Minnesota’s Changing Climate: Engaging Students In Environmental Stewardship through Adventure Learning

Minnesota’s Changing Climate: Engaging Students in Environmental Stewardship Through Adventure Learning Goal 1. To build awareness and interest in: Minnesota’s natural environment The impact of climate change 2. To provide educators and students with the tools necessary for active and lifelong stewardship.

Outcomes Minnesota’s Changing Climate Curriculum for Grades 3-8 and 9-12 Minnesota’s Changing Climate Online Classroom Three Summer Institutes in 2010, 2011 and 2012 Project Evaluation

Curriculum Overview For grades 3-8 and 9-12 Reviewed by Minnesota educators, scientific and educational partners Aligned to Minnesota state standards Integrates Will Steger’s lifelong archives and journaling Culminates with a stewardship project

Curriculum Outline 1.What is a journal for? 2.What defines Minnesota’s biomes? 3.What defines Minnesota’s climate? 4.What is climate change and what does it mean for Minnesota? 5.What does the data show? 6.What can I do?

Lesson Components Journal Assignment and/or Connection Extensions Online Classroom Connection Take it Outside-Connecting With Your Place CopyMaster Page Will Steger Journal Page

Lesson 6: What can I do? Many communicators of climate change focus on simply educating their audiences about climate change by providing more understandable information about the science. Others focus on the possible and mostly negative impacts of climate change to motivate people into action… Instead …discuss solutions, practical help and realistic hope. Moser, Susanne C. Environmental Research Letters 1, no. 1 (2006).

Preliminary Curriculum Feedback 82 responses to a post curriculum training evaluation indicated the following Will teach climate change and environmental stewardship: All respondents reported that they thought the curriculum would be “useful for teaching about climate change” and “useful for teaching about environmental stewardship.” Useful and engaging: 96% thought it would be useful in their teaching and expected that their students will find it engaging Organized and easy to use: 96% said it is clearly organized and easy to use Matches curricular goals and comprehensive: 91% said it matches their curricular goals and thought it is comprehensive. Plans to implement: All said that they would definitely (67%) or likely (33%) implement the curriculum next year.

Summer Institute 2011 Over 100 registrants representing all four biomes of Minnesota, formal and informal educational settings, and a variety of disciplines and grades 3-12 Two days long with large group and breakout sessions focused on skills and content related to exploring Minnesota’s changing climate Included evening public forum on Sense of Place in a Changing Climate with 200 attendeesSense of Place in a Changing Climate

Online Classroom Overview Interactive content on Minnesota’s biomes and climate impacts Video and audio from Will Steger and other Minnesotans sharing their connection with Minnesota’s biomes. Opportunities for online sharing between participating classrooms. classroom.willstegerfoundation.org

Minnesota’s Changing Climate Learning Module Features text, photos, video and audio content on: Minnesota’s four biomes the impacts of climate change in Minnesota an introduction to different types of journals historical journal observations from Minnesotans

Minnesota’s Changing Climate Curriculum and Supporting Materials Free curriculum download Full color handouts to download Explore Minnesota’s Biomes Kit Video Gallery Image Gallery

Connecting via the Social Network Share Observations and Action Project Examples View Observations and comment on them. Classroom Social Stream features the twitter feed for the Minnesota’s Changing Climate project and the Will Steger Foundation