assignment on environmental education

• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
• Climate Change
• Policy & Economics
• Biodiversity
• Conservation

Get focused newsletters especially designed to be concise and easy to digest

• ESSENTIAL BRIEFING 3 times weekly
• TOP STORY ROUNDUP Once a week
• MONTHLY OVERVIEW Once a month
• Enter your email *
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Importance of Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future

Environmental education is vital to winning the fight against climate change. Without it, the leaders of tomorrow will be ill-equipped to overcome the environmental challenges the world will face. Parents and teachers can help students understand their role as environmental stewards by encouraging student outdoor learning programs and supporting young folks who engage in student activism. To celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2023, which every year falls on October 5, we take a look at the importance of environmental education and how to address climate change in classrooms.

Education can make a difference in the fight against climate change. Recent surveys show that people with more education were more likely to view climate change as a threat and that, today, most people see climate change as a major threat to our planet.  

However, promoting environmental education in schools can be tricky. Climate change is seen as a bipartisan “political” issue in some countries, and many educational bodies push against climate education entirely. 

More must be done to ensure that young people have access to environmental education. Robust climate education will give the decision-makers of tomorrow the skills they need to advocate for nature, protect vulnerable environments, and mitigate the effects of global warming. 

The Importance of Environmental Education

Education is often overlooked in the fight against climate change. While policy changes and global commitments are necessary to prevent global warming from further worsening, improved education is the first step toward achieving our goals. 

Environmental education can help alleviate climate anxiety , too. This is broadly defined as a “chronic fear of environmental doom” and may be exacerbated by a lack of understanding. Educational resources that clearly explain the mechanisms behind global warming equip students with the knowledge they need to do something about climate change. This can help them feel empowered and foster a greater appreciation for the planet’s resources. 

Environmental education can also promote critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. This is particularly important today, as students need to be able to evaluate the long-term impact of social, economic, and ecological policies. Combating climate change effectively requires a global effort and activism often relies heavily on a thorough understanding of the issue and the ability to persuade others that something must be done. 

Improvements in public education may also promote a sense of stewardship and aid conservation efforts. In particular, environmental education programming can make a real difference to researchers who are advocating for policy changes. 

For example, recent public programmes like the BBC’s Planet Earth II and Wild Isles appear to have significantly impacted researchers at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. Reflecting on the public program, Professor Callum Roberts states that the “UK must now deliver genuine protection for wildlife,” and should focus on building resilience against climate change. 

Connecting Students with High-Quality, Reliable Resources

Environmental education can empower the decision-makers of tomorrow and improve the public understanding of climate change. However, connecting students with the resources they need to understand global warming can be difficult – particularly if students live in a nation like the US, where climate change is seen as a partisan “political” issue. 

Climate-aware parents can introduce their children to climate change with outdoor play in natural environments. Natural playgrounds, like those built from sustainable materials and found objects, are the perfect place to discuss environmental protection and the importance of stewardship over the Earth’s resources. 

Living a sustainable lifestyle at home can be an important part of children’s environmental education. Parents can help their kids understand the importance of sustainability by reducing their home’s carbon footprint together, by implementing and practicing environmentally friendly habits in the home. Simple sustainable activities — such as upcycling furniture and composting leftover food scraps as well as teaching children how to recycle – help reduce our own emissions and promote a sense of responsibility for the environment. 

You might also like: How to Live a More Sustainable Life in 2023

Student Activism

A sense of stewardship is vital for the long-term preservation of the Earth’s natural resources. However, students who care about climate change should be empowered to engage in activism, too. Youth activism has a meaningful impact on policy and shows politicians that climate change is a hot-button issue for future voters. 

Successful activism begins by educating students about the issues. Teachers can strengthen their students’ understanding of climate change and ecological protection by hosting student projects that encourage outdoor learning . By building eco-systems on school grounds or signing up for community clean-ups, students will learn to take pride in the world around them and become well-equipped to share their knowledge with others.

Most high schools and universities have a climate advocacy group that young people can join to amplify their voices and make a difference. Students can further their climate advocacy by joining groups that have partnered with the Climate Action Network (CAN). The CAN helps 1900+ organisations get the support and funding they need to prevent environmental degradation and fight climate change. 

Climate-conscious students can also partner with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like: 

• African Conservation Foundation
• Born Free USA
• Break Free From Plastic

These NGOs tackle the biggest environmental issues today and can put students in a position to maximise their impact and gain important professional development skills. 

You might also like: How Youth Climate Action Is Shaping a More Sustainable Future

Professional Development

Preventing climate change requires more than goodwill and public understanding. The decision-makers of tomorrow need to be equipped with interdisciplinary skills to tackle the challenges that climate change presents. However, many teachers are ill-equipped to teach environmental education in their classrooms. 

More must be done to empower climate-conscious teachers. Professors should feel comfortable discussing the facts of climate change in their classrooms. They should be able to identify the transferable skills that their class can give to climate-conscious students. Fortunately, teachers today can find plenty of free resources from sites like: 

• Our own environmental news website dedicated to our younger audience, Kids.Earth.Org
• NASA’s Vital Signs of the Planet
• WWF’s Science that Affects Our World
• British Council’s Climate Resources for School Teachers

These resources are entirely free and can be weaved into any class. A climate-inspired project will help students connect with the importance of environmental education and give them the skills they need to take on skeptics in the future. 

Conclusion  

Environmental education is key to understanding and preventing climate change. A robust climate education can empower students and help them engage with advocacy and activism groups. Even minor education experiences, like participating in a community clean-up, can help students understand the importance of stewardship and build the interdisciplinary skills they need to advocate for environmental protection. 

In case you didn’t know, we have a Kids’ website aimed at explaining a wide range of environmental topics to younger generations. Visit Kids.Earth.Org to learn more about climate change

About the Author

Charlie Fletcher

15 Biggest Environmental Problems of 2024

International Day of Forests: 10 Deforestation Facts You Should Know About

13 Major Companies Responsible for Deforestation

Hand-picked stories weekly or monthly. We promise, no spam!

Boost this article By donating us $100, $50 or subscribe to Boosting $10/month – we can get this article and others in front of tens of thousands of specially targeted readers. This targeted Boosting – helps us to reach wider audiences – aiming to convince the unconvinced, to inform the uninformed, to enlighten the dogmatic.

K-12 Education

Environmental Education Activities

Connect students to the environment through outdoor education activities the make learning fun and healthy

We've handpicked the best toolkits, guides, and outdoor education activities from NEEF and beyond. For even more high-quality educator resources, visit out  Environmental Education Resources  page. 

And don't forget to  sign up for EE in Focus , our monthly newsletter filled with educational resources, grants, and professional development opportunities!

Activity Guides and Group Games

Discover fun and engaging ways to teach environmental concepts with our activity guides and group games for all ages.

Environmental Education Group Games and Activities

A collection of fun, active, and engaging games to help children of all ages learn about the environment.

Watershed Sleuth Challenge

In this Watershed Sleuth Challenge, you will learn more about your watershed—what it is, why it’s important...

At-Home Upcycle Projects

Celebrate environmental education with these easy upcycle projects.

NEEF's SunWise program is a free environmental and health education program that teaches K-8 children about...

Apps for Environmental Education and Outdoor Activity

Are you looking for more ways to incorporate technology into your classroom? Project Learning Tree recommends...

Learn About the Environment

Students learn about extinct and endangered species. They explore how climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and other facts contributed to these species' population loss. From our friends at the  American Museum of Natural History .

This site lets you listen to nature sounds from all over the world, gathered from contributors in places like Brazil, Spain, Thailand, New Zealand, and many more. Put a sound to the places you read about.

Find out what sets birds apart from all other living creatures with this interactive tutorial and unique activity from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology . Learn the science behind this amazing part of bird anatomy.

In this Urban Trees lesson, presented by The Nature Conservancy , students in grades 6-8 can learn how trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, and how they clean our air by filtering out dust and greenhouse gases. 

The Legend of the Flying Frog

Imagine you discovered an animal that scientists have long thought to be extinct! And this animal, the flying frog, needs protection. This is your chance to draw and write a story about a make-believe endangered species. From our friends at the  American Museum of Natural History .

Go to the Activity

Learn to Compost

Turn your yard waste and food scraps into organic “black gold” by learning how to compost. You can add this rich organic material to gardens to help plants grow. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food scraps and yard waste make up about 30% of household waste.

Go To Activity

Free eBird Lessons from The Cornell Lab

Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

These stand-alone guides provide educators with fun, hands-on lessons that connect kids to nature through the world of birding. Children will learn how to make careful observations of avian life, collect and explore data and patterns, and build STEM practices.

Scholastic Learn at Home

Grades preK-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8

Scholastic is offering free daily projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing while home from school.

Khan Academy

Grades K-12

Free online lessons for Pre-K to grade 12 students in math, science, and history.

Activities to do with Children at Home

Grades preK-12

Project Learning Tree has assembled this list of (free!) family activities that you can do at home—both inside and close by in a safe space outside.

Miacademy Learning Channel from Arizona State University

Miacademy offers hundreds of original lesson videos across every K-8 content area, including language arts, math, science, and history, and extending into art, music and foreign language learning.

Natural Inquirer

Natural Inquirer is a free, peer-reviewed science journal for elementary, middle school, and high school students. Each article follows the same format as a scientific journal article by including an Introduction, Methods, Findings, and Discussion section.

New York Hall of Science

The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) offers free, informal, hands-on learning through various videos, apps, and games that bring delight and play to learning science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Project WET

Project WET provides free educational resources, digital lessons, and tutorials that promote awareness of water and water issues.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy offers interactive nature-based lessons, curriculum, and weekly, thematic family teaching guides.

Go To Activities

Nature for All

This online collection of curated materials range from videos to lesson plans, comic books to coloring books for all ages.

Environmental Impact Activities

This guide offers some creative ways to help kids understand the concept of energy, including a fun  home energy audit  from NEEF and the National Hockey League.

Use this questionnaire to help identify various factors that affect indoor air quality in your home and make fun, healthy, improvements like adding Spider plants.

Students chart their water usage over time to understand how to apply scientific inquiry and math skills in a real-life, meaningful way while learning the principles of water conservation.

This incredibly creative activity challenges students to conduct a home energy audit incorporating worksheets, comic strips, and more. 

Activity Guides for Outdoor Education AT Home

Look for a patch of flowers and watch closely to see what sort of animals visit them. Then, follow the activities on your worksheet to record your observations, monitor what types of pollinators you see, and help attract more pollinators.

This quick how-to guide will get you started with everything you need to conduct a community cleanup to help out in your neighborhood or at your school.

Designed for elementary-age children, this guide encourages kids to use STEM skills to explore monarch migration paths, engineer a birdfeeder, understand the phenomenon of animal migration, and use technology for citizen science.

NEEF's Wetlands Activity Guide contains information and fun projects that will teach you about wetlands—including how to make your own origami lotus!

Explore the topic of water quality in your area! With activities to do both on and off the worksheet, it's perfect for your next environmental investigation. You can use this activity guide at a park (remember to practice “social distancing”) or at home.

Use this activity guide to learn more about how you can identify invasive plant species in your area as well as their native, environmentally-beneficial counterparts.

Citizen Science Projects

Join microbiologist Sally Warring as she explores the giant world inside of a pond. From our friends at the  American Museum of Natural History .

Snapshot Safari

Citizen scientists from around the world are needed to identify wildlife caught on camera. With millions of images ready to be classified, participants have the opportunity to search for wildlife in remarkable ecosystems featuring a variety of habitats, such as the unique Karoo and Fynbos vegetation of South Africa, the great wildebeest migration of Tanzania, and the recovering wildlife populations of Mozambique.

Join the Project

Join a global community that posts about what they notice changing in the environment. Each post is synced with weather and climate data and broadcast to the community to investigate bigger picture climate trends. Over time, community members can track how climate is changing season by season and understand its impacts on daily life.

Browse over 3,000 projects and events searchable by location, scientific topic, and age level. SciStarter also supports researchers in managing projects, including best practices for engaging participant partners. 

Join A Project

Nature's Notebook

Discover and document changes in nature near you. Nature’s Notebook monitors phenology across the country.

Environmental Education Online

Virtual field trips, monterey bay aquarium.

Visit different exhibits at the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium for a lesson in coastal wildlife.

Take A Trip

Virtual Field Trips from Arizona State University

Topic based interactive and educationally rich experiences captured during real expeditions with scientists doing current research.

Take a Trip

San Diego Zoo

 Live-stream video cameras that let you catch a number of the zoo's inhabitants—from koalas to penguins to the new baby orangutan. 

Virtual Deep-Sea Dives

Immerse yourself in the ocean and national marine sanctuaries without getting wet! NOAA offers virtual reality voyages to highlight the amazing habitats, animals, and cultural resources you can find in each national marine sanctuary.

FSNatureLIVE

FSNatureLIVE’s offers distance learning adventures for all ages. Through a partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Prince William Network, and other sponsors, these videos were initially designed to help classrooms access remote locations and speak directly with experts as if they were really there. No matter where you are in the world, you can learn about bats, butterflies, climate change, wetlands, and more.

