Fall 1998 Table of Contents

• PLT is Meeting the Standards in the National Education Reform Movement
• Project Learning Tree Takes a "Risk"
• PLT Honors Five Outstanding Educators
• A Closer Look at the National Environmental Education Act
• GreenWorks! GRANTS AVAILABLE
• Resources
• National Update

PLT's Meeting the Standards in the National Education Reform Movement

What is standards-based education? Standards-based education has its roots in America 2000, a national education reform initiative conceived during the Bush Administration, and later translated into legislation signed by President Bill Clinton in March, 1994 (Goals 2000: Educate America Act). Among the goals of this Act, and standards-based education, is preparing our students to compete in a global economy by setting national educational Standards for literacy in core subjects (science, social studies, mathematics, and English language arts). Standards-based education not only establishes a set of Standards for the achievement of literacy in core subject areas, but also involves changes in how those subjects are taught, how student performance is assessed, and how school systems and communities work together to best prepare stu-dents for life. Nationwide, state school systems and local school districts are revising their curricula and evaluating the effectiveness of their classroom materials to address the national call for Standards.

Standards-based education reform and PLT: "In my opinion, the new PLT is absolutely the best off-the-shelf resource that a teacher can use to accomplish the new National Science Education Standards," says Ralph Martin, Director, Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Ohio University.

Project Learning Tree has responded to this call for reform by developing correlations of its PreK-12 activities to the national Standards for science education (National Science Standards). In addition, PLT is undergoing the same rigorous process of correlating its curriculum to the social studies standards (National Standards for Civics and Government). The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has spearheaded the Standards movement on the environmental education front by initiating the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. Among its many worthwhile efforts, this project is developing national EE guidelines for the development of EE programs. These guidelines are similar to those established by the other core disciplines. Once the NAAEE Environmental Education Learner Guidelines are set, PLT will work to provide correlations of its program to them.

WHAT ARE STANDARDS?
Standards refer to specific knowledge, understanding, and skills that every student should know and be able to demonstrate upon graduation from a public high school in the United States.

Project Learning Tree Takes a "Risk"

PLT's newest secondary module helps students explore how environ-mental and human health risks affect their everyday lives. The mod-ule examines how society as a whole makes decisions about risk. For example, pesticides may cause health problems, but so does the damage caused by insects. Should the use of pesticides be allowed- and if so, how much and under what circumstances? Should wild-fires be combated-and if so, at what point should fire fighting equipment be deployed?

The new PLT secondary module, Exploring Environmental Issues: Focus on Risk, draws on state-of-the-art instructional strate-gies and on highly relevant topics to technologies, environmental haz-ards, and everyday activities. They also have the opportunity to com-pare and contrast their perceptions with those of experts, lay people, and others.

"I was so fascinated and excited by this module on risk that I could-n't stop reading it," said Pat Lisoskie, one of the pilot testers and a teacher at Tumwater High School in Tumwater, Washington. "It is truly remarkable-using higher-level thinking skills in an integrated man-ner that will cause students to inves-tigate relevant local problems in their communities. This module addresses all the major issues of school reform and is exactly what we are trying to achieve with students."

Following are descriptions of the activities found in Exploring Environmental Issues: Focus on Risk.

Activity 1: What Is Risk? In this activity, students work together to explore the term risk and the types of risks we encounter daily. Students discuss, develop, and refine their definition and concept of risk and of risk assessment.

Activity 2: Things Aren't Always What They Seem. Students identify their perceptions of the relative degree of risk associated with choices while "grocery shopping." They also debate the use of cost/benefit analysis for making public policy decisions using the protection of endangered species as an example.

Activity 3: Chances Are... Understanding Probability and Risk. The concept of probability, or chance, plays an important role in risk assessment. In this activity, students conduct a series of experi-ments, such as tossing coins, to develop an understanding of proba-bility. They then apply their knowl-edge of probability to a scenario about the potential risk of using cellular phones.

Activity 4: Risk Assessment: Tools of the Trade. When attempting to determine the degree of risk associ-ated with an event, experts rely on a variety of tools of the trade to generate a risk estimate. In this activity, students learn about the applications of some of these tools, interpret information generated from using different tools, and understand how the information obtained can be used to set priori-ties and make decisions.

Activity 5: Communicating Risk. This activity allows students to explore how timely and responsible communication among experts, the media, and lay people can lead to improved risk management decisions.

Activity 6: Weighing the Options: A Look at Tradeoffs. Managing risk includes deciding which option is best at reducing risks. In this activity, students explore the risk management process for personal strengthen students' critical think-ing, problem solving, and decision making skills. The Risk module incorporates science, social studies, math, geography, and language arts into the study of risk. The activities and cases studies are designed to be infused into existing curriculum and are correlated to the national science and social studies standards. As with all of PLT's curriculum, once students learn the basics of risk through the module, they should be able to apply their knowledge and skills to environmental issues, public policy issues, and personal decisions.

