Section outline

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    Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education

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    Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education
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    Course Overview

    • Welcome to Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education (EE201)! This course is designed to provide educators with the background knowledge and skills in the sound principles of environmental education.

    • INTRO TASK 1: Access the Foundations of Teaching Environmental Education Course Journal. You will need to either Make a Copy of this file and edit it as your own Google Doc or download it as a Microsoft Word document. Click File, Make a Copy, or Download. You will record responses to prompts and complete tasks in your own version of the Course Journal throughout this course. At the end of each module, you will submit your Course Journal with the relevant sections completed. 

    • INTRO TASK 2: If this is your first KAEE course, please complete the KAEE Scavenger Hunt to learn more about the organization. Record your answers. Then copy and paste them into your Course Journal. If you have completed this task in a previous eeCourse, simply make note of that here and move on to the next task in your course.
    • INTRO TASK 3: Personal Introductions and Networking Forum

      In this task, you'll get to know fellow participants in this course and your course moderator. Return to this forum throughout the course to keep the conversations going!

      Introduce yourself by recording or uploading a video in the forum. Open the forum, click Add Discussion Topic, and then in the text box, click the camera icon to record your video and post. Briefly discuss:
      • your name
      • job/affiliation
      • courses you are enrolled in
      • why you decided to participate in this program
      • your favorite outdoor activity

      Be sure to check back and view other participant's introductions and reply to at least two.


    • INTRO TASK 4: Review the Course Syllabus and course overview below to familiarize yourself with the course and requirements.
    • Objectives and Expectations

      By the end of this course, you will be able to:

      • Explain what environmental education is and delineate the five objectives of environmental education.
      • List and describe five important factors in creating an appropriate, safe EE learning environment.
      • Create recommendations for EE programming that facilitate broad accessibility and are designed to be developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and culturally appropriate for diverse audiences.
      • Select and implement appropriate environmental education instructional strategies including relevant assessments.
      • Select, adapt, and/or develop effective educational materials based on established principles for EE materials.


      As a student of this course, it is expected that you:

      • Commit the time required to complete all readings, assignments, and assessments.
      • Use appropriate grammar and mechanics throughout the course.
      • Complete Modules 1-5 and their associated assignments, as well as submit the final course assessment. 

      Completing Tasks and Assignments

      Throughout the course, documents will be provided in the form of Google Docs. You can either download them as Word documents or select "Make a Copy" under the File menu to edit them as your own. Assignments can be submitted as Google Docs by using the link-sharing feature. Assignments can also be submitted by attaching Word documents. If you have questions or would prefer another option, please contact the course moderator.

       
      Prerequisites
      • Experience working in education is not required but highly encouraged.

      Required Materials
      • None

      Grading & Assessments
      • Weekly, the Course Journal will submitted for each module. The submissions will be assessed according to a provided scoring guide and receive feedback from the course moderator. Each submission must earn a score of 2 as indicated on the provided scoring guide.

      Summative Assessment

      • Design and implement an effective environmental education lesson using the 5E learning cycle that will be evaluated by a professional environmental educator using this scoring rubric.
      • To receive an eeBadge of completion, you must complete all assignments and receive the scores as indicated above.

       
      Important Due Dates
      • May 24 -- Submit Course Journal, Module 1: What are the Foundations of EE? 
      • May 31 -- Submit Course Journal, Module 2: How Do You Create an Effective EE Learning Environment?
      • June 7 -- Submit Course Journal, Module 3: How Can I Include All Learners in EE? 
      • June 14 -- Submit Course Journal, Module 4: How Do I Select, Adapt, or Develop Effective Educational Materials
      • June 21 -- Submit Course Journal, Module 5: What are Effective EE Strategies? 
      • June 28 -- Submit Video of Teaching Episode OR Completed Scoring Rubric

       
       
      Course Moderator

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    Module 1: What are the Foundations of EE?

    This module is designed to introduce (or refresh your memory of) the history, definition, and purpose of environmental education.

    Objectives

    After completing this module, you should be able to:

    • Explain what environmental education is and delineate the five objectives of environmental education. 

    Assessment

    • Module 1 Tasks

    • What is Environmental Education?

      When you think of environmental education, what do you think of? How would you define it if you were explaining it to someone?

    • TASK 1: Before viewing the video below, write your definition of environmental education as if you were explaining it to someone unfamiliar with environmental education. 

      After viewing the video, reflect on what was similar to your definition of EE. What was different? 


    • What is Environmental Literacy?

      If environmental education is aimed at environmental literacy, just what exactly is environmental literacy?  

    • TASK 2: How do you define environmental literacy? Record your answer in your Course Journal.

      Now, watch this short video and then compare and contrast the video's content with your definition of environmental literacy. Be sure to include specifics. Record your responses in your Course Journal.


    • Looking Ahead

      Remember, the summative assessment for this course is to design and implement an effective environmental education lesson using the 5E learning cycle that will be evaluated by a professional environmental educator using this scoring rubric. 

      It's a good idea to keep that in mind as you progress through the course and ensure you have time to secure a date and an audience to implement your lesson. If necessary, your moderator can help you find teaching venue.

      NOTE: Teaching your lesson should not take place until you first complete Modules 1 - 5. 

      After reading the scoring rubric, mark this activity as done.

    • Submit Module 1 Course Journal Assignment
      Due: Sunday, 24 May 2026, 12:00 AM

      Submit your complete Module 1 Course Journal in this assignment.

      • View scoring guide>>
      • You may upload a Word document or submit a link to a Google Doc. If you submit a link to a Google Doc, adjust the sharing settings so that it can be viewed by anyone with the link. Click the blue Share button in the top right. A new box will open, under Get Link, select 'Anyone with the link'.


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    Module 2: How Do You Create an Effective EE Learning Environment?

    This module is designed to provide examples and ideas for EE learning environments that are thoughtfully designed, safe, and aligned with best practices in the field.  

    Objective

    After completing this module, you should be able to:

    • List several tips for effective environmental education.
    • Describe five important factors in creating an appropriate and safe EE learning environment.

    Assessment

     

    Not available unless: The activity Submit Module 1 Course Journal is marked complete
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    Module 3: How Can I Include All Learners in EE?


    This module is designed to increase your knowledge and awareness of creating inclusive EE programs that are accessible to all. Your assignment will require you to create a multimedia project that could be used by your school or agency as a professional development tool to teach about accessible programming for diverse audiences.

    Objectives

    After completing this module, you should be able to:
    • Create recommendations for EE programming that facilitate broad accessibility and are designed to be developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and culturally responsive for diverse audiences.

    Assessment

    Not available unless: The activity Submit Module 2 Course Journal is marked complete
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    Module 4: How Do I Select, Adapt, or Develop Effective Educational Materials?

    This module is designed to help you understand what qualities make strong EE materials. You will learn about evaluating various types of materials and determining which meet the required standards of excellence. 

    Objectives

    After completing this module, you should be able to:
    • Select, adapt, and/or develop effective educational materials based on established principles for EE materials.

    Assessment


    Not available unless: The activity Submit Module 3 Course Journal is marked complete
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    Module 5: What are Effective EE Strategies?

    This module is designed to prepare you for teaching an effective EE lesson. You will work with an environmental educator in your community who will evaluate your lesson based on the scoring guide provided.

    Objectives

    After completing this module, you should be able to:
    • Select appropriate environmental education instructional strategies.
    • Design and implement an effective environmental education lesson using the 5E learning cycle.

    Assessment

    • Module 5 Course Journal
    • 5 E Learning Cycle Lesson Outline and Teaching Episode Observation
    Not available unless: The activity Submit Module 4 Course Journal is marked complete