Featuring MEECS, GLOBE, and the Murphy Model for Environmental Education
August 6-9, 2007
Sponsored by:
East Michigan Environmental Action Council
Michigan Environmental Council

Download Brochure Here

Supported by grants from:
Dart Foundation
Michigan Space Grant Consortium

Michigan Environmental Council and East Michigan Environmental Action Council are excited to inform you of this effective and popular workshop for teachers in Michigan. The workshop will entail four major components:

1. experience with the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support: (MEECS) units focusing on the newly prevailing issues of energy.

1. guidance in the GLOBE protocols for collecting measurements and data for a better understanding of the operation of environmental problems.

1. instruction in the Murphy Model for Environmental Education, which serves as a template for integrating every day environmental learning with all subjects in a curriculum.

1. an brief introduction to inquiry-based science training, based on incorporation of these three tools for valuable environmental education.

Goals of effective environmental education:

1. Creating awareness, appreciation, understanding, skills, and commitment to addressing environmental issues.
2. Providing a framework to apply scientific processes and higher order thinking skills to resolve environmental problems.
3. Increasing appreciation and tolerance of diverse viewpoints on environmental issues by developing attitudes and actions based upon analysis and evaluation of the information available.
4. Stimulating creativity, originality, and flexibility.
5. Encouraging students to become responsible, productive, and participatory members of society.

During the workshop, participants will be introduced to the new energy and air quality units developed to support the Michigan Curriculum Framework by a team of classroom teachers and university faculty with grant support from the Department of Environmental Quality. These units provide extensive background information, engaging real-life activities, and enticing guest speakers from different environmental credentials. Correspondingly, teachers will choose an appropriate GLOBE protocol(s) that suits their personal environmental issue. With these protocols, students will discover how to collect scientifically valid measurements and how their local observations, along with other scientists around the world, to provide an environmental condition picture of the globe. While using the Murphy Model, teachers will receive guidance in developing interdisciplinary units to give students the information and skills they need to investigate environmental issues and take responsibility for finding these difficult solutions.

This four day workshop for teachers will be held at Wayne RESA in Wayne Michigan. We hope that teachers will be urged by our assistance to develop and implement a unit in their classrooms. All participants must attend the workshop daily, from 8:30am -4:30 pm to receive the MEECS and GLOBE program materials and the $500 stipend. This stipend is dependent upon the implementation of environmental education curriculum based in the classroom.

Workshop Faculty

Keith Etheridge- Education Specialist, Michigan Environmental Council, Lansing, MI
Diana Seales – Executive Director, East Michigan Environmental Action Council

Registration/ Application

There is no registration fee for this workshop, however registration is limited. Participants must meet the criteria for selection (see below) and submit an application form. Individual teachers may apply for this workshop; however preference will be given to teams of two or more teachers from the same school. Morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch will be provided each day.

Criteria for Selection

1. Be employed to teach science or social studies in a Michigan school district during the 2007-2008 school year. Teachers not holding permanent positions will be considered on a space available basis.
2. Be interested in:
3. Exposing students to environmental topics and issues
4. Teaching students to think critically and relatable.
5. Improving students’ science and mathematics achievement.
6. Agree to develop and implement an environmental education unit based upon the

Murphy Model for Environmental Education (M2E2) Project, GLOBE program, and MEECS support.

Deadline for Registration/ Application
May 30, 2007
NOTE: Application must be signed by Building Administrator.

Notification Date
June 7, 2007
NOTE: Notification will be sent by fax and/or email. Be sure to include both on your registration form.

Teachers interested in participating in the workshop should complete and return the Registration/ Application form to:
WAYNE RESA
33500 VAN BORN ROAD
WAYNE MI 48184
www.resa.net

For general information contact Diana Seales at director@emeac.org or call 248-258-5188.

M2E2 Project
The Murphy Model for Environmental Education is designed to help Michigan classroom teaches integrate environmental education within their existing school curricula. The model provides a practical and flexible approach to helping students build the knowledge and skills to investigate, analyze, and offer solutions to environmental problems. This project is a result of a partnership between nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Advisors to the project include Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan State University, and the Dart Foundation.

Goals:

• Promotes awareness and the incorporation of environmental issues in existing curriculum.
• Introduce students to inquiry-based science as a starting point for finding answers and solutions to environmental issues.
• Improve students’ use of critical thinking skills to consider opposing viewpoints on different environmental issues.

The GLOBE Program
Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment is a worldwide program combining the work of students, teachers, and scientists to study and understand the global environment. GLOBE is an international partnership involving countries around the world and NASA is a major sponsor of GLOBE.

Goals:

• Increasing environmental awareness throughout the world
• Contributing to scientific understanding of the Earth.
• Helping students everywhere reach higher standards in science and mathematics.

MEECS
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support is a project that the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Education developed to educate children and teachers on the importance of sound science-based supplementary environmental education curriculum materials that can be incorporated into every Michigan educator’s classroom.

Goals:

• Increase awareness and appreciation for Michigan’s environment through engaging activities.
• Provide students with an opportunity to learn more about their environment through lessons in Science and Social Studies.
• Involve members of the environmental community to encourage the children to continue their environmental education learning.