Activity 7: Decision Making: Ecological Risk, Wildfires, and Natural Hazards. In this activity, students develop and apply decision-making skills to various environ-mental risk scenarios, including wildland fires, natural hazards, and threats to coral reefs and mangrove swamps.

Three Special Topics: Electromagnetic Fields; Chlorine: Looking at Tradeoffs; and Plastics, Risk/Benefit Analysis and Environmental Legislation. This section introduces special topics that encourage students to apply the knowledge they develop from the activities to actual risk issues.

Activity 8: Taking Action: Reducing Risk in Your School or Community. Students apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired from the activities as they identify a risk in their school or community, develop a plan to assess the risk, decide the best way to reduce the risk, and, if feasible, implement their plan.

To Find out More. If you are interested in learning more about Exploring Environmental Issues: Focus on Risk, contact your state Project Learning Tree coordinator. You can find a state coordinator list on PLT's Web site www.plt.org or by calling the national office at (202) 463-2462.

PLT Honors Five Outstanding Educators

Ingenuity. That's what PLT's 1998 Outstanding Educators have in common, whether it's when they use the PLT curriculum in creative ways, seek new funding, or build innovative partnerships.

The five winners also exemplify the criteria of the award: exceptional teaching skills, commitment to the PLT curriculum, exemplary use of PLT in classroom projects, and sustained use of PLT. Otherwise, though, they represent the diversity that is one of the strengths of PLT: they work in different parts of the country, in rural and urban communities, and with all ages of learners. The educators were honored at the PLT International Coordinators Conference, held in May in Clearwater, Florida. Learn how these educators use PLT, combined with their ingenuity, to make a difference in children's lives.

EUGENE BORMANN
YANKTON HIGH SCHOOL
YANKTON, SD
After many years of teaching, Gene Bormann discovered the value of involving his high school science classes in hands-on environmental education through PLT. His students call the outdoors "our other classroom" and, with PLT as a guide, they have observed migrating geese, tested water, and worked with state officials to clean a wetlands study site. Gene is currently making his dream of an Outdoor Learning Center at Yankton High School a reality.

Gene also serves as a PLT facilitator. He trains other teachers, organizes workshops, and has taken the lead in coordinating PLT in South Dakota. Proof that the best teacher is often an ongoing student, Gene devotes his summers to summer institutes and a project with the Army Corps of Engineers to rear and release birds along the Missouri River.

PATTY BREECE
MANITOU MIDDLE SCHOOL
MANITOU SPRINGS, CO
Almost every student at Manitou Middle School participates in one of Patty Breece's courses on environ-mental science and health. Through these courses and her PLT activities, Patty has developed outdoor learn-ing experiences that enhance her students awareness and appreciation of the natural world. She also worked to create a nature trail behind the school, which students and community members built and now maintain. For the past six years, Patty has directed the Ecotek Day Camp for ages 6 through 10.

Patty has been a PLT facilitator since 1989 and often serves as a mentor to new facilitators. Everyone takes notes when Patty facilitates a workshop, because she is always introducing new ideas and approaches into her training. Patty has been recognized for her many achievements and was Colorado's 1997 Outstanding Conservation Educator of the Year.

MARIANNE CHANG
A.L. SCHILLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
NEWARK, CA
Marianne has been teaching for only five years, but she has developed a vision for how to introduce her inner-city students to the environment. She has won grants to take them to wildlife refuges and other areas they would not visit otherwise. Through her outstanding teaching, she empowers her students to think about their role in the community and their relationship to nature. For example, her students raised money to purchase a marshland slated for development, and their letters to the owner were successful in convincing him to make the area a natural refuge. Two years in a row, her class won regional first place in the Environmentality Challenge. In all her work, Marianne excels at guiding the action and service projects that have made the PLT principles come alive for her students.

COLLEEN SEXTON
SCHOOL NET-PLUS ADMINISTRATOR
COLUMBUS, OHIO
Colleen Sexton has found an innovative way to reach teachers by disseminating PLT through Ohio University's distance learning project. Currently, as Ohio's School Net-Plus Administrator, she is coordinating a statewide PLT computer initiative. She is also developing a syllabus for graduate credit workshops that will serve as a template for future university initiatives. When she recognized a void in PLT volunteers in southeastern Ohio, she took the lead in applying for an NSF grant and recruiting and training 42 facilitators.

Colleen continually promotes PLT's principles of critical inquiry, and constructivism with preservice teachers, parents, and youth. Ask her how she does it, and she will answer that she just reaches for her PLT activity guides!

