Stories in the Land: A Place-Based Environmental Education Anthology. Nature Literacy Series Number 2

Stories in the A Place-Based Environmental Education Anthology (Nature literacy series) [paperback] Elder, John [Jun 01, 1998] This anthology collects stories from various classrooms and collaborations supported by the Orion Society. Orion's Stories in the Land fellowships are 1-year teacher stipends that promote effective place-based education: interdisciplinary studies of the local natural and cultural history using extensive field experiences and diverse "human resources." The Watershed Partnerships program was a loose consortium of collaborations between colleges and their local schools for the purpose of discovering, sharing, and celebrating the local environment. Each narrative from these programs is accompanied by a class activity. An introduction, "Teaching at the Edge" (John Elder), reflects on the educational principles that bind these stories together and suggests four fundamental themes: attentiveness to students' home landscapes, convergence of natural sciences and the arts, time spent outdoors, and sense of community fostered through human connections. The narratives and their activities are: (1) "Science and Stories in a North Philadelphia Neighborhood" (activity: looking for changes) (Mark Basnage); (2) "A Place To Begin: Encouraging Community and Sense of Self in the Interdisciplinary Classroom" (activity: book making) (Kurt Caswell); (3) "Exploring Nature: Science and English in Conversation" (activity: creating an environmental magazine) (Jennifer Danish); (4) "Monterey Bay: A Sanctuary of Promise" (activity: make a place map in your schoolyard) (Bonnie Dankert); (5) "Treasuring the Tetons" (activity: a day on the river) (Jo Anne W. Kay); (6) "Opening the Door for Young Naturalists" (activity: young naturalist journals) (Daniel Kriesberg); (7) "Wetland Wisdom" (activity: creature feature bags) (JoAnn Kruzshak, Debbie Levy); (8) "Tracing Our Culture Back to Its Roots" (activity: experiencing poetry) (Lorain Varela); (9) "Getting To Know the Lake Champlain Bioregion" (activity: environmental education journal) (Thomas R. Hudspeth); (10) "Finding Our Place on the Trail" (activity: spring journal and trail guide) (Alice Leeds); and (11) "Acquiring Felt Knowledge" (activity: finding home, a mapping activity) (Nicole J. Greene). Appendices describe a college seminar on environmental education with internships in local schools, and list readings and resources. (SV)