Explore the world with virtual field trips along with a teacher's guide, and student activities. 

Museum Virtual Visits

National museum of natural history.

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided online tours of special exhibits and areas within the museum.

Make A Visit

Hall of North American Mammals

Take a virtual tour of the Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals. Students can select from one of three dioramas to observe closely and complete a worksheet on what they learned. There are even extension activities associated with the exhibit.

75 Virtual Museum Visits

This site provides an extensive list of museums and research centers offer virtual tours.

NASA’s Langley Research Center

Tour NASA's Langley Research Center to inspire students with this visual of where they could work in one of the nation's leading STEM organizations.

Museum of Flight

Step inside an aircraft and tour some of the most iconic aircraft on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

The Museum Computer Network is advancing the digital transformation in museums and offers recommendations for virtual museum resources, e-learning, and online collections worldwide.

Virtual Park Tours

Yosemite national park.

View this interactive 360-degree tour around the iconic Yosemite National Park. 

Take A Tour

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai‘i)

See the beauty and learn about the unique ecosystems of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai‘i) with a guided tour from a park ranger through Google Arts & Culture.

Bryce Canyon (Utah)

See the beauty and learn about the unique ecosystems of Bryce Canyon with a guided tour from a park ranger through Google Arts & Culture.

Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico)

See the beauty and learn about the unique ecosystems of Carlsbad Caverns with a guided tour from a park ranger through Google Arts & Culture.

Dry Tortugas (Florida)

See the beauty and learn about the unique ecosystems of Dry Tortugas with a guided tour from a park ranger through Google Arts & Culture.

Kenai Fjords (Alaska)

See the beauty and learn about the unique ecosystems of Kenai Fjords with a guided tour from a park ranger through Google Arts & Culture.

Digital Learning Collections

Our planet series learning resources.

The World Wildlife Fund offers educational downloads and free and paid resources based on the Our Planet series, streaming on Netflix.

Get the resources

National Geographic Classroom Resources

Resources include learning activities, infographics and full subject units.

Get the Resources

NASA Science at Home

Resources include formal lesson plans, imagery, stories, and hands-on activities.

Digital Promise

Digital Promise offers a library of online learning resources for educators and can be filtered by type, grade, and subject. All of the included resources are free.

TERC (formerly, Technical Education Research Centers) has created a Free Educational Resources page with math and science, evidence-based activities.

Infographics For Discussion

Biomonitoring with Benthic Macroinvertebrates

This infographic explains biomonitoring, which is using aquatic (benthic) organisms as biological indicators...

Understanding Different Water Quality Tests

This infographic highlights some of the common water quality indicators, why they are important, and how we...

Engineering & Our Planet Infographic

Explore the past, present, and future of environmental engineering through this infographic.

Rooted in Math Infographic

This infographic explores the many applications of mathematical principles and formulas within the fields of...

Surrounded by Science Infographic

NEEF created this infographic to help educators introduce students to some of the many ways they can discover...

Help Create a Healthier Environment Where you Live

NEEF and the NHL® partnered to promote activities that create a healthy environment and vibrant communities...

More EE Stories

• Our Mission

Taking It to the Class: Green Projects for the Classroom

Try these great lesson ideas for environmentally conscious teachers (and their lucky students).

An annual celebration of Earth Day should not be the only time during the school year when you devote significant classroom time to exploring issues of environmental awareness and stewardship. Whether you teach biology, history, or language arts, the Web is a rich and ever-growing resource, with curriculum ideas for integrating environmental issues into lesson plans. But where to begin? That will be your decision, but we'll help you get started.

We've compiled a cross section of lessons, with ideas for every grade level. Some can be completed within a single class period and others require more time, but all are sure to get your students -- and you -- thinking about what can be done to preserve our increasingly fragile planet.

Elementary School

The life history of "stuff".

By tracing the origins of everyday products -- the bikes they ride to school or their favorite sneakers -- students develop an understanding of the impact that the production, sale, and disposal of commonly used goods have on the environment.

Though no single lesson is likely to change students' consumption patterns completely, this one is sure to get them thinking about alternatives, like wearing shoes until they're outgrown or worn out, or donating still-usable items so they don't end up in a landfill prematurely.

Topics: Consumption, Waste Production Teaching Level: Grades 2-3 Source: Education for Sustainable Development

Credit: Veer

From Farm to Table

Students (and adults, too) know surprisingly little about the origin of the food they eat every day. In this lesson, students compile lists of frequently eaten foods and then take a trip to the local supermarket to research their origin by analyzing food displays or speaking with the grocer.

What are the consequences of eating grapes from Chile or corn from Mexico? Are there economic or health advantages to eating locally grown fruits and vegetables? Should grocers provide origin information for the produce they sell? These are just a few of the issues students can explore in this lesson. There's also ample opportunity to extend the lesson through action, by visiting a local farmers' market and talking with growers or starting their own vegetable garden at school.

Topic: Food Sources Teaching Level: Grades 4-6 Source: California School Garden Network

In this thirty-minute lesson for very young students, a simple bowl of goldfish crackers helps make concrete the concept of scarcity of resources. In the first part of the lesson, the bowl is passed around the room and students are allowed to take as many crackers as they'd like. In the second, each student receives an equal number of crackers.

The two scenarios serve as an excellent entrée into a discussion of uneven distribution of resources, as students discuss how it felt to get more (or fewer) fish than their classmates. The next step is to expand the discussion to resources in students' homes or in their community that everyone must share.

Topic: Scarcity of Resources Grade Level: P-2 Source: Population Connection

Trip Tally: Discovering Environmental Solutions

What impact does car transportation have on the local environment? That's the key question this lesson aims to ask and answer as students conduct a simple air pollution experiment and analyze the findings in the context of their own weekly trip tally, which documents their comings and goings about town by car, foot, bike, and public transportation.

Students analyze their own travel data, as well as that of the whole class, and then explore strategies for reducing air pollution by choosing to ride their bike rather than drive, or by taking fewer trips.

Topic: Air Pollution Teaching Level: Grades 3-6 Source: Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

Elementary and Middle School

Environmental explorers.

This lesson calls upon observation and analysis skills as students explore and then discuss the changes that have been made to the natural environment. Students observe and document natural and human features in their locale (during a walk around the neighborhood or a trip downtown, for example), and evaluate the impact of changes made by humans, such as the leveling of an area for a subdivision or the damming of a local stream or river.

As a culminating activity, students discuss local environmental and planning issues and then write letters to the local newspapers expressing their views and encouraging specific action.

Focus: Environmental Awareness Teaching Level: Grades 3-8 Source: National Geographic Society

Credit: iStock

The Trash We Pass

A day's worth of classroom garbage becomes the basis for this lesson, which explores the amount of waste students (and their schools, families, and community) produce each day, and the impact of all this trash on the environment. Faced with the dirty truth about how much trash they accumulate, students are asked to brainstorm how to reduce their waste production (by using less, recycling more, and so on) and then to put their newfound knowledge to further use by taking action in their community.

The lesson includes ideas for extending their work beyond the classroom, pursuing activities such as researching local recycling options and advocating with city officials for improvements, or starting a compost pile at school or at home.

Topics: Consumption, Waste Production Teaching Level: Grades 4-7 Source: Redefining Progress

We Are What We Drink

The writings of a Peace Corps volunteer from the Togolese Republic in Africa provide a developing-world context for the exploration of water consumption, water pollution, and the health of individuals and communities. Students explore their own water consumption (the amount of water used in everyday activities; the types of water -- filtered, bottled, and so on) they drink -- and compare this data with the experiences of residents in the Togolese Republic, where clean water is scarce and cholera is endemic.

Topics: Water Quality, Public Health Teaching Level: Grades 3-8 Source: Peace Corps, Coverdell World Wise Schools

Middle and High School

Fishing for the future.

Through a simulation, students model several consecutive seasons of a fishery and explore how such variables as advances in technology, population growth, and attention to sustainable fishing practices impact fish catch and fisheries management. Over multiple "seasons," students confront the economic and environmental impact of overfishing. As the fish population is depleted in one area, for example, they must seek out sources elsewhere or explore more sustainable practices.

This engaging lesson includes thought-provoking writing and discussion prompts, and opportunities for students to extend what they've learned to their own community by exploring the status of commonly owned resources in their town or state.

Topic: Sustainability Teaching Level: Grades 6-12 Source: Facing the Future: People and the Planet

How Big Is Your Footprint?

Using Web tools, students calculate their ecological footprints (the amount of natural resources they consume in a given year) and then, as a group, determine the footprint of the entire class. After creating graphs and finding the mean, the median, the mode, and the standard deviation for the class, students explore a range of discussion questions about reducing their footprint, their responsibility to subsequent generations, the impact of their consumption, and more.

Armed with this new knowledge and awareness, students are prompted to consider the size of their family's footprint, or that of the entire school. What steps might they each take to decrease their footprint? By taking the test again six months later, students will be able to assess the impact of their choices.

Topic: Consumption, Pollution Teaching Level: Grades 8-12 Source: Alliance to Save Energy

High School

Building on the concept of a watershed, students use a field trip to a local body of water (a stream at a local park, for example) to conduct a detailed assessment of the water and surrounding land and then document their findings by mapping and profiling the water and the neighboring area.

This hands-on science lesson teaches students how to take standardized measurements of water characteristics, integrates writing activities as students describe the characteristics of the local watershed, and provides an excellent introduction to issues of water quality. There's also information about using data from, and sharing data with, the worldwide science and education program Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE).

Topic: Water Quality Teaching Level: Grades 9-12 Source: Center for Environmental Education Online

Whose Resource Is It?

Environmental justice is the focus of this lesson, which integrates world history, geography, and government topics into a case study and a role-playing exercise. Students explore the impact of a plan to locate a new industry in a low-income neighborhood, then take on the roles of community members, business executives, and city officials as they advocate for and against building a power plant in a low-income minority neighborhood. Together, they assess the economic, environmental, and social consequences of their decisions.

Through these activities and supplemental readings, students gain a deeper understanding of the ways socioeconomic status impacts the number and types of businesses in a neighborhood -- and the impact these businesses have on residents' health and well-being.

Focus: Environmental Justice Teaching Level: Grades 9-12 Source: Education for a Sustainable Development

Roberta Furger is a contributing writer for Edutopia .

Related green articles:.

• Teach Green : Lesson plans on recycling. Read More
• Truth and Consequences : Teaching global warming doesn't have to spell doom . Read More

Environmental Education and Environmental Impact Assessment

• First Online: 07 May 2020

Cite this chapter

• Basharat Mushtaq 4 ,
• Suhaib A. Bandh 5 &
• Sana Shafi 6  

688 Accesses

2 Citations

Environmental education is not a separate branch of science but a lifelong interdisciplinary field of study and a way of implementing the goals of environmental protection. It helps us to inculcate the necessary awareness, skills, attitudes, knowledge, and participatory potential in people so that they adjust their day-to-day activities in such a way that they never clash with the environment. Environmental Impact Assessment helps us to analyze both the positive and negative impacts of any proposed activity and the subjective reduction of their negative impacts with the purpose of identification, examination, assessment, and evaluation of the likely and probable impacts and, thereby, helps to work out remedial action plans to minimize the adverse impacts. It is an important management tool for ensuring the justified use of natural resources during developmental process by focusing on the problems, conflicts, or natural resource constraints that could affect the viability of a project. It also examines the implications of a project that might harm people, their homeland or their livelihoods, or other nearby developments. The chapter combines the considerations of how impacts from human activities can be predicted and assessed with the utility of these tools in decision-making, how environmental, economic and social concerns can be balanced, and the potential of the tool to enhance the “spirit of the age,” i.e., sustainable development.

• Environmental education
• Environmental impact assessment
• Decision-making
• Environmental awareness

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abaza, H. (2000). Strengthening future environmental assessment practice: An international perspective. In Environmental assessment in developing and transitional countries. New York: Wiley.

Google Scholar  

Abaza, H., Bisset, R., & Sadler, B. (2004). Environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment: Towards an integrated approach , United Nations Environment Program.

Ahmad Y. J., & Sammy G. K. (1987). Guidelines to environmental impact assessment in developing countries , UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 85, UNEP.

Anil, A. (1982). The state of India’s environment (42 p). New Delhi: Centre for Science and Environment.

Annandale, D. (2001). Developing and evaluating environmental impact assessment systems for small developing countries. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 19 (3), 187–193.

Article   Google Scholar  

Arts, J. (2008). Chapter 18 – The importance of EIA follow-up. In T. B. Fischer, P. Gazzola, U. JhaThakur, I. Belcakova, & R. Aschemann (Eds.), Environmental assessment lecturers’ handbook (pp. 183–196). Bratislava: ROAD Bratislava.

Arts, J., & Morrison, S. A. (2004). Theoretical perspectives on EIA and follow-up. In A. Morrison-Saunders & J. Arts (Eds.), Assessing impact: Handbook of EIA and SEA follow-up (pp. 22–41). London: Earthscan.