DIANE STELTZ
DIVISION OF FOREST RESOURCES
CHAPEL HILL, NC
Diane, forest supervisor with the Division of Forest Resources at its Jordan Lake Educational State Forest, became a PLT facilitator in 1998. A natural-born educator, Diane can tailor a talk to any audience, young or old, and enthrall her listeners through a combination of facts, fasci-nation, and fun. This past year alone, she facilitated five PLT workshops, and worked with over 200 teachers. She obtained a grant to create the prototype for a PLT High School Module Tree Trunk and developed workshops and materials for teachers and Forest Resources staff. As a result, a large number of the division's foresters and other resource professionals are now PLT-trained. Diane is a Certified Environmental Educator, the highest accreditation in the profession. Through her involvement with PLT, Diane is fulfilling a vital part of the Division of Forest Resources's mission-to teach children about the importance of environmental stewardship.

A Closer Look at the National Environmental Education Act

At press time, the United States Congress was finishing up their 105th Congressional session. With only days remaining in the session, passage of the National Environmental Education Act was unexpected.

Environmental Education across the nation received a boost in 1990 when the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) passed under the Bush administration. The Act provides support for quality environmental education nationally and locally. The Act set up the Environmental Education Division within the EPA to promote environ-mental education. To encourage the involvement of the private sector in environmental education, the Act authorized the formation of a pri-vate non-profit foundation called the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF).

Funding and where the Money Goes... The program has been funded for the last two years at $7.8 million a year. The money goes to the EPA.s Environmental Education Division and is distributed in the following way:

• 40 percent in small grants to local schools, universities, and nature centers;
• 25 percent for teacher training nationwide;
• 10 percent for grants and other programs of NEETF; and
• 25 percent to implement and administer national and regional EPA grants and programs.

By law, 25% of the regional grants to schools, universities, and nature centers must be $5,000 or less, encouraging funding of small, community programs. The teacher training programs include the Project Learning Tree curriculum as well as those of Project Wet and Project Wild. NEETF's 10% funds its own program.

Leveraging Non-Federal Dollars. The grants awarded through the NEEA must be matched by a mini-mum one-to-one ratio. In 1997 alone, 4 million non-federal dollars were leveraged in support of environmental education programs throughout the country. This support forms partnerships and bridges between corporations, non-profits, foundations, and schools which greatly benefit students, teachers, and community organizations.

Exemplary Curricula. The Act has funded the independent devel-opment and dissemination of new environmental education curricula by school districts, universities, and education organizations across the country. These programs range from the importance of water conservation in Texas, to the use of a reclaimed lot adjacent to an elementary school in Providence, Rhode Island used to teach students basic concepts of biology and ecology. In addition, PLT.s new RISK module received a develop-ment grant from NEETF.

Professionalizing Environmental Education. The Act has been instrumental in the professionaliza-tion of the environmental education field. Since its inception, over $10 million in support has been given for professional training of 500,000 teachers.

The legislation provided key support for the development of a professional society of Environmen-tal Educators, (North American Association for Environmental Education) and their national guidelines for environmental educators, Guidelines for Excellence, published in 1996.

In all, the Act has provided millions of dollars, both federal and non-federal, leveraged in support of balanced, science based environmental education. The current status of the legislation is cloudy. The Act continues to be funded despite the fact that it has not been reautho-rized. This is a common, though not desirable, status of many federal programs.

While the reauthorizing legislation passed the Senate in 1996 under the leadership of the bill's sponsor, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the bill failed to move in the House of Representatives. As the current Congressional calendar winds to a close, movement of this -or any legislation for that matter- remains doubtful. NEETF, which tracks the legislation in the Congress, has stated that the bill will be reintro-duced for reauthorization next year if it fails to pass this year. You can track the status of the legislation on their Web site www.neetf.org or contact Jonathan Beeton at NEETF: (202) 628-8200 x23 E-mail:beeton@neetf.org

GreenWorks! GRANTS AVAILABLE

The key to a healthy environment lies in informed, responsible action. GreenWorks! offers PLT educators and their students the opportunity to use service learning projects to make a real difference in the communities in which they live and work. By combining the environ-mental knowledge and resources of PLT with community action initiatives, GreenWorks! projects have a true impact on the future of America. GreenWorks! Action Projects make a difference in how young people think and feel about their community and their relation-ship to the environment.

GreenWorks! offers opportunities for people of all ages to work together to enhance their surroundings. By linking PLT teachers and their students with local community groups, GreenWorks! projects help educate communities in environmental issues and involve them in environmentally-focused projects. GreenWorks! projects partner educators, students, and communities in order to fulfill a most important mission, taking responsible action on behalf of the environment.

GreenWorks! Grants Project Learning Tree is providing small grants to eligible recipients for GreenWorks! Community Action Projects. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, December 1, 1998. A range of $200-$1,000 per project will be available. If you have any questions concerning the grants, call Caroline Alston at 202/463-2472.

