to be the local recycling point or to be a drop-off for Community
    Supported Agriculture boxes. Some schools get involved with clean-up or habitat
    restoration at nearby parks or share their experiences in other ways. A communication
    and publicity program keeps the school and the community informed of progress
    through classroom displays, school assemblies, newsletters, or other press coverage.
    Communicating is key to spreading success and inspiring more actions. Annual Earth
    Day celebrations - organized around April 20 - can offer an opportunity to showcase
    actions taken by the school and bring together the school and wider community.

    Environmental education

    Environmental education is a process that allows individuals to explore


    environmental issues, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the
    environment. As a result, individuals develop a deeper understanding of
    environmental issues and have the skills to make informed and responsible decisions.

    Components of environmental education

    • Awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental


    challenges
    • Knowledge and understanding of the environment and environmental
    challenges
    • Attitudes of concern for the environment and motivation to improve or
    maintain environmental quality
    • Skills to identify and help resolve environmental challenges
    • Participation in activities that lead to the resolution of environmental
    challenges

    Environmental education does not advocate a particular viewpoint or course of


    action. Rather, environmental education teaches individuals how to weigh various
    sides of an issue through critical thinking and it enhances their own problem-solving
    and decision-making skills.

    The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 requires EPA to provide national
    leadership to increase environmental literacy. EPA established the Office of
    Environmental Education to implement this program.

    Environmental Education is More Than Information


    about the Environment
    Environmental Education Environmental Information
    • Increases public awareness and
    • Provides facts or opinions about
    knowledge of environmental
    environmental issues
    issues
    • Does teach individuals critical- • Does not necessarily teach
    thinking individuals critical-thinking
    • Does enhance individuals' • Does not necessarily enhance
    problem-solving and decision- individuals' problem-solving and
    making skills decision-making skills
    • Does not advocate a particular
    • May advocate a particular viewpoint
    viewpoint

    Source: https://www.epa.gov/education/what-environmental-education

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