Barton, H., & Bruder, N. (1995). A guide to local environmental auditing . London: Earthscan.

Canter, L. W. (1996). Environmental impact assessment . New York: McGraw-Hill.

Canter, L. W. (1977). Environmental Impact Assessment (331 pp). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Clark, B. D., Chapman, K., Bisset, R., & Wathern, P. (1978). Methods of environmental impact analysis. Built Environment, 4 (2), 111–121.

Donnelly, A., Jones, M. B., O’Mahony, T., & Byrne, G. (2006). Decision support framework for establishing objectives, targets and indicators for use in SEA. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 24 , 151–157.

Eccleston, C. H. (2008). NEPA and environmental planning: Tools, techniques, and approaches for practitioners (pp. 148–149). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Book   Google Scholar  

Eccleston, C. H. (2014). The EIS Book: Managing and preparing environmental impact statements. Chapter 6 . Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

European Commission, (EC). (1999). Guidelines for the assessment of indirect and cumulative impacts as well as impact interactions (172 pp). Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

Glasson, J., Therival, R., & Chadwick, A. (1994). Introduction to environmental impact assessment . London: UCL Press.

Gruenewald, D. A. (2004). A Foucauldian analysis of environmental education: Toward the socioecological challenge of the Earth Charter. Curriculum Inquiry, 34 (1), 71–107.

Hillary, R. (1998). Environmental auditing: Concepts, methods and developments. International Journal of Auditing, 2 , 71–85.

Johnson, E. W., & Fricke, S. (2011). Ecological threat and the founding of U.S. National Environmental Movement Organizations. Social Problems, 58 (3), 305–309.

Lee, M., & Abbot, C. (2003). The usual suspects? Public participation under the Aarhus Convention’66. MLR, 80 , 82–85.

Leopold, L. B., Clarke, F. E., Hanshaw, B. B., & Balsley, J. S. R. (1971). A procedure for evaluating environmental impact. Geological Survey Circular 645 . Washington: U.S. Geological Survey.

Lieberman, G. A. (2013). Education and the environment: Creating standards-based programs in schools and districts . Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Lyer, V. G. (2017). Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) process for sustainable mining and mineral management development. Open Access Library Journal, 4 , 2–28.

Malone, K. (1999). Environmental education researchers as environmental activists. Environmental Education Research, 5 (2), 163–177.

Mehta, M. G. (2010). A river of no dissent: Narmada Movement and coercive Gujarati nativism. South Asian History and Culture, 1 (4), 509–528.

Morris, P., & Therivel, R. (Eds.). (2001). Methods of environmental impact assessment (2nd ed.). London: Spon Press.

Naber, H. (2012). Environmental impact assessment . Washington, DC: World Bank.

Ogola, A. (2007). Environmental impact assessment general procedures . Lake Naivasha: UNU-GTP and KenGen.

Pendse, Y. D., Rao, R. V., & Sharma, P. K. (1989). Environmental impact assessment methodologies. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 5 (4), 252–258.

Petsonk, C. A. (1990). The role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the development of International Environmental Law. American University International Law Review, 5 (2), 351–391.

Prasad, B. C. (1980). Ecosystem of the Central Himalaya (32 pp). Gopeshwar: Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal.

Smyth, J. C. (2006). Environment and education: A view of a changing scene. Environmental Education Research, 12 (3–4), 247–264.

Stapp, W. B. (1971). An environmental education program (K-12), based on environmental encounters. Environment and Behaviour, 3 , 263–283.

Stewart, J. H. (2001). Challenges for environmental education: Issues and ideas for the 21st century. BioScience, 51 (4), 283.

UNECE. (1998). UN Environment Principle 10: Bali guidelines for the development of National Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in environmental Matters . In International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG), Interpretation in English and Russian, p. 4.

UNESCO/UNEP. (1977). Intergovernmental conference on environmental education . Paris: Tbilisi Major Environmental Problems in Contemporary Society.

Westman, W. E. (1985). Ecology, impact assessment and environmental planning (532 pp). New York: Wiley.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development, (WBCSD). (2005). Environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) guidelines (54 p).

Young, S. S. (1994). Environmental auditing . Des Plaines: Cahners Publishing Company.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Environment and Water Management, Sri Pratap College Campus, Cluster University, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Basharat Mushtaq

Post Graduate Department of Environmental Science, Sri Pratap College Campus, Cluster University, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Suhaib A. Bandh

Department of Higher Education, Sri Pratap College, Cluster University, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Mushtaq, B., Bandh, S.A., Shafi, S. (2020). Environmental Education and Environmental Impact Assessment. In: Environmental Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3813-1_3

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3813-1_3

Published : 07 May 2020

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-15-3812-4

Online ISBN : 978-981-15-3813-1

eBook Packages : Earth and Environmental Science Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

Environmental Education: Definition, Importance, Scope

Keerthana R ,

Mar 4, 2024

Share it on:

Environmental education aims at the study of the natural environment. It also enables the individuals to explore, understand and resolve problems in the ecosystem. This induces people to work towards the betterment of our environment.

Environmental education is the process in which individuals explore the environmental issues to take appropriate, required, and immediate actions to improve the conditions or any hitches in the environment. 

Through environmental education, the individuals develop a much deeper understanding of the environmental issues and drastic changes in the behaviour of the ecosystem. Knowing the nuances of the environmental issues, enables them to take responsible decisions towards the betterment of the environment.

Table of Contents

What is Environmental Education?

• Importance of Environmental Education

Objectives of Environmental Education 2023

Scope of environmental education 2023.

Environmental education is defined as the field of study which consists of organized efforts put together to understand and teach how natural environments function. It also deals with studying how human beings manage their behaviour and ecosystems to live sustainable lives.

Environmental education is a multidisciplinary field that includes ideas and concepts from various fields like biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, earth science, atmospheric science, mathematics, and geography.

Importance of Environmental Education 

Every human on this Earth has a role to play for the environment, and it gives us everything we need- shelter, food, water, recreation, etc. The points given below will help in understanding the importance of environmental education.

• Environmental education is the study the environment and its functions, the students develop a sense of understanding of the environment in the early stage of their life.
• It is important to increase the awareness of individuals about the environment to safe the left off natural resources. 
• Environmental education polishes the ability to make decisions is strengthened with environmental education as people become more responsible and aware.
• Individuals can deal with any environmental problem through environmental education. 
• Environmental education develops sensitivity towards the environmental issues that have been happening for a long time. 
• Students will know the particular viewpoint to advocate towards environmental education. 
• Environmental education makes an individual rich in the knowledge of the environment to make quick and smart decisions to save it. 

The primary objective of environmental education is to make people aware of the environment and its associated problems. The study involves knowledge, skills, motivation, attitude, and commitment to work individually and collectively towards solutions to current problems.

There are various objectives that the study of environmental education tends to achieve. Given below are the objectives of environmental education.

1. Awareness

Awareness is one of the fundamental objectives that any subject of study offers. Through environmental education, awareness about the environment, the issues of the environment, and the solutions for the problems are generated. In addition, there is a proper understanding as to why there are various functions present in the environment.

2. Knowledge

Environmental education helps a person gain knowledge and information about the current happenings in the environment. There is in-depth and proper education that is provided about the environment and the factors of the environment. 

3. Responsibility

It is only when we understand the reasons behind the disruptions in the environment; we can take proper steps to prevent them. Individuals understand which activities harm the environment, be it small or big, and take necessary precautions to face the adversities. It also helps in taking any future actions and decisions responsibly. 

4. Participation

When we dive deeper into a particular subject, we tend to get more involved in it. The environment concerns us all, so we must save the environment and prevent it from being harmed. Through environmental education, individuals are encouraged to partition in saving and taking care of the environment as they become aware of the harm they can cause to their lives.

5. Creating New Patterns

With increased awareness of the harm that man's actions are causing to the environment, environmental education aims to create a new behaviour pattern and attitude towards the environment. This results in less harm as the new pattern is aimed at being environmentally friendly.

6. Understanding the Complexity of Environment

The environment that we humans live in is complex and involves various activities that happen within it. Environmental education fulfils the aim to make people understand the complexity of working in the environment and the process that occurs in it. By understanding this, people become more indulged in saving and protecting the environment.

Environmental education has a wide scope as it is one of the most important areas of study. People need to understand their duties and responsibilities towards the environment. The scope of environmental education can be explained with the help of the points given below.

1. Biological Aspect

The most important aspects of environmental education are biological aspects. The best example is human beings. Other examples of biological aspects include animals, birds, insects, microorganisms, and plants.

2. Physical Aspect

The physical aspect of environmental education is further divided into natural and man-made aspects. Physical aspects include air, water, land, climate, etc. On the other hand, man-made aspects include roads, highways, airports, railroads, buildings, bridges, dams, and reservoirs, etc., which humans make.

3. Socio-cultural Aspect

These are the practices, cultures, and traditions which humans make to live in a society. It can include rules, laws, religious beliefs, etc. Human beings, with their efforts, have created these.

What are the 5 objectives of Environmental Education?

What is main scope of Environmental Education?

How can Environmental Education be taught?

POST YOUR COMMENT

Related articles.

NISER vs IISER: Campuses, Courses, Fee, Admission

Entrance Exams for Biotechnology After 12th: Eligibility, Colleges

IIT Gandhinagar IIT JAM Cutoff 2024 for M.Sc Admission

IIT Bombay IIT JAM Cutoff 2024 for M.Sc Admission

IIT Delhi IIT JAM Cutoff 2024 for M.Sc Admission

IIT JAM Opening and Closing Rank 2024: Qualifying/Admission Cutoff

List of Best Courses After B.Sc Chemistry in India 2023

Get Free Scholarship worth 25000 INR

Environmental Education

Environmental education is a process that allows people to learn about environmental issues, solve problems, and take action to help the environment. It refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments work, particularly how humans can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. As a result, people gain a better understanding of environmental issues and the ability to make informed and responsible decisions. It is a multidisciplinary field that incorporates biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, earth science, atmospheric science, mathematics, and geography.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), EE is critical in instilling an inherent respect for nature in society and increasing public environmental awareness. UNESCO emphasizes the role of EE in ensuring future global developments of societal quality of life (QOL) through environmental protection, poverty eradication, inequity reduction, and the assurance of sustainable development (UNESCO, 2014a).

Environmental education does not advocate for a specific point of view or course of action. Rather, environmental education teaches people how to weigh different sides of an issue using critical thinking, and it improves their problem-solving and decision-making abilities. It is the study of the interactions and relationships between natural and human systems. In short, environmental education is provided so that people can have a better understanding of the world around them and know how to properly care for it, thereby making the world a better place.

The term frequently refers to education in the school system, from primary to postsecondary. However, it can sometimes refer to all efforts to educate the general public and other audiences, such as print materials, websites, media campaigns, and so on. There are also methods for teaching environmental education outside of the traditional classroom. Aquariums, zoos, parks, and nature centers all provide opportunities for the public to learn about the environment.

Environmental education focuses on:

1. Engaging citizens of all demographics in order to;

2. Consider environmental issues critically, ethically, and creatively;

3. Make informed decisions about environmental issues;

4. Develop the skills and commitment to act independently and collaboratively to sustain and improve the environment; and

5. To increase their environmental awareness, resulting in positive environmental behavior change.

Plane Company to Operate 18,000 Ghost Flights to Keep Landing Slots

The cost of carbon emissions to global economies has been determined to be 4 times higher than it was 10 years ago, polar bears must travel farther for food as sea ice melts, major atlantic ocean current system may be close to collapse, new study indicates, vital components of a business plan, sample cover letter for sending documents, thrown away, world’s first flying jet motorcycle just completed prototype test flight, discuss on voraxial separator, refined coal, latest post, mid-ocean ridge (mor), harnessing hydrogen at the genesis of life, ngc 5728’s faint characteristics are exposed, astronomers discover the oldest black hole ever observed, atomic hydrogen welding, variable-frequency transformer (vft).

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts .

Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators: Ecosystems

Find an array of environmental and science based lesson plans, activities and ideas below from EPA, other federal agencies and external organizations.  ​ Encontrar recursos para estudiantes y maestros.

