Strengthen Basic Skills using Conservation Education

Case studies of individual schools, integrated groups of schools, and a statewide program that adopted environment-based education as the central focus of their academic programs showed:

• Reading scores improve.
• Mathematics scores improve.
• Students perform better in science and social studies.
• Students develop the ability to transfer knowledge from familiar to unfamiliar contexts.
• Students learn to "do science" rather than just "learn about science."
• Classroom discipline problems decline.
• Opportunities to learn at a high level are equalized among students.
  

Environmental education not only helps children become better educated, but it also helps them become better citizens.
The above information comes from Education & the Environment: Strategic Initiatives for Enhancing Education in California, 2002. California Department of Education

Use activities from the Junior Duck Stamp Program to enhance your core curriculum. Following are examples of the skills used in program activities:

English and Language Arts

• Research
• Report Writing
• Composition
• Oral Presentations

Science

• Ecology
• Data Collection
• Wildlife Form and Function
• Geology
• Plant Science

Mathematics

• Data Analysis
• Measurements
• Conversions
• Predictions
• Graphing
• Geometry/Triangulation

History and Social Science

• Government/Civic Actions
• Land Use and Planning
• Geography
• Mapping/Topography
• Cultural Landscape
• Economic Goods

Visual Arts

• Sketching/Drawing
• Painting
• Photography
• Sculpture
• Creative Media
• Art Appreciation

Other Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Decision-making
• Environmental Action

Click here for a list of teacher materials.