GRANT GUIDELINES:
Eligible grant recipient must:

1. be PLT trained
2. submit a maximum four page project proposal
3. enter projects that are community/school based and have student/youth participation
4. establish a partnership to implement the project (i.e. school/PTA, school/local business, Girl Scout troop/local business)
5. raise 50% project matching funds; funds may be in-kind services/time
6. submit a mid-term and final report for all projects

Project proposals must include:

• Applicant name, organization/school, address, phone, fax
• State & year of applicant's PLT training workshop
• Description of project including measurable objectives
• Description of project partners
• Project time line/starting and completion dates
• Budget, including matching funds
• Name and mailing address of fiscal agent, if different from applicant

Mail, Fax or E-mail your proposal to: GreenWorks! Grants, 1111 19th Street, NW #780, Washington, DC 20036 ATTN: Caroline Alston; FAX: 202/463-2461; caroline_alston@plt.org

Resources

When using activity # 88 Life on the Edge, where students get to portray an endangered species, Suzy uses the Internet to supplement the endangered species examples that are already in the PLT guide. "I wanted to help teachers become aware of the threatened and endangered species in an around their community. I didn't have a lot of time to research this idea so I went to the Internet and used a search engine and came up with the Department of Fish and Game's homepage www.dfg.ca.gov which lists by county the plants and animals that are threatened or endangered," Suzy says.

Suzy found on the DFG's "4 kids" home page information on habitats, a glossary, and even examples of Haiku poetry that fits in with activity #5 Poet Tree.

Granted much of this information is specific to California, but using an Internet search engine and a key word, finding Web sites to complement PLT activities won't be too hard.

What a great idea! If you have a list of Web sites that you are using to complement PLT activities please send them to us at: info@affoundation.org.

THE BACKYARD CONSERVATION STARTER KIT.
Sponsored by the National Assoc-iation of Conservation Districts, The Backyard Conservation Starter Kit includes 10 Conservation practices such as ponds, wildlife habitats, and pest management that backyard conservationists can put to work on their own property. By using this information, urban, suburban, and rural residents coast to coast can provide important wildlife habitat while saving natural resources.

Kits are available from NACD for $10.00 plus shipping, by calling 800-825-5547 ext. 32. Proceeds from the sale of the kit benefit conservation education activities.

HALSEY DEMONSTRATION FOREST HANDBOOK.
A new addition to the PLT family, this guide provides instructions for developing a small-scale version of a working forest that will demonstrate the techniques of forest management. It will guide you through how to plan, fund, build, and maintain your demonstration forest as well as how to develop an educational guide for it. Handbooks are $3.00 per copy. Handbooks plus an instructional video are $5.00 per set. Both prices include shipping and handling charges. Call Polly at 770-451-7106 or email: info@affoundation.org to place your order.

Please look for additional resources on the PLT Web site www.plt.org under the Resources section.

Christmas Tree Project.
Traditionally autumn is a time for teachers to be thinking about tree activities. By the time the last leaf has fallen we've long forgotten about the trees and are well into winter related lessons. PLT has the perfect opportunity to link the two seasons by joining with New York City's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Project. This year the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be coming from Ohio. It will be "raised" on November 12, 1998 with the official tree lighting on December 2, 1998. The Ohio Office of Information, Learning and Technology Services in concert with the NetTech Regional Technology in Education Consortium at CUNY would like to do a live web-cast of this event, from the cut-ting (11/10/98), transporting (11/11/98), raising (11/12/98), and lighting (12/2/98) of the tree at Rockefeller Center. The webcasts could coincide with classroom teachers across the United States doing suggested PLT activities such as How Big is Your Tree?, Tree Treasures, and We All Need Trees. Of course you may identify other PLT activities that build upon this event as well. This is a perfect opportunity for you to involve your class in a live webcast and to share PLT activities with your students and community. We encourage you to visit the PLT website www.plt.org or the Rockefeller Center website to get involved!

National Update

NATIONAL CONFERENCES
PLT and other environmental education programs will be exhibiting at the 1998 National Council for the Social Studies Conference in Anaheim, California, November 20-22. This years' program is centered around the theme "Toward a Humane World: Making a Difference with Social Studies." If you are attending the conference please visit PLT at booth #213. Or if you would like to attend the conference, visit for more information.

The National Science Teachers Association's 47th National Convention will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, March 25-28, 1999. The theme for the convention is "Capture the Vision-Navigating the Standards."

Visit PLT at the exhibit hall on "EE Street" with many other environmental education organiza-tions. Or attend one of our sessions on how to navigate our correlations to the national science standards. For more information on the conference see the NSTA Web site www.nsta.org. For more information on national conferences, see the Calendar of Events on the PLT Web site www.plt.org.

If you are a secondary educator interested in having a team of stu-dents compete in the Envirothon, please see their Web site www.envirothon.org.