Topics: Air | Climate Change | Ecosystems | Energy | Health | Waste | Water

Nature's Benefits:  The Card Game This card game is a fun way to teach important lessons about ecosystems. Players explore how people benefit from nature, how our actions impact the benefits we receive, and how working together can sustain benefits for everyone. The Teacher Planning Guide is developed for 8th grade level (adaptable for 6th - 12th grade levels), anchored to the North Carolina Essential Science and the Advanced Placement Environmental Science standards. Grades : 6-12 Type of Resource : Card Game and Teacher Planning Guide 

America's Wetlands   This resource will give you a better understanding of the rich variety of wetlands, their importance, how they are threatened, and what can be done to conserve them for future generations. Grades : 9-12 Type of Resource : Website

Coral Reef Protection: What are coral reefs? Explore EPA's resources on coral reef protection to learn why coral reefs are important and what is being done to protect them. Grades : 6-12 Type of Resource : Website

EnviroAtlas Ecosystems such as forests and wetlands provide many essential benefits, including clean air and water, food, fiber, and recreational opportunities. The benefits people receive from nature, called "ecosystem goods and services,” are critically important to human health and well-being, but they are often overlooked due to lack of information. EnviroAtlas is a freely available web-based resource that combines an interactive mapping application, analysis tools, and interpretive information on ecosystem goods and services. EnviroAtlas allows users to visually interpret ecosystem services and understand how they can be conserved and enhanced.  Grades : K-12 Type of Resource : Website

EnviroAtlas: Intro to Ecosystem Services This suite of six mini-lessons introduces the concept of ecosystem services in a blended learning format. Each lesson can be completed in 30 minutes or less, and combined, use technology, get students outdoors, and engage students in hands-on activities. Grades : 4-6 Type of Resource : Lesson Plans

EnviroAtlas: Building a Greenway This interdisciplinary learning module promotes student discovery using available maps and data, engaging students to be collaborative decision-makers. This case study is intended for secondary education, undergraduate, and community education/engagement programs. Grades : 9-12+ Type of Resource : Lesson Plans

Estuaries: Fundamentals What is an estuary? Why are estuaries important? Find core information from EPA on estuaries and the National Estuary Program. Grades : 9-12 Type of Resource : Website

Hazardous Waste and Ecosystems A classroom activity to help students recognize that hazardous waste may have far-reaching impacts on ecosystems and that these impacts are not always easy to identify.   Grades : 9-12 Type of Resource : Lesson plan

Save Our Species: Endangered Species Coloring Book   Coloring book about endangered species. Grades : K-5 Type of Resource : Activity book

Wetlands Education Everything you need to help your student understand wetlands and how they fit into the water cycle and the environment. A portal site of links to activities, curriculum, education programs, resources and teaching tools to assist you in wetlands and habitat education. Grades : K-12 Type of Resource : Website, curriculum guides, teaching tools

The following links exit the site

Dig In  Explore a world of possibilities in the garden and on your plate using ten inquiry-based lessons that engage 5th and 6th graders in growing, harvesting, tasting, and learning about fruits and vegetables. Grades : 5-6 Type of Resource : Lesson plans 

Everglades National Park for Teachers Are you interested in teaching your students about the Florida Everglades? Check out this site to find activities and background information that will help you tell the story of this fascinating natural ecosystem. Even if you don't live near the Everglades, you will find valuable information that can be applied to many ecosystems throughout the country. Grades : All

Resources To Learn More About Endangered Species From the Fish and Wildlife Service, a list of materials that may give you some ideas to help a species near you get on its road to recovery, because recovery is the ultimate goal for each threatened and endangered species. Grades : All

NASA Educational Resources   Search NASA for teaching materials on: earth science, general science, history, math, physical science, and space science. Grades : K-12 Type of Resource : Searchable database of teaching materials

National Estuarine Research Reserve System K-12 Educator Resources Estuaries, where rivers meet the sea, are fascinating ecosystems. Find out about what makes estuaries special, the threats to estuarine ecosystems and explore estuaries around the U.S. Grades : 9-12

National Wetlands Research Center This site from the U.S. Geologic Survey explores the many factors that affect wetland health, and provides resources for teachers on preserving our wetlands. Grades : 9-12

National Park Service Education Resources Classroom materials, field trip opportunities and professional development programs for educators from the National Park Service. Grades : All

NOAA Fisheries Education Educational resources about coasts and ocean life. Grades : 6-8

Teachers on the Public Lands/ Hands on the Land Hands on the Land partnerships provide hands-on field experiences, such as citizen science and environmental monitoring projects, that connect the next generation to our forests, parks, waterways, and wildlife refuges. Grades : All Type of Resource : Website

The USDA Farm to School Planning Toolkit The kit is designed for use by schools, school districts, and community partners and filled with tips and examples, insights from others, and lists of resources for further research. It guides you through questions to consider and helpful resources to reference when starting or growing a farm to school program Grades : All Type of Resource : Planning Toolkit

U.S. Forest Service Education Toolbox The Educator Toolbox from the U.S. Forest Service is jam-packed with helpful resources to make your challenging job just a little easier. Here you will find background resources to help you understand forests and grasslands, professional development opportunities and resources, and a collection of great materials and programs organized by grade-level. Grades : K-12 Type of Resource : Toolkit

Where Rivers Meet the Sea This game depicts the ecosystem of an estuary on the west coast of the United States. To succeed, players must learn about the factors that produce healthy estuaries, food webs, and why estuaries are essential to both ocean life and to humans. Find related curriculum, tutorials, and classroom resources. Grades : 9-12 Type of Resource : Online Game

Wildlife Fact Sheets From the Fish and Wildlife Service, basic information about species of regular public interest. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the factsheets. Grades : 9-12

EPA Publications

EPA has many publications on every environmental subject that you can download or order. See our predefined searches below on specific search terms to help you view our publication offerings from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP).

Predefined Search Terms:

• Activity Book
• Coloring Books
• Environmental Education
• Science Fair
• Students Home
• Classroom Resources and Project Ideas
• Homework Help and Activities for K-12 Students

20 Most Common Environmental Educator Interview Questions and Answers

Common Environmental Educator interview questions, how to answer them, and sample answers from a certified career coach.

Are you passionate about environmental education and looking for a job in the field? Congratulations on taking that first step!

The next step is prepping for your interview. It’s important to do your homework before heading into an interview, especially if you want to make sure you stand out from other candidates. Knowing what questions to expect can help you craft compelling answers that will show off your skills and experience. To get you started, here are some of the most common environmental educator interview questions and advice on how to answer them.

• What strategies do you use to engage students in environmental education?
• Describe a lesson plan or activity that you have designed for teaching about the environment.
• How do you ensure that your lessons are culturally relevant and inclusive of all learners?
• Explain how you would incorporate technology into an environmental education program.
• Are you familiar with current environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution?
• What methods do you use to assess student learning in environmental education?
• How do you create meaningful connections between classroom instruction and field experiences?
• What is your experience working with community partners on environmental projects?
• How do you handle difficult questions from students about environmental topics?
• Describe a time when you had to adjust a lesson plan due to unexpected changes in the environment.
• What strategies do you use to motivate students to take action on environmental issues?
• Do you have any experience developing virtual programs for environmental education?
• How do you make sure that your lessons are age-appropriate and engaging for different grade levels?
• What techniques do you use to help students understand complex scientific concepts related to the environment?
• How do you encourage critical thinking skills among students when discussing environmental topics?
• What do you think are the most important elements of effective environmental education?
• How do you involve parents and guardians in environmental education initiatives?
• What challenges have you faced while teaching about the environment?
• How do you stay up to date on new developments in environmental science?
• Describe a successful environmental project you have led in the past.

1. What strategies do you use to engage students in environmental education?

It’s essential for an environmental educator to be able to engage students in a way that’s fun, interesting, and meaningful. This question is designed to assess your ability to connect with students and foster their interest in environmental topics. Your answer should demonstrate your creativity, enthusiasm, and knowledge of best practices for engaging students in environmental education.

How to Answer:

The best way to answer this question is to provide specific examples of strategies you’ve used in the past. You can talk about how you use hands-on activities, field trips, or multimedia resources to engage students. If you have experience teaching online, discuss how you use virtual tools and platforms to create interactive experiences for students. Additionally, explain how you tailor your approach to different age groups and learning styles. Finally, emphasize your enthusiasm for environmental education and your commitment to inspiring young people to take action on climate change.

Example: “I believe that the best way to engage students in environmental education is through experiential learning. I like to use hands-on activities, field trips, and multimedia resources to bring topics to life for my students. For example, when teaching about water conservation, I’ve taken my classes on a field trip to a local creek to observe macroinvertebrates and discuss how humans impact aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, I make sure to tailor my approach to different age groups and learning styles—for younger students, I focus on interactive games and stories; for older students, I emphasize critical thinking skills and scientific research. Above all, I strive to inspire my students to take action and become agents of change for our planet.”

2. Describe a lesson plan or activity that you have designed for teaching about the environment.

An environmental educator will need to be able to create engaging and informative lessons and activities that can teach their students about the environment. An interviewer will ask this question to gauge your level of creativity in designing lessons and activities, as well as your knowledge of the subject. It also gives them a chance to see if your teaching methods align with the school or organization’s mission and goals.

When answering this question, you should focus on a lesson plan or activity that you have designed in the past. Talk about what objectives it was meant to meet, how you incorporated different learning styles into the activity, and any feedback you received from students or colleagues. If possible, provide an example of a lesson plan or activity that you created so the interviewer can get a better understanding of your teaching style.

Example: “I recently developed a lesson plan for teaching high school students about the impacts of climate change on their local environment. I used visual aids to help explain the science behind global warming, and then led an interactive activity where students could explore how certain environmental changes might affect their own lives. I also researched cultural backgrounds and experiences that were relevant to my lesson plan, so I could ensure that all students had access to the same information. By the end of the lesson, everyone had a much better understanding of the effects of climate change—and they left feeling empowered to make a difference in their community.”

3. How do you ensure that your lessons are culturally relevant and inclusive of all learners?

Environmental education is about connecting people to the natural world, and that means understanding the diverse backgrounds and experiences of your students and tailoring your teaching to make sure everyone has access to the same information. This question shows that you understand the importance of being inclusive and that you have the skills to create lesson plans that are engaging and accessible.

You should be prepared to talk about your experience in teaching diverse groups of people and how you have tailored lessons to meet the needs of different learners. Talk about any strategies you have used, such as using visual aids or incorporating hands-on activities, to make sure everyone is able to understand the material. You can also mention any research you’ve done into cultural backgrounds and experiences that may be relevant to your lesson plans.

Example: “I understand the importance of making sure my lessons are culturally relevant and accessible to all learners. I have experience teaching diverse groups in both urban and rural settings, so I’m familiar with the challenges that come with engaging a wide range of students. In order to make sure everyone is able to understand and participate in my lessons, I use a variety of interactive activities like field trips, visual aids, and hands-on demonstrations. Additionally, I always do research prior to each lesson to ensure that I am aware of any cultural considerations or experiences that may be important for my students to know about. This helps me create an inclusive learning environment where everyone feels comfortable participating.”

4. Explain how you would incorporate technology into an environmental education program.

Technology has changed the way we learn and interact with information. Environmental educators need to be able to use technology to engage their students and provide them with more interactive learning opportunities. In this digital age, it is important for educators to be familiar with the latest technology trends and be able to apply them to their teaching. This question is a great way for the interviewer to determine your level of technological knowledge and ability to think outside the box.

Begin by discussing your experience with technology and how you have used it to enhance learning in the past. Talk about any specific software or apps that you are familiar with, as well as any new technologies that you’re interested in exploring. Explain how you would use these tools to create an engaging and interactive program for students. Finally, discuss how you would incorporate technology into the curriculum to ensure that students understand the concepts being taught.

Example: “I believe that technology can be a great tool for environmental education. I have experience using various software programs and apps in my teaching, such as educational games, virtual field trips, and simulations. I would use these tools to create an interactive program that engages students while they learn about the environment. Additionally, I would incorporate online lectures and discussions into the curriculum, so that students can engage with each other even when they’re not in the classroom. Finally, I would provide resources like videos and articles to ensure that students understand complex concepts related to the environment.”

5. Are you familiar with current environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution?

Environmental educators must understand the current state of the planet’s environment in order to effectively educate their audience on ways to protect it. Knowing the details of these issues will also help you craft effective lesson plans and activities to engage your students and help them understand the importance of environmentalism.

Yes, I am familiar with current environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. I have studied them extensively in my academic career and stay up to date on the latest research and news about these topics. Additionally, I have volunteered for several organizations dedicated to raising awareness of these issues, so I am well-versed in their causes and potential solutions.

Example: “I have a deep understanding of the environmental issues facing our planet today. I keep up with the latest news and research to stay informed about climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. As an environmental educator, I strive to empower my students to make positive changes in their own lives and communities that will help protect the environment. I use creative lesson plans and activities to engage them and inspire them to take action.”

6. What methods do you use to assess student learning in environmental education?

Assessing student learning is an important part of any educator’s job. It helps the educator understand how well their students are understanding the material and allows them to make adjustments to their lesson plans if needed. As an environmental educator, it’s important to have a good understanding of how to assess student understanding of the environment and their impact on it. This question will allow the interviewer to understand how well you understand the needs of your students and how you plan to address them.

When answering this question, be sure to mention specific methods you use to assess student learning. You could discuss using pre- and post-tests, observation checklists, or surveys as a way to measure student understanding of the material. You could also talk about how you use formative assessments such as group activities, discussions, and writing assignments to gauge student comprehension. Additionally, you can explain how you use data from these assessments to inform your lesson plans and adjust them accordingly.

Example: “In my current role as an environmental educator, I use a variety of methods to assess student learning. I often utilize pre- and post-tests to measure how much students have learned about the environment. Additionally, I use observation checklists to monitor student understanding during activities. I also administer surveys at the end of each lesson to gauge student comprehension. As part of my assessment process, I also use formative assessments such as group activities, discussions, and writing assignments to determine what areas need more attention or further exploration. Lastly, I use data from all these assessments to inform my lesson plans and make necessary adjustments.”

