Infusion of Environmental Literature into the DeForest Area School District Science Curriculum for Grades K-2

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to aid in the infusion of environmental literature into the DeForest, Wisconsin Area School District K-2 elementary science curriculum. This is accomplished by the development and dissemination of a resource guide comprised of alternatives and supplements to popular environmental literature. When developing a unit, the user of this environmental literature/curriculum guide can use the information to help make their lessons more stimulating and informative. The guide gives a brief overview of each book and lists the science curriculum objectives that can be introduced, enriched, or extended by the book. Using environmental literature is an effective way to support a thematic unit. There are many resource guides available to teachers which will help to create an environmentally strengthened unit. One example is E For Environment by Patti Sinclair, 1992. This book contains an annotated bibliography of children's books with environmental themes. E For Environment was used as the primary resource for examples of environmental literature in this project. The environmental literature resource guide was created and distributed to the DeForest Area School District's K-2 teachers through informal inservices. A questionnaire given to selected teachers regarding the effectiveness end value of the guide showed positive responses. It was concluded that the guide will be practical and beneficial to teachers as they plan instructional units. The long-term goal of this project is to help ease teachers into the process of incorporating environmental education into daily lessons by providing them with a method of instruction that is comfortable and familiar. This goal was not evaluated as part of this project due to the amount of time needed to attain conclusive results.