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This section provides you general resources for how to frame your environmental education program starting with how to build knowledge around the history of the place you are teaching, sharing and exploring that history with students. In addition, it will help you design experiences for young children to explore, play and learn in equitable, inclusive and culturally-relevant outdoor environments.

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IN FOCUS:

A Framework for Designing Place-Based Environmental Education Units to Establish Local Ecological Literacy

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  1. What is the name of the Indigenous territory of which your school is located?

    • How did/do the Indigenous people that occupy this territory interact with the environment?

    • What do you know about their culture? (ex. events, traditions, etc.)

    • Where did they live?

    • Where are they located now?

  2. What was where your school is 100 years ago?

  3. What watershed is your school located in?

  4. What stream is closest to your school?

    • Does it have water in it all year long or just seasonally?

    • If seasonally, when does it go dry?

  5. What is the name of the nearest mountain range to your school?

  6. What kinds of plants and animals are at your school (trees, mammals, insects, birds, etc.)

  7. Describe where your school is? (in terms of both natural resources and the built environment).

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Citation: Adapted from De Nevers, G., Edelman, D.S., Merenlender, A.M. (2013) The California Naturalist Handbook. Oakland, CA. The Regents of the University of California.

History of Places

These resources will help you build background knowledge of the place you teach, and how to share and explore that knowledge of indigenous people past, present and future in your community.

Indigenous Teaching & Learning

Resources that support outdoor learning by sharing indigenous ways of knowing on feeling connected to the land/water around us, the importance of land/water-based learning as well as land/water stewardship.

Children’s Books

These children’s books can be used as read alouds to inspire students to explore the outdoors and how to look closely when they are outside. Many of these titles can be found at your local library.

Nature Journaling

Young children are naturally curious about the world around them. Nature journaling is a great way to teach children how to record their observations, questions, and conclusions about their natural world. 

Tools for Outdoor Learning

These tools enhance young children’s outdoor experiences by teaching them how to observe and use tools like a REAL scientist!

Nature Play

The most important work of a young child is non-structured, open-ended play time. These resources help you develop and create playful outdoor learning opportunities and spaces.

Resources to Inspire Curiosity and Inquiry

The following resources can be a great launching off point for any science unit. Students learn how to develop their observation skills through the City Nature Challenge, practice their observation skills using real world phenomena and engage in conversations with REAL scientists! 

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