7. How do you create meaningful connections between classroom instruction and field experiences?

Environmental educators have to be able to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and outdoor field experiences. They need to create meaningful connections between the two, ensuring that students understand the importance of what they’re learning. This question helps the interviewer get a better sense of your ability to do that.

To answer this question, focus on how you’ve been able to create a connection between classroom instruction and field experiences in the past. Talk about specific strategies that you use to make sure students understand why they’re learning something and how it applies to their lives. You can also discuss any activities or projects you’ve done with your students to help them gain a better understanding of the environment around them.

Example: “I believe that the best way to create meaningful connections between classroom instruction and field experiences is through hands-on learning. I’ve designed activities for my students where they are able to apply the knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom to real-world situations. For example, I took a group of students out into the local park and had them observe different animal behaviors, keeping track of their observations on data sheets. This allowed them to see how their understanding of the scientific concepts we discussed in class applied to the environment around them.”

8. What is your experience working with community partners on environmental projects?

Environmental educators often work with a variety of stakeholders, from local schools and universities to government agencies and community groups, to promote sustainability and conservation. Demonstrating your ability to collaborate with these partners to achieve shared goals is key to succeeding in this role. Interviewers will want to know that you have the experience and interpersonal skills to be successful.

To answer this question, you should talk about your experience with engaging and motivating different stakeholders in the community. You can discuss any projects or initiatives you have led that involved working with multiple partners. Be sure to highlight any successes or challenges you faced in those roles and how you overcame them. Additionally, mention any communication strategies you employed to ensure everyone was on the same page throughout the project.

Example: “I have extensive experience working with community partners on environmental projects. In my most recent role as an environmental educator for a local non-profit, I was responsible for developing and leading a series of sustainability workshops for elementary school students. To do this, I worked closely with teachers, administrators, and community leaders to ensure that the program was successful. I was able to leverage my communication and interpersonal skills to build a shared understanding of the project’s goals, and I was able to successfully engage participants in the workshops. My experience in this role has given me the skills and confidence to lead similar projects in the future.”

9. How do you handle difficult questions from students about environmental topics?

Environmental education is a unique field because it can be a sensitive subject for many people. Students may have questions that are difficult to answer. This question will help the interviewer assess your ability to think on your feet, field tough questions, and respond in an appropriate and professional way. It also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Start by emphasizing your ability to remain calm and professional when faced with difficult questions. Show that you understand the importance of providing accurate information while also being respectful of different perspectives on environmental topics. Talk about how you handle challenging questions in a way that is both informative and non-judgmental. If you have any examples from past experiences, feel free to share those as well.

Example: “I have a lot of experience working with students on environmental topics, and I understand that not all students will have the same opinions and perspectives. My approach is to be respectful and non-judgmental, while also providing accurate information. I also make sure to emphasize that everyone has a role to play in protecting the environment, no matter what their individual beliefs and opinions are. For example, I recently had a student ask me why it was important to reduce plastic waste. I was able to explain the environmental impacts of plastic pollution in a way that was both informative and respectful, and we were able to have a productive discussion about how everyone can do their part to reduce plastic waste.”

10. Describe a time when you had to adjust a lesson plan due to unexpected changes in the environment.

Environmental Educators often have to be flexible and adaptable when it comes to teaching. The environment is constantly changing, so it’s important that you are able to adjust to unexpected changes and still deliver a successful lesson. Interviewers may ask this question to gain insight into your problem-solving skills and your ability to remain calm and composed in challenging situations.

To answer this question, think of a time when you had to adjust your lesson plan due to unexpected changes in the environment. Explain what happened and how you responded to the situation. Describe the steps you took to make sure the lesson was still successful. Be sure to focus on how you remained calm and composed under pressure and how you were able to quickly come up with a solution that worked.

Example: “Last summer, I was teaching a lesson on local wildlife when a storm rolled in and threatened to ruin our plans. I had to quickly adjust my lesson plan to take the change in environment into account. I moved the class inside and came up with an alternate lesson plan that focused on the animals that can be found in the area during different weather conditions. I was able to keep the students engaged and focused, and everyone left with a better understanding of the local wildlife and its habits. I think this experience shows my ability to think on my feet and adapt to whatever environment I’m in.”

11. What strategies do you use to motivate students to take action on environmental issues?

Environmental education is not just about imparting knowledge—it’s also about inspiring people to take action. This question helps the interviewer understand how well you can use your teaching methods to motivate students to make environmentally friendly choices. It also gives you the chance to talk about how you use creative approaches to engage students and help them see the importance of the issues they are learning about.

Start by talking about how you use real-world examples to help students understand the importance of environmental issues. You can also talk about how you make lessons fun and interactive, such as using games or hands-on activities to engage students in the subject matter. Additionally, discuss how you encourage student involvement in projects that directly address environmental issues, such as volunteering at a local park or planting trees in the community. Finally, be sure to emphasize your commitment to helping students develop an understanding of their role in preserving the environment for future generations.

Example: “I believe it’s important to make environmental education engaging and fun, so I use interactive activities and real-world examples to help students understand the importance of the issues we’re discussing. I also try to get students involved in projects that directly address environmental issues, such as volunteering at a local park or planting trees in the community. I want to help students develop an understanding of their role in preserving the environment for future generations, and I’m committed to motivating them to take action on environmental issues.”

12. Do you have any experience developing virtual programs for environmental education?

With the pandemic, many organizations have had to adapt their programs to a virtual platform. This question is a way to gauge your ability to develop and deliver virtual programs and to understand your experience with virtual programs. The interviewer wants to know that you have the necessary skills and experience to develop, deliver, and evaluate virtual environmental education programs.

To answer this question, it’s important to highlight any relevant experience you have developing virtual programs for environmental education. Talk about the types of programs you have developed and how you went about creating them. If you don’t have any direct experience with virtual programs, talk about your transferable skills such as your ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies or platforms. You can also talk about other experiences that demonstrate your knowledge of environmental education and your commitment to delivering quality educational programs.

Example: “I have significant experience developing and delivering virtual programs for environmental education. I have developed and delivered virtual programs for a variety of audiences, ranging from elementary school students to adults. I have experience creating interactive activities, videos, and digital resources to engage participants in the virtual environment. I also have experience using a variety of technology platforms and tools to facilitate virtual programs. Additionally, I have experience developing evaluation plans to assess the effectiveness of the programs.”

13. How do you make sure that your lessons are age-appropriate and engaging for different grade levels?

Environmental education is a unique field that requires a blend of knowledge and enthusiasm. An interviewer wants to know that you understand the needs of students at different grade levels and can create a lesson plan that is both age-appropriate and engaging. They also want to know that you have the ability to make complex environmental concepts understandable and interesting to any age group.

To answer this question, you should discuss your experience working with different age groups and how you tailor lessons to meet their needs. You can also talk about the methods you use to engage students in learning, such as hands-on activities, visuals, or multimedia presentations. Finally, emphasize that you understand the importance of making sure that each lesson is relevant to the age group’s understanding level and interests.

Example: “I have experience teaching environmental education to students of all ages, from kindergarteners to high schoolers. I know that each age group has different interests and abilities, so I make sure to tailor my lessons accordingly. For younger students, I focus on introducing basic concepts in an engaging and understandable way. I use visuals and hands-on activities to help students understand the material. For older students, I focus on more complex concepts and try to make them relevant to their lives. I also use multimedia presentations to keep them engaged and ensure that they understand the concepts. Ultimately, my goal is to make sure that each lesson is age-appropriate, relevant, and engaging for each group I work with.”

14. What techniques do you use to help students understand complex scientific concepts related to the environment?

Environmental education is about more than just facts and figures; it’s about helping students understand the importance of environmental issues in their lives and how they can make a difference. Interviewers will want to know that you have a variety of techniques to teach complex concepts to young learners in an engaging and meaningful way.

To answer this question, think about the methods you use to help students understand and retain information. You can talk about how you use hands-on activities, visual aids, or interactive games to bring concepts to life for your students. You can also mention any special techniques you have used in the past that were particularly successful. Finally, emphasize your passion for teaching and your commitment to helping students learn in a way that is both fun and educational.

Example: “I believe that environmental education should be an engaging and meaningful experience for students. My goal is to make complex scientific concepts accessible for young learners, so I use a variety of techniques to do that. I often incorporate hands-on activities, like creating model ecosystems or conducting experiments, to help students understand the concepts. I also use visual aids, like diagrams and videos, to illustrate key points. I also like to incorporate games or other interactive activities to make learning fun and memorable. I’m passionate about helping students understand the importance of environmental issues and I’m committed to making learning about the environment both engaging and educational.”

15. How do you encourage critical thinking skills among students when discussing environmental topics?

Environmental educators need to help students understand how to think critically about the environment and how to develop their own ideas about it. This question is designed to see if you understand how to engage students in thinking about environmental issues on a deeper level and how to foster a sense of curiosity and exploration.

To answer this question, you should focus on how you use teaching strategies to help students think more deeply about environmental topics. For example, you could talk about how you scaffold activities and lessons by introducing a concept and then building upon it with each successive lesson. You can also talk about how you use discussion-based learning or hands-on activities to engage students in the material. Finally, emphasize that you create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and exploring their own ideas and theories.

Example: “I believe that the best way to encourage critical thinking skills among students when discussing environmental topics is to create a learning environment in which students feel empowered to form their own opinions and theories. I like to use a combination of discussion-based learning and hands-on activities to engage students in the material. I also use scaffolding techniques to introduce concepts and then build upon them with each successive lesson. I also make sure to create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and exploring their own ideas. By creating a space where students can safely express their thoughts and ideas, I believe that I can foster a sense of curiosity and exploration that will help them develop their critical thinking skills.”

16. What do you think are the most important elements of effective environmental education?

Environmental education is a complex and nuanced field that requires an understanding of the science behind the issues, as well as an ability to effectively communicate those issues to a variety of audiences. An effective environmental educator has to be able to explain the science behind the issues, as well as inspire people to make changes in their lives to protect the environment. This question is a way for the interviewer to gauge your understanding of the field and your ability to communicate it to others.

When answering this question, you should focus on the three core elements of effective environmental education: scientific understanding, communication skills, and inspiring action. You can discuss how an effective environmental educator must have a deep understanding of the science behind the issues they are teaching about, as well as be able to effectively communicate that information in ways that are engaging and understandable to their audience. Finally, it is important for an environmental educator to inspire people to take action to protect the environment, whether through individual lifestyle changes or advocating for policy change.

Example: “I believe that the three most important elements of effective environmental education are scientific understanding, communication skills, and inspiring action. A good environmental educator must have a deep understanding of the science behind the issues they are teaching about, as well as be able to effectively communicate that information in ways that are engaging and understandable to their audience. Finally, it is important for an environmental educator to inspire people to take action to protect the environment, whether through individual lifestyle changes or advocating for policy change. This requires an understanding of the political and social implications of environmental issues, as well as an ability to motivate others to take action.”

17. How do you involve parents and guardians in environmental education initiatives?

Environmental education initiatives often require a team effort and the involvement of many stakeholders. Parents and guardians are important stakeholders, as they are often the decision makers when it comes to their children’s education and can serve as powerful advocates for environmental initiatives. This question allows the interviewer to get a sense of your ability to engage with multiple stakeholders and build relationships.

To answer this question, you should talk about the ways that you have successfully engaged with parents and guardians in the past. For example, you could discuss how you organized informational meetings to introduce environmental initiatives to parents and guardians, or how you created interactive activities for children and their families to do together. You can also talk about how you used social media, newsletters, and other platforms to keep parents and guardians informed of upcoming events and activities related to environmental education initiatives.

Example: “I believe that involving parents and guardians in environmental education initiatives is essential for success. In my role as an environmental educator, I have found that the best way to engage parents and guardians is to make the initiatives fun and interactive. I often organize field trips and interactive activities, such as nature walks and birdwatching, that can be done with children and their families. I also use social media platforms to keep parents and guardians informed of upcoming events and activities, and I regularly send out newsletters to remind them to get involved. I also make sure to set up meetings with parents and guardians to discuss the initiatives and answer any questions they may have. By doing this, I have been able to get parents and guardians involved and excited about environmental education initiatives, which has been key to their success.”

18. What challenges have you faced while teaching about the environment?

It’s important for environmental educators to understand the challenges of the job and how to work through them. Teaching about the environment can be a difficult task, and an interviewer will want to know that you’re prepared to handle the unique challenges that come with educating about the environment. They’ll want to know that you can stay positive, creative, and passionate about the subject in the face of any difficulties.

Talk about any challenges you’ve faced while teaching about the environment, such as working with limited resources or having to adjust your lesson plans for different age groups. You can also discuss how you overcame these challenges and what strategies you used to ensure that students were still engaged in learning. Be sure to emphasize your ability to stay positive and creative even when facing difficult situations.

Example: “One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced while teaching about the environment is making sure that students of all ages and backgrounds can understand the information I’m presenting. To overcome this, I’ve had to become very creative in the way I teach. For example, I’ve used interactive activities, multimedia, and hands-on experiments to make the subject more engaging and relatable. I’ve also made sure to focus on the positive aspects of environmental education, such as the potential for positive change and the importance of taking care of our planet. This has helped to keep my students motivated and engaged in learning about the environment.”

19. How do you stay up to date on new developments in environmental science?

Environmental science is a rapidly changing field, and staying on top of the latest research and developments is key to being an effective environmental educator. Interviewers want to know that you stay informed and have a good understanding of the latest trends and research in the field in order to provide students and other stakeholders with the most up-to-date information.

To answer this question, you should be prepared to discuss the methods and resources you use to stay informed on environmental science. Examples might include subscribing to industry newsletters or magazines, attending conferences and seminars, reading scientific journals, following experts in the field on social media, or taking online courses. You can also talk about how you share information with your students by bringing in guest speakers, creating lesson plans based on current research, or having students conduct their own research projects.

Example: “I take staying up to date on the latest developments in environmental science very seriously. I subscribe to several industry newsletters and magazines, attend conferences and seminars, and read scientific journals. I also use social media to follow experts in the field and take online courses to stay informed. I also make sure to share that knowledge with my students by bringing in guest speakers, creating lesson plans based on current research, and having students conduct their own research projects. This ensures that my students are getting the most up-to-date information available.”

20. Describe a successful environmental project you have led in the past.

Interviewers want to know that you have the ability to plan and execute successful environmental projects. This question gives you the opportunity to showcase your experience, knowledge, and skills in the field. By talking about a specific project, you can demonstrate how you identified a problem, developed a strategy to address it, and implemented the plan. Your answer should also reflect how you were able to engage and motivate others to help you achieve your goals.

Begin your answer by talking about the project you chose to discuss. Explain what the project was, why it was important, and how it addressed an environmental issue. Then go into detail about the steps you took to plan and execute the project. Be sure to mention any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Finally, talk about how successful the project was in terms of its impact on the environment and how it engaged others in the cause.

Example: “I recently led a project to reduce plastic waste in my community. I identified that plastic waste was a major problem in our area and worked with local businesses and community members to develop a plan to reduce the amount of plastic being used. We created a campaign to encourage people to switch to reusable bags, held workshops to teach people how to make their own reusable bags, and worked with local stores to provide discounts on reusable bags. The project was a huge success and resulted in a significant reduction in plastic waste in our community. We also received a lot of positive feedback from local businesses and community members about the project, which was very rewarding.”

20 Interim Manager Interview Questions and Answers

20 must-know content analyst interview questions (with answers), you may also be interested in..., 30 buyers agent interview questions and answers, 30 fire lookout interview questions and answers, 30 babysitter interview questions and answers, 30 telephone triage nurse interview questions and answers.

• Columbia University in the City of New York
• Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation
• University Policies
• Columbia Online
• Academic Calendar
• Resources and Technology
• Instructional Technologies
• Teaching in All Modalities

Designing Assignments for Learning

The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning meant that many instructors reimagined their assessment practices. Whether adapting existing assignments or creatively designing new opportunities for their students to learn, instructors focused on helping students make meaning and demonstrate their learning outside of the traditional, face-to-face classroom setting. This resource distills the elements of assignment design that are important to carry forward as we continue to seek better ways of assessing learning and build on our innovative assignment designs.

On this page:

Rethinking traditional tests, quizzes, and exams.

• Examples from the Columbia University Classroom
• Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

Reflect On Your Assignment Design

Connect with the ctl.

• Resources and References

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2021). Designing Assignments for Learning. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/designing-assignments/

Traditional assessments tend to reveal whether students can recognize, recall, or replicate what was learned out of context, and tend to focus on students providing correct responses (Wiggins, 1990). In contrast, authentic assignments, which are course assessments, engage students in higher order thinking, as they grapple with real or simulated challenges that help them prepare for their professional lives, and draw on the course knowledge learned and the skills acquired to create justifiable answers, performances or products (Wiggins, 1990). An authentic assessment provides opportunities for students to practice, consult resources, learn from feedback, and refine their performances and products accordingly (Wiggins 1990, 1998, 2014). 

Authentic assignments ask students to “do” the subject with an audience in mind and apply their learning in a new situation. Examples of authentic assignments include asking students to: 

• Write for a real audience (e.g., a memo, a policy brief, letter to the editor, a grant proposal, reports, building a website) and/or publication;
• Solve problem sets that have real world application; 
• Design projects that address a real world problem; 
• Engage in a community-partnered research project;
• Create an exhibit, performance, or conference presentation ;
• Compile and reflect on their work through a portfolio/e-portfolio.

Noteworthy elements of authentic designs are that instructors scaffold the assignment, and play an active role in preparing students for the tasks assigned, while students are intentionally asked to reflect on the process and product of their work thus building their metacognitive skills (Herrington and Oliver, 2000; Ashford-Rowe, Herrington and Brown, 2013; Frey, Schmitt, and Allen, 2012). 

It’s worth noting here that authentic assessments can initially be time consuming to design, implement, and grade. They are critiqued for being challenging to use across course contexts and for grading reliability issues (Maclellan, 2004). Despite these challenges, authentic assessments are recognized as beneficial to student learning (Svinicki, 2004) as they are learner-centered (Weimer, 2013), promote academic integrity (McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, 2021; Sotiriadou et al., 2019; Schroeder, 2021) and motivate students to learn (Ambrose et al., 2010). The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning is always available to consult with faculty who are considering authentic assessment designs and to discuss challenges and affordances.   

Examples from the Columbia University Classroom 

Columbia instructors have experimented with alternative ways of assessing student learning from oral exams to technology-enhanced assignments. Below are a few examples of authentic assignments in various teaching contexts across Columbia University. 

• E-portfolios: Statia Cook shares her experiences with an ePorfolio assignment in her co-taught Frontiers of Science course (a submission to the Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning initiative); CUIMC use of ePortfolios ;
• Case studies: Columbia instructors have engaged their students in authentic ways through case studies drawing on the Case Consortium at Columbia University. Read and watch a faculty spotlight to learn how Professor Mary Ann Price uses the case method to place pre-med students in real-life scenarios;
• Simulations: students at CUIMC engage in simulations to develop their professional skills in The Mary & Michael Jaharis Simulation Center in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center in the Columbia School of Nursing; 
• Experiential learning: instructors have drawn on New York City as a learning laboratory such as Barnard’s NYC as Lab webpage which highlights courses that engage students in NYC;
• Design projects that address real world problems: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy on the Engineering design projects completed using lab kits during remote learning. Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy talk about his teaching and read the Columbia News article . 
• Writing assignments: Lia Marshall and her teaching associate Aparna Balasundaram reflect on their “non-disposable or renewable assignments” to prepare social work students for their professional lives as they write for a real audience; and Hannah Weaver spoke about a sandbox assignment used in her Core Literature Humanities course at the 2021 Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium . Watch Dr. Weaver share her experiences.  

​Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

While designing an effective authentic assignment may seem like a daunting task, the following tips can be used as a starting point. See the Resources section for frameworks and tools that may be useful in this effort.  

Align the assignment with your course learning objectives 

Identify the kind of thinking that is important in your course, the knowledge students will apply, and the skills they will practice using through the assignment. What kind of thinking will students be asked to do for the assignment? What will students learn by completing this assignment? How will the assignment help students achieve the desired course learning outcomes? For more information on course learning objectives, see the CTL’s Course Design Essentials self-paced course and watch the video on Articulating Learning Objectives .  

Identify an authentic meaning-making task

For meaning-making to occur, students need to understand the relevance of the assignment to the course and beyond (Ambrose et al., 2010). To Bean (2011) a “meaning-making” or “meaning-constructing” task has two dimensions: 1) it presents students with an authentic disciplinary problem or asks students to formulate their own problems, both of which engage them in active critical thinking, and 2) the problem is placed in “a context that gives students a role or purpose, a targeted audience, and a genre.” (Bean, 2011: 97-98). 

An authentic task gives students a realistic challenge to grapple with, a role to take on that allows them to “rehearse for the complex ambiguities” of life, provides resources and supports to draw on, and requires students to justify their work and the process they used to inform their solution (Wiggins, 1990). Note that if students find an assignment interesting or relevant, they will see value in completing it. 

Consider the kind of activities in the real world that use the knowledge and skills that are the focus of your course. How is this knowledge and these skills applied to answer real-world questions to solve real-world problems? (Herrington et al., 2010: 22). What do professionals or academics in your discipline do on a regular basis? What does it mean to think like a biologist, statistician, historian, social scientist? How might your assignment ask students to draw on current events, issues, or problems that relate to the course and are of interest to them? How might your assignment tap into student motivation and engage them in the kinds of thinking they can apply to better understand the world around them? (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Determine the evaluation criteria and create a rubric

To ensure equitable and consistent grading of assignments across students, make transparent the criteria you will use to evaluate student work. The criteria should focus on the knowledge and skills that are central to the assignment. Build on the criteria identified, create a rubric that makes explicit the expectations of deliverables and share this rubric with your students so they can use it as they work on the assignment. For more information on rubrics, see the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics into Your Grading and Feedback Practices , and explore the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). 

Build in metacognition

Ask students to reflect on what and how they learned from the assignment. Help students uncover personal relevance of the assignment, find intrinsic value in their work, and deepen their motivation by asking them to reflect on their process and their assignment deliverable. Sample prompts might include: what did you learn from this assignment? How might you draw on the knowledge and skills you used on this assignment in the future? See Ambrose et al., 2010 for more strategies that support motivation and the CTL’s resource on Metacognition ). 

Provide students with opportunities to practice

Design your assignment to be a learning experience and prepare students for success on the assignment. If students can reasonably expect to be successful on an assignment when they put in the required effort ,with the support and guidance of the instructor, they are more likely to engage in the behaviors necessary for learning (Ambrose et al., 2010). Ensure student success by actively teaching the knowledge and skills of the course (e.g., how to problem solve, how to write for a particular audience), modeling the desired thinking, and creating learning activities that build up to a graded assignment. Provide opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills they will need for the assignment, whether through low-stakes in-class activities or homework activities that include opportunities to receive and incorporate formative feedback. For more information on providing feedback, see the CTL resource Feedback for Learning . 

Communicate about the assignment 

Share the purpose, task, audience, expectations, and criteria for the assignment. Students may have expectations about assessments and how they will be graded that is informed by their prior experiences completing high-stakes assessments, so be transparent. Tell your students why you are asking them to do this assignment, what skills they will be using, how it aligns with the course learning outcomes, and why it is relevant to their learning and their professional lives (i.e., how practitioners / professionals use the knowledge and skills in your course in real world contexts and for what purposes). Finally, verify that students understand what they need to do to complete the assignment. This can be done by asking students to respond to poll questions about different parts of the assignment, a “scavenger hunt” of the assignment instructions–giving students questions to answer about the assignment and having them work in small groups to answer the questions, or by having students share back what they think is expected of them.

Plan to iterate and to keep the focus on learning 

Draw on multiple sources of data to help make decisions about what changes are needed to the assignment, the assignment instructions, and/or rubric to ensure that it contributes to student learning. Explore assignment performance data. As Deandra Little reminds us: “a really good assignment, which is a really good assessment, also teaches you something or tells the instructor something. As much as it tells you what students are learning, it’s also telling you what they aren’t learning.” ( Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode 337 ). Assignment bottlenecks–where students get stuck or struggle–can be good indicators that students need further support or opportunities to practice prior to completing an assignment. This awareness can inform teaching decisions. 

Triangulate the performance data by collecting student feedback, and noting your own reflections about what worked well and what did not. Revise the assignment instructions, rubric, and teaching practices accordingly. Consider how you might better align your assignment with your course objectives and/or provide more opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills that they will rely on for the assignment. Additionally, keep in mind societal, disciplinary, and technological changes as you tweak your assignments for future use. 

Now is a great time to reflect on your practices and experiences with assignment design and think critically about your approach. Take a closer look at an existing assignment. Questions to consider include: What is this assignment meant to do? What purpose does it serve? Why do you ask students to do this assignment? How are they prepared to complete the assignment? Does the assignment assess the kind of learning that you really want? What would help students learn from this assignment? 

Using the tips in the previous section: How can the assignment be tweaked to be more authentic and meaningful to students? 

As you plan forward for post-pandemic teaching and reflect on your practices and reimagine your course design, you may find the following CTL resources helpful: Reflecting On Your Experiences with Remote Teaching , Transition to In-Person Teaching , and Course Design Support .

The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is here to help!

For assistance with assignment design, rubric design, or any other teaching and learning need, please request a consultation by emailing [email protected] . 

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework for assignments. The TILT Examples and Resources page ( https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources ) includes example assignments from across disciplines, as well as a transparent assignment template and a checklist for designing transparent assignments . Each emphasizes the importance of articulating to students the purpose of the assignment or activity, the what and how of the task, and specifying the criteria that will be used to assess students. 

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) offers VALUE ADD (Assignment Design and Diagnostic) tools ( https://www.aacu.org/value-add-tools ) to help with the creation of clear and effective assignments that align with the desired learning outcomes and associated VALUE rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). VALUE ADD encourages instructors to explicitly state assignment information such as the purpose of the assignment, what skills students will be using, how it aligns with course learning outcomes, the assignment type, the audience and context for the assignment, clear evaluation criteria, desired formatting, and expectations for completion whether individual or in a group.

Villarroel et al. (2017) propose a blueprint for building authentic assessments which includes four steps: 1) consider the workplace context, 2) design the authentic assessment; 3) learn and apply standards for judgement; and 4) give feedback. 

References 

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., & DiPietro, M. (2010). Chapter 3: What Factors Motivate Students to Learn? In How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching . Jossey-Bass. 

Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., and Brown, C. (2013). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 39(2), 205-222, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.819566 .  

Bean, J.C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom . Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. 

Frey, B. B, Schmitt, V. L., and Allen, J. P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. 17(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/sxbs-0829  

Herrington, J., Reeves, T. C., and Oliver, R. (2010). A Guide to Authentic e-Learning . Routledge. 

Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. 

Litchfield, B. C. and Dempsey, J. V. (2015). Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 142 (Summer 2015), 65-80. 

Maclellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 29(3), June 2004. DOI: 10.1080/0260293042000188267

McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, J. (2021). Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser! Faculty Focus. June 2, 2021. 

Mueller, J. (2005). The Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Enhancing Student Learning through Online Faculty Development . MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 1(1). July 2005. Mueller’s Authentic Assessment Toolbox is available online. 

Schroeder, R. (2021). Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment . Inside Higher Ed. (February 26, 2021).  

Sotiriadou, P., Logan, D., Daly, A., and Guest, R. (2019). The role of authentic assessment to preserve academic integrity and promote skills development and employability. Studies in Higher Education. 45(111), 2132-2148. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1582015    

Stachowiak, B. (Host). (November 25, 2020). Authentic Assignments with Deandra Little. (Episode 337). In Teaching in Higher Ed . https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/authentic-assignments/  

Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Authentic Assessment: Testing in Reality. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 100 (Winter 2004): 23-29. 

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S, Bruna, D., Bruna, C., and Herrera-Seda, C. (2017). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 43(5), 840-854. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396    

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice . Second Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Wiggins, G. (2014). Authenticity in assessment, (re-)defined and explained. Retrieved from https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/authenticity-in-assessment-re-defined-and-explained/

Wiggins, G. (1998). Teaching to the (Authentic) Test. Educational Leadership . April 1989. 41-47. 

Wiggins, Grant (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment . Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 2(2). 

Wondering how AI tools might play a role in your course assignments?

See the CTL’s resource “Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom.”

This website uses cookies to identify users, improve the user experience and requires cookies to work. By continuing to use this website, you consent to Columbia University's use of cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with the Columbia University Website Cookie Notice .

B.Ed assignment for Environmental Education in School Curriculum

• Post author By Bidya2003
• Post date April 25, 2022
• No Comments on B.Ed assignment for Environmental Education in School Curriculum

Opinion of Author

Environment education is the most important part of the current learning system. I studied different types of child psychology to gain a better understanding of the environment. This research helped me to identify differences between responsible behavior and more extreme behavior. UNESCO is the leader in education for sustainable development. Most education systems do not give students sufficient knowledge to adapt, act and respond to climate change and environmental crises, said UNESCO in a statement. Environmental education is very important for protecting the current environment. Ensuring our kids learn about the environment can help them develop good habits and thrive. While understanding the environment, it requires many disciplines. However, it teaches us to become more aware of our environment. As a teacher, I always find it interesting and stimulating.

In order to be the best teacher, I searched for different methods to teach awareness of the environment, although, each teacher has a view of their teaching method about what the core purpose of environmental education should be. What might be useful and valuable to having a great environmental education curriculum? Overall, it is beneficial to look at school from a holistic perspective. However, educators must be aware that children do not only learn information from their subject, but also learn life lessons as well. Teachers should learn how to work with others and acquire information so that children can learn faster. They have final validation of a curriculum in its results – did it help students achieve the desired outcomes? In order to keep progress moving forward, a comprehensive process with goals can be achieved, because environmental education is not only a subject of learning. This can provide to help children to develop an understanding of the environment and how to take care of it.

1.1 Introduction

Since 1930, certain aspects of environmental education have been incorporated into the Indian educational system. In addition, the “Kothari Commission” recommended that basic education includes EE (environment education) and should be based on the needs and aspirations of the nation and the people. At the primary level, the commission recommended students should learn the main facts, concepts, principles, and processes of the physical and biological environments. However, there are different approaches to environmental education at primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels current education.

Environmental education is an essential part of every student’s education because through its efforts, the environment is made more aware, resulting in informed concerns and active participation in resolving environmental problems. The purpose of EE is for children to gain familiarity with their surroundings and to develop their learning, abilities, values, experiences, and passions, all of which will enable them to act separately and collectively to address current and future environmental issues. It is interdisciplinary and the subjects covered are both natural science and social science. We should examine environmental issues using a variety of time scales, including short-term to long-term effects, local to global effects, and local to international levels as appropriate.

1.2 Aims & Objectives of environmental education

During learning experiences, learners interact with their environment and react to external circumstances in order to acquire new knowledge. In Environmental Education, we promote a healthy relationship between human beings and all the elements of the natural world. Public awareness of environmental issues is a central objective of environmental education, as is exploring possible solutions, and laying the foundations for individuals to take part in the protection of the environment. According to the resolutions, environmental education must follow the following guiding principles and should strive to meet the following objectives:

• Student attitudes toward the environment should be positive.
• Develop sanitation and conservation ethics at the individual, community;
• Environmental quality and conservation must be promoted and understood.
• Help the students to understand the interrelationship between man and the environment.
• Educate students about the importance of solving environmental problems with appropriate steps.
• Developing a sense of appreciation of the aesthetic value of nature in order to encourage its use as a recreation space.
• To create a sense of awareness among the students about the environment and its diverse problems.
• Students need to know what the social norm is in order for a student to feel united in this environment.

Interests are important because interests will affect their work and activities.  Making student satisfaction is to be gained from the experience to be learned. One of the standing points is that environmental educational objectives need to be linked closely with what matters in modern society with the current environment. It has to make maximum learning possible for them to train their minds to deal with the current environment in certain situations. Learning objectives are a description of what a student will do during these learning instructions. Student output of course materials should be indicated in terms of student output. Students should learn how to decide from their own sources.

1.3 Concept of Environmental Education

There is a huge variety of different teaching methods that are used toward meaningful evaluation of environmental education in school curriculum, but evaluating materials is crucial for environmental education, it is important to evaluate, what it should know. The environmental education program is a good testing ground, but that still may be problematic when it comes to implementing in classroom teaching. Although it is an excellent way to learn about environmental issues which affect society. The crises developing relating to human health, along with climate change, biodiversity loss and habitat destruction. Many environmental education programs teach children how to identify a specific species and care. There is tons of educational awareness that can promote environmental education, but the concept of environmental education combines three main approaches to it.

• Education for the environment change;
• Education about the environment habitat; and
• Education through the environment awareness;

A classroom must be constructed in a way that makes a child’s learning enjoyable and students can feel secure and empowered in an ideal learning environment otherwise all teaching methods will not get better outward result. There is no single solution for creating the perfect environment for any learning, as an educator; there are so many responsibilities for teaching. At the same time, teachers can not figure out that the best way to achieve classroom success is not to guess what success might look like. They have to worry if they knew more about what they were teaching-learning or why they were doing teaching-learning that, because encouraging a learning environment is a result of feeling safe in the classroom and feeling confident with their classmates. This environmental education should focus on areas of human behavior which are connected to these specific kinds of mankind.

1.3.1 Education for the environment change

This type of education aims to increase pupils’ awareness of the problems connected with their environment, so that they will be able to solve these problems with a sense of responsibility, as well as with the technical skills necessary to help solve these problems together with their peers. The main purpose of environmental education at the grass roots level is to instill a sense of understanding of the natural and built environments within individuals and communities.

Besides building the natural world, environmental education can help to solve complex environmental problems, while contributing to productive economies and harmony between communities. However, consistently promoting awareness is essential. In addition to promoting responsible citizenship, EE provides a full understanding of the natural world. If we don’t teach EE, our students won’t know how to protect our biosphere which gives us all life. The importance of this education is very important to us all and there are numerous reasons why environmental education is important for the development of each student.

1.3.2 Education about the environment habitat

As children, they are more likely to protect our land for future generations, and when they start learning to appreciate the world environment from a young age. Although, developing an early passion for protecting the planet has a big impact on children’s future environmentally friendly behavior. The most significant way to make children to aware of the degradation of the environment is through environmental education. A critical study of children is how they are going to shapes their total environment for good or ill implies that. Because not the technology of mankind, not the physical or biological worlds as separate entities, not the arts or professions operating in spheres apart, but when all these concern the quality of human life then they all has to become central concerns.

Earth’s ecosystem cannot be separated from the human race, since man is the only conscious manipulator of the environment, and what it does must be geared toward enhancing the quality of that environment. The purpose of education is to prepare children for the future and for the world. Education about the environment is essential for learning and developing skills, and because we all are depending on the environment, it is our responsibility and our purpose to sustain it and improve it.

1.3.3 Education through the environment awareness

Reading about the environment in books cannot help students to understand fully it at all, and at the same time, it is also not always easy to teach environmental education students to understand fully. It’s as complicated as teaching other important topics and teachers should be careful to take significant measures when to talk about these topics.

Teachers have to find ways to impart environmental education to the students and the role of the teacher is very highly important in using the best methods to teach environmental education. However, it should not be treated as a separate teaching topic because of complicated as teaching. The development of the environment is one of the two fundamental aspects of education. Although the entire subject of the current curriculum has some information pertaining to the environment, but these subjects are fail to relate to one another.

An understanding of environmental education is necessary to improve the quality of life. Children should be able to discern the problems that exist and understand their solutions to them. Students should develop ethical concepts that can promote environmental improvement. They need to understand the problem to address environmental degradation. Environmental awareness involves being aware of the fragility of our environment. Promoting environmental awareness is a good way to contribute to a bright future for children. Environmental awareness has been an integral part of the movement’s success. In order to understand the environmental movement, there is a need to understand it. By learning about environmental issues, you can start projects that benefit you personally and your community.

1.4 Environmental Education at Different Stages

Every environment curriculum should be based on awareness guidelines and that should provide a learning framework. They should accept their responsibilities when creating the curriculum for all these methods. It is important for a curriculum to teach students in a way they can develop confidence in their learning. Moreover, EE component should be taught in the school curriculum how children will participate at their level of understanding. The content should include environmental issues and questions about the environment faced by society.

While some curriculum planners advocate more on an awareness model, others insist on a transaction model. Although EE is a separate subject in schools, and these learning programs have powerful mental components to create the capability to make good choices. The problem with children is only being bothered by the learning system. Which has been affected by beings’ activity, however, history of environmental education is a core in the education.

History allows pupils to understand and appreciate the environmental impact of human activities and natural changes. The students can also use historical skills to interpret to changes. Environmental awareness is very important for every youngster and even older generations, to assess these educational programs in terms of social, economic, ecological and aesthetic factors. This education helps in learning about what is going on in the natural world. It helps in raising awareness of issues that affect the environment. So every educator has to plan their teaching method very carefully according to the child’s understanding age level and their capability categories. 

1.4.1 Primary Stage

Primary education is the first phase of imperative education, which covers the first six or seven years of school life. It is a vital part of the future of a child, and it helps to boost child’s confidence and help them achieve many more to success and understand. The National Curriculum Framework advises the child at the primary level to be involved in the environmental learning process. These learning goals of this stage are to have the child engage in the activities that they learn through observation, classification, and inference. The years can provide children with lots of motivation to learn, and learning with guided. They should believe that environment of social relationships should have sense of warmth, security and trust. The level of their understanding of environment includes the physical and natural, as well as the sociocultural.

However, it is important that a child has the ability to relate with their knowledge of life, society and its culture. These environmental studies are the plan to exploration of the environment in order to learn the interrelations of a variety of environmental factors and forces and their influence, because primary education is an indispensable right for every child. The character of a child is also created and developed as a first step of their learning. It focuses on developing children through well-rounded learning strategies, and it also includes the development of their social, cognitive, cultural, emotional and physical skills. At this level, education is given in a balanced manner with all information with the aim of providing a rich, stimulating and caring environment. Learning at this age should give birth to creative and inquiring minds.

1.4.2 Secondary Stage

Real life experience is necessary at this level of learning, as well as awareness and problem identification. The learning content is also supplemented by teaching with practical and field visits. Because secondary education is important for teaching children about the environment, it can really help them if they have respect for nature and behave appropriately. In many cases, this education allows children to live in all kinds of ways, but these students are intermediate between primary school and university. This generation arises from an educational foundation, which involves the children of both genders.

There are students who dislike, but teachers should engage these students in their relationships and take responsibility for doing what they want with the environment. Because education is the key to ensure that children are aware of environmental and ethical values and attitudes. Secondary education is the foundation stage of the whole system of any formal education if there is not a proper plan for their learning core curriculum. There may not be successful in implementing environmental education. If this level of education is only the basis of education, however, it is total formal process of education. So, children develop basic concepts from the educational knowledge acquired from their own environment at secondary level or later.

1.4.3 Higher Secondary Stage

In every student’s life, secondary education is an extremely important phase. It has been one of the best ways to empower children and lay a foundation for their future. At this point, awareness is needed to take any further steps toward protecting the environment, which can only be gained by studying ecological topics. Conserving knowledge, assimilation of it, identifying problems, and taking action are the keys to success.

Together with other documents on learning outcomes, higher secondary stage aims to cover the full spectrum of school education. This includes both action-based and research-based content and it’s been incorporated into science and social science textbooks, namely science part-1 as physical, and science part-2 as in biological and geography. The environmental concepts are at both the concrete and abstract levels and these concepts covered are:

• Biosphere content;
• Green house effectiveness;
• Ozone layer depletion;
• Use of fertilizers and pesticides affect environmental;
• Wild life protection to help nature;
• Soil chemistry content;
• Management of domestic and industrial waste;
• Ecosystem awareness; and
• Radiation hazards;

Education that focuses on EE should primarily expose students to the natural and social world in which they live; prepare them to analyze, evaluate, and draw inferences about environmental problems and concerns; help us to better understand environmental issues; and promote positive environmental action as a means to moving towards sustainable development. Learning about the environment, learning through the environment, and Learning for the environment may be the focuses of the curriculum.

1.4.4 College Stage

Environmental education helps mankind be aware of the natural environment. It also aims to teach them about protecting their environment, which is what they belong to. Environmental Education brings to light what they belong to and why they need to act on it to save their planet. This stage is diversification for their learning and their academic and vocational streams should be available. It is important to emphasize knowledge and conservation. All content must be based on science and technology related to protecting the environment because they are capable of understanding and implementation.

The content of concepts should be catered to the demands of the subjects. However, there are many textbooks that do not have a comprehensive view on Environmental Education and which take part in learning. How natural environmental development has made this earth a better place to live in for the present and future generations. Environmental education informs mankind of the importance of nature and prepares them ways to protect. Here are the few contents that have to cover for them to learn concepts environmental education:

• Environment and sustainable development;
• Global Warming awareness;
• Green House Effects;
• Water pollution prevention;
• Bio-chemical oxygen demand;
• Chemical oxygen demand;
• Use of Pesticides; and
• Development of Ecology;

Self awareness is needed to recognize interactions between thoughts, feelings and actions. And all of it begins with early maturity and, but when adolescents are in college, there is a certain type of compassion. Social norms and behavior are widely accepted based on their ability to recognize the environment. They learn ethical standards and behavioral norms based on their experiences. These children start with awareness of their own and grow up to explore their surroundings. Daily, these children are exposed to weather, heat, rain and cold to make special skills available.

They learn and understand the surrounding things. The goal of environmental education programs is to learn about nature and build a better environment. It gives them a real-world context for learning by linking the classroom. Students should be given to actively learning, and interacting with the environment directly, then these students will be able to develop better decision-making skills. This is important because they will listen and know that they get personal benefits. These students can communicate messages directly to the heart and spread environmental awareness.

1.5 Components of Environmental Education

The idea of guiding principles of environmental education encompasses everything that helps protect the environment, in a wider sense. The concept encompasses knowledge, ethics, and duties to promote the protection of the environment and to prevent ecological damage. By promoting critical and creative thinking, environmental education inspires kids to become more involved in their communities. Kids will learn the importance of protecting the environment and be able to build a sustainable and eco-friendly. Environmental education contains a number of components. The most common segments of environmental education that encounter during studies are as follows:

• Mindfulness is an essential element of acclimating to nature’s turf while being in the corporate world today.
• Understanding the problems with nature and the environment that are causing people to lag behind and/or causing the world to change negatively.
• Sympathy for the domain of nature and inspiration to enhance or maintain its quality, which spills over into any plans you make or actions you take relating to the organization you are working for or developing.
• Having the ability to recognize and resolve environmental issues in a practical manner that is in line with current trends and technologies.
• By investing in programs and projects that reduce environmental difficulties, you are ensuring that you’re helping the environment as opposed to harming it.
• Providing the necessary infrastructure to help in the development of environmental initiatives as well as making green initiatives popular. It may be beneficial to promote green facilities, such as a self-sustaining kitchen or even a self-sustaining school, to raise public awareness and to promote better partnerships with the environment.

Thus, instead it would be an action plan aimed at helping individuals and communities develop an understanding of their responsibility towards nature, and thus foster a more ethical attitude towards the environment. Students gain critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and effective decision-making skills, as well as the ability to weigh multiple sides of an environmental issue to make informed and responsible decisions. It is only the objectives pertaining to environment appreciation and sensitivity that are evident in all grades.

However, most in the curriculum, environmental attitudes, personal responsibility, and willingness to act are relatively rare. Although, many educators consider environmental education to be an excellent means of integrating academic disciplines, stimulating the academic and social growth of students, and promoting the conservation of the natural world. 

1.6 Between environmental education and information

Education for environmental sustainability has to do with how we teach as educators and how we teach to achieve a sustainable lifestyle on the planet. In general, environmental education involves educating the public and creating awareness of environmental science, its concerns, impacts, prevention and control measures, etc., while environmental science is the study of our environment, its components, threats, concerns, effects, etc. But with a few examples, education is more than information about the environment.

Individuals who participate in Environmental Education (EE) gain awareness of their environment as well as know-how, skills, values, experiences, and also the determination to act individually or collectively to accomplish environmental goals. It is clear to teachers what time is needed, what content is appropriate and what the age-related abilities of children are. So, curriculum formulation process should involve more teachers and there should be more preference for their inputs than any of those provided by institutions of higher learning or managers of various departments of education.

1.7 Benefits of Environmental Education

By educating people about environmental issues, and equipping them with skills to interpret their actions on the environment, environmental education has been claimed to deliver a wide range of benefits to individuals, society, and the environment itself. When people learn how to remediate the environment, they may be motivated to take action and improve the environment. In environmental education courses, students are generally expected to develop favorable attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about the environment, as well as develop other skills.

Students in an EE course that used project-based learning to develop projects to solve environmental problems not only displayed more positive environmental attitudes, they also demonstrated greater creativity. Environment-based education helps students develop key skills necessary for good science inquiry, investigation, and formation of hypotheses, interpreting data, analysis, and developing conclusions. It is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure the students understand the goals and purpose, and among the benefits of environmental education are the following:

• An increase in imagination and enthusiasm;
• Formal learning goes beyond the classroom;
• Tolerance and understanding are encouraged;
• Community partnerships are improved; and
• Creating a sustainable environment with actions in mind, more acceptable;

As society becomes increasingly diverse, Schools of Education should prepare teachers who understand equity issues and are willing to work for equity in their classrooms and in schools.

By becoming knowledgeable about natural processes and systems, students also develop an understanding of human processes and systems. Furthermore, they develop the ability to examine and analyze environmental problems and issues using a variety of evaluation techniques. Environment education often begins close to home, encouraging learners to comprehend and form connections with their homes, schools, communities, and immediate surroundings, and the knowledge, awareness, and skills required for these local connections and understandings provide a foundation for moving on to larger systems, broader issues, and an enhanced understanding of causes and consequences.

1.8 Need and Significance of Environmental Education

Education is one of the most powerful influences which anyone can use to change the world. It is important to educate ourselves about how important it is. Environmental education helps students to learn about issues outside the classroom walls. Students can learn what makes them think and how to deal with our planet. Why does ecological education matter so much in education? But People develop a much deeper understanding of the environment through environmental education. It also provides them with the tools to make responsible choices in the development of the environment. By teaching students how to think about environmental issues, helps them to develop problem-solving skills.

Environmental education is one of the subjects which are the most important learning subjects to tough in the school curriculum. Those who study the environment develop a sense of understanding of the environment. Environmental education aims to be education about the environment and the problems that it causes. The study involves learning and developing knowledge. The study of environmental education can be accomplished by the completion of various objectives. If we educate ourselves and recognize our responsibility for the environment, we must take action to protect it.

EE enables teachers to provide environmentally – responsible learning environments and encourages them to work within their classrooms. However, obesity and anxiety keep students from getting out more frequently. Activities which include healing ability and wellness are an important part of the environment. Students in schools use education to help them to get active and go outside. It also helps in addressing many health issues and helps in providing adequate services to various ages at students these days are going through.

1.9 Learning about Environmental Challenges

There is still a need for classroom instruction, but changing modes of instruction can have a huge impact on instruction’s effectiveness. Today there are a lot of distractions between students and their education which divert their attention to something else. Educating them about the environment will enable them to deal with real-world problems since they will be finding solutions to the problems of the environment in order to promote more greenery. Environmental education allows the younger generation to be more aware of some of the factors that have an impact on the environment.

Additionally, they are able to contribute to the global effort of protecting our environment, and environmental education prepares them for future careers and gives them the skills needed to become professionals. Ultimately, it is more of a responsibility that is to be done every day by students and teachers, which will lead to them experiencing practical activities relating to energy conservation and environmental conservation, as well as introducing them to new and innovative techniques that will make conservation easier for them to understand. Children need to know their duties and responsibilities towards the environment, which is why environmental education is an important area of study. It teaches students to analyze the effects of their decisions and measures on the environment.

It also gives them the ability to develop the knowledge and skills required to address environmental concerns, as well as the steps that may be taken to protect and preserve the environment in the future. Schools should focus on teaching students how their actions impact nature, which can be vital to the conservation of the environment. However, learners are already so overburdened with exams, home works, project work, and dissertations, thus there isn’t time for them to learn about the environment and its issues. Unless they are aware of environmental issues, they are unable to come up with sustainable solutions. Teaching the values of conservation and preservation is virtually impossible to those who do not appreciate the natural world around them or who do not wish to explore it.

Although traditional classroom techniques and interpretation don’t change such attitudes, hands-on, experiential environmental education can lead to a heightened awareness and ultimately to action. Therefore one of the major challenges we have faced as educators is insufficient allotment of time for environmental programs and awareness with the burden of existing curriculum, it is obvious that educational institutions are in short supply of time to organize environment-friendly events. Each stakeholder of society must contribute equally to educating the society and has individual responsibilities to meet. Education is not only the responsibility of government, teachers and parents.

1.11 Motivating Pupils and Improving Attitudes and Habits

The goal of instructors is to motivate students to engage in learning. While there are nuances that differ from student to student, there are also motivation models that can be used to enhance motivation. The purpose of education is to build human skills, and environmental education is a strategy that demonstrates how this aspect is made. This has been a great, positive experience, and teachers are becoming aware of the importance of the environmental subject in the curriculum, and they are looking in more detail at the improvements in the pupils’ habits and attitudes. Additionally, the curriculum for children should be interesting for them to learn, yet there have been some improvements, and teachers should be concerned about the consolidation of these achievements.

It is proven that motivation has a direct impact on the student’s goals, effort, persistence, and performance. In an educational setting, motivation in an educational environment can be measured by indices that are based on situational motivation, where the student has already developed a partiality for specific subject matter. This learning motivation can raised several important habits and attitudes about environmental awareness, and one of its most noteworthy findings is how closely they are interconnected. Because of their direct connection with environmental topics, the students are more receptive and eager to engage with these issues in the classroom. Educators can target motivation to improve student learning by improving it as much as possible.

2.0 Conclusion

Each human being continuously constructs its knowledge, which sets them apart from other living things. Every child has built their knowledge, bit by bit, reasoning with real/concrete objects and using their sensory/intellectual abilities to reason about: “What,” “Why,” and “How.” and help of this leads to enriching their experiences. School is responsible for building on a child’s existing experiences to further learning. Teachers who facilitate students’ learning should be familiar with various pedagogies and also how the child’s learning progresses from early stages to higher stages.

Additionally, the system of education needs to provide enabling conditions so that each student can learn and progress at his or her own pace. The goal of environmental education is to allow people to explore environmental issues, solve problems, and improve the environment. Consequently, individuals gain a deeper understanding of environmental issues and gain the ability to make informed and responsible decisions. The purpose of environmental education is not to support a particular viewpoint or course of action. Environment education teaches individuals to weigh various sides of an issue in the context of critical thinking as well as increasing their problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Environmental education is a lifetime process.

We love what we do. Thank you for downloading our study material. This article provides many of your requirements and your little help can benefit hundreds of children. Please share our PDF with your friends to support our mission, and please do support by donating as little as just Rs. 1/- . If you are possible to support us , please do contribute just Rs. 1 for every PDF you downloaded. Thank you.

Download All Lessons Plan

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

By Bidya2003

Positive attitude can really make dreams come true

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar