Welcome to EE 2

Diploma
Ms R.M. Poulton-Busler
rpoulton-busler@unam.na
Class expectations

 No cell phones
 Punctual
 Do home work
 Cooperate when doing group work
 Additional reading
 My portal; Time table issues
 Any other….. Feel free to add
Unit 1: Course outline

 1.Explain what is Environmental Education (EE).

 2.Name the characteristics of EE in school.
 3.Explain the rational and aims in the school curriculum.
 4.Definekey concepts: integration; cross-curricular
integration; theme integration, sustainable development.
 5.StudyTheme Teaching; weekly overview and lesson
planning.
6.Strategies for teaching, e.g. through projects, experiments,
visits, events, field trips, interests, observations,
investigations/inquiry-based.
 7. Explain the importance of a Port folio.
What is Environmental Education?

 Environmental education is a process

involving life-long learning, as we come
to understand the complexity of our
natural world and environmental issues,
using various approaches for individual
and societal decision-making based on
knowledge integrated from various
disciplines, and resulting in our own
attitudes and action strategies to make a
difference in the world.
Brainstorm

 Life long learning, how?

 What is the complexity?
 Think back into your school years what do you regard as
EE?
 EE at home? etc. brainstorm
 Environmental Educ.

 It includes issues with regard to the political,

economical, biophysical and social.
 Political (power, policy and decisions) refer to local and
national structures and help us understand who decides
 Economic (jobs and money) refer to economic
structures and opportunities and their impact on people
and the environment;
 Biophysical (living things and life support systems)
inform us about the natural structurers and how we can
manage it
 Social (people living together) refer to how the health
environment and a healthy person are interlinked
Namibia’s environmental education
policy document states that:

 Environmental learning programmes should aim to

empower Namibians from all sectors to critically
evaluate environmental information and opinions, to
make informed decisions and to take actions that will
contribute to the goal of environmental and economic
sustainability.
 To be empowered the policy suggest that we as teachers
and learners should become environmentally literate and
responsible citizens who are able to fully participate in
decision -making at a local level.
 Schools should help learners acquire the competencies and
sensitivity to make sound decisions about the environment,
to look and care for the environment to sustain for the
next generations to come. Think of ways.......
 These competencies one can say are the knowledge, skill,
and values that will enable the learners to respond to
environmental issues and provide the basis for us to learn
how to care for ourselves, other people and the Earth.
 We have to make our environment a better place to live,
learn and work.
EE is About, In/Through and
For
 Learning About the environment will involve developing a
sound base of knowledge with understanding so that
learners can make sense of the natural, physical, and
social systems that make up our environment.
 Learning In or Through the environment provides
experiences that helps learners to develop sensitivity to
their surroundings and the natural world e.g school grounds
if the go on field trips.
 Learning For the environment will involve developing
informed concerns that motivates learners to work to
improve the environment .
 You can think of these three parts as the “head”, “hands”
and “heart” of Environmental education. Just as in a
person it is most effective if all three work together in
harmony. See diagram....
Rationale for Environmental Education
in LCE

 Because the world around us is complex it needs to be

understood holistically. EE responds to this complexity
by studying the content in an integrated manner.
 Learning experiences in the social sphere help learners
see and understand the relationships between people
and between people and their environments.
 It deals with interaction within the social, political,
economic, cultural and natural environments. It helps
learners to become responsible citizens through the
development of essential knowledge, understanding,
skills and attitudes, and builds the foundation for more
complex themes of geography, history, life skills,
agriculture and entrepreneurship to which learners are
exposed in later grades.
 To develop positive values and attitudes towards
health, safety and nutrition issues is of special
relevance for the learners within the Lower Primary
Phase. It is at this stage that learners acquire life-long
skills, knowledge and attitudes concerning living a
healthy life-style, making friends, controlling emotions,
dealing with sickness, being assertive in potentially
dangerous situations, changes in the body and learning
how to keep safe. Many of these early themes are
fundamental to the life skills programme offered in
upper primary and beyond
Discussion on Rational

 Let students share their views

 Bring in practical examples
Welcome to the Aims:
link it with how we teach

 develop a lively, questioning, appreciative and creative

intellect, enabling learners to discuss issues rationally, to
make careful observation and analysis, to experiment, to
think scientifically, solve problems, and apply themselves
to tasks;
 help learners develop self-confidence, self-knowledge,
self-reliance and understanding of the world in which they
live; enable learners to obtain the knowledge and
understanding, skills and competencies, and attitudes
and values needed for their personal development,
related to the changes in Namibian society;
 develop attitudes and practices and
further knowledge and activities which
promote physical and mental health;
 promote democratic principles at school
level in the educational system, and in
civil life;
 develop the learners’ social responsibility
towards other individuals, family life, the
community and the nation as a whole;
 promote equality of opportunity for males and
females, enabling both sexes to participate
equally and fully in all spheres of society and all
fields of employment;
 promote positive attitudes towards the challenges
of co-operation, work and entrepreneurship;
 develop understanding of the dynamic
interdependence of living and non-living things
and the environment;
 promote the learner’s involvement in practical
activities to preserve and sustain the natural
environment
Reflection & Share ideas:

 As a future teacher study the above and see in what

way you can strive to obtain any of the above aims in
your lessons.
 Discuss keywords such as lively, creative, problem
solving, self confidence if knowing the content,
positive attitudes, cooperation and learners
involvement etc. and indicate to students the
importance thereof in lesson presentations and class
discussions.
Lets look at the themes:

Theme: Social environment:

Topics
 Social groups- family
 Culture
 Infrastructure and communication
 Economic activities
Group task

 Study the topics and select one topic

 Indicate how you can make others aware of the
importance of your selected topic.
 Taking care of it….
 “We should help learners acquire the competencies
and sensitivity to make sound decisions about the
environment, to look and care for the environment to
sustain for the next generations to come”.
Activity continue

 Students in their groups can even discuss what Teaching

Aids can be used for the Topic. (Can Make it as a task)
 Which Song or Rhyme or Story can be used for the
Introduction to arouse learner interest based on the
topic.
 Different questions from known to unknown
 How to make use of learner own experience, to relate
the topic to their experiences.
 How to teach the topic through learner senses etc.
What is Integration?

Is an approach to teaching and learning based on

philosophy and practicality. It involves the
purposefully drawing together of knowledge,
skills attitudes and values from within or
across subject areas to develop a more
powerful understanding of key ideas.
Components of the curriculum are connected
and related in meaningful ways by both the
students and teachers. (see the spider web)
 It is a way of planning, teaching and learning
whereby many areas or subjects of the
curriculum are connected together, often
under a single theme or topic.
What requires integrated
planning?
 To plan properly well in advance. It requires in
depth reading about the topic to see how it can be
connected with other subject.
 What did you read about “Family”?
 The teacher needs to be familiar with the curriculum
content and areas and demonstrate understanding
 Teacher must have an open and creative attitude.
Need to brainstorm and come up with links between
the areas of the curriculum and develop these into
schemes of work and lesson plans. Must make sure all
areas of the curriculum are covered and taught.

Integrated teaching and
learning:
 When teaching the teacher needs to have a clear idea
of what topic they are integrating, so they can point
out and explain these links to the learners and
encourage them to come up with other links. Subjects
should not be taught as compartment but rather as links
with one another. When doing shopping and comparing
prices and nutritional value we include subjects such as
Language, Mathematics, Environmental studies skills in
an integrated manner. We use different skills at once
and put the learning in context.
The advantages of
integration?
 It benefits both the teacher and the learner in many
ways:
 It is learner-centered
 It reflects the real world
 It unifies learning
 It matches the way learners think
 It allows for flexibility
 It allows for differentiation
 It helps with time management
Why should we integrate?

 We need to take a holistic approach when teaching our

children. This means to educate
 the child as a whole, and taking all the areas of
development into consideration. It seeks to engage all
aspects of the child’s physical, emotional, cognitive,
social and language development in an integrated way.
This approach is about balance and teachers should
consider this when planning teaching and learning.
 Using an integrated approach to planning teaching and
learning is holistic as it seeks to engage all of the
development domains. It is important in the early
grades to develop all of the domains as the first years of
every human being’s life are the most favourable ones
for developing the attitudes and values that form the
basis of their personalities. The structure of values and
attitudes built in the early years are the strong and
permanent roots for one’s entire life.



•Study the theme web for grade 2. Make a
summary of the activities in each subject.
•Now look and see if “My Family” is well covered
and well integrated across the curriculum.
•How do the activities in the web help to develop
the child as a whole?
•Which language skills are developed in the above
mentioned web?
•What activity would you have done in
the Environmental studies for this
theme e.g. a game, a worksheet or a
practical activity. Feel free to design
any activity.
•Now you can draw your own family
tree.
•Reminder : In the next unit you will be
exposed to different lessons on‘ My
Family’ for grades pre-primary 1,2 and
3. This example will serve as a model.
Bed 1 Theme Integration: Name of
student……………………………….

1. Explain what is meant by integration.

2. List the advantages of the integrated approach.

3. Study the grade 2 Spider web (example given to you). Analyze the content

and the activities in one of the 3 Spider webs.

Start with Environmental education and compare the content with the syllabus.

Give your opinion and feel free to add more practical activities based on the

theme/topic e.g. games, songs, rhymes, puzzles, picture word matching etc.

Now complete the empty Spider web (next page). First, start with Environmental studies.

Indicate the theme, the topic and the grade. List now the practical activities.

You can do now the same with all the other subjects.

By doing this activity you will start to experience the feeling of integration.

You welcome to continue with the other 2 if you succeed.

ADVICE:

 Students can draw their own spider web or you can do it

for them.
 Remember these are all practical activities. Don’t go
much in the other subject students can study the
activities of the other subjects on the spider web see
slide 32.
 Students must search the internet and get interesting
Family rhymes, songs and in between you give one a
chance to teach it to the class, to bring liveliness in.
 1st language
Mother tongue English

Religious and Environmental

moral Studies
education Theme:
Topic: Mathematics

Physical Arts
education
Bed 1, Environment Education Name of
student…………………………………
Study the Grade 1,2,3,Environmental studies syllabus (the part given to you) and focus only on the Theme:
Social environment and Topic Social groups (leave culture for now). Familiarize yourself with the topics
under this theme. Now compare the content of each grade under the Social environment. This will help you
see the content you need to cover in each grade as well as how the content progress from one grade to
Grade 1
another. Grade 2 Grade 3


Advice to lecturers.

 The previous 2 slides please make copies and let

learners practice it in groups. Pls feel free to invite a
teacher from school to explain the Thematic approach
with suitable examples to students. They can do it in
groups etc to get the feeling and idea of integration. A
gave examples of grade 2 as gr 1 is a bit complicated.
Learners need more experience to work with gr 1. It
takes time but do it as students will need it in all other
topics as we continue.

 By doing the activity students see the progression of

content and become familiar with the content in
syllabus. Pls explore syllabus with students. EE is to
empower students with knowledge and skills.
What is sustainable
development Very Important:
 Development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their own needs."

 But what does this mean? What are the

needs of the present? Take a minute
and jot down five to ten needs that
you have in your own life.
 Have you listed any needs that conflict with one another?
For example, if you listed clean air to breathe, but also listed
a car for transportation, your needs might conflict.
 Which would you choose, and how would you make your
decision?
 If within ourselves, we have conflicting needs, how much is
that multiplied when we look at a whole community, city,
country, world?
 For example, what happens when a company’s need for
cheap labor conflicts with workers’ needs for livable wages?
 Or when individual families’ needs for firewood conflict with
the need to prevent erosion and conserve topsoil?
 Or when one country’s need for electricity results in acid rain
that damages another country's lakes and rivers?
How do we decide whose needs are met? Poor or rich people?
Citizens or immigrants? People living in cities or in the countryside?
People in one country or another? You or your neighbour?
The environment or the corporation? This generation or the next generation?
When there has to be a trade off, whose needs should go first?

What happens to the environment in the long term if a large number

of people cannot afford to meet their basic household needs
today?
If you did not have access to safe water, and therefore needed wood
to boil drinking water so that you and your children would not get sick,
would you worry about causing deforestation?
Or, if you had to drive a long distance to get to work each day, would you be
willing to move or get a new job to avoid polluting the air
with your car exhaust?
If we don’t balance our social, economic, and environmental objectives in the
short term, how can we expect to sustain our development in the long term?
What sustainable development dilemmas do you and
your family face in your everyday lives? (talk about it).

By reading the previous slides you should be able to be

more conscious about the environment and able to teach
in a sustainable manner.
Make sure learners understand why they are doing
certain things.
We all need to perceive the world as a whole with
limited natural resources; a world in which we need
to learn to save resources and distribute them fairly,
equally and equitably.
Share Environmental Challenges
Namibia is experiencing:
Causes and possible solutions

 Drought
 Pollution
 Global Warming
 Deforestation
 (Add according to the regions)
 3R’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
 (will send pp on 3R’s)
5. Approach to Teaching and Learning

 The approach to teaching and learning is based on a paradigm of learner-

centred education (LCE) as described in ministerial policy documents and
the LCE conceptual framework. This approach ensures optimal quality of
learning when the principles are put into practice.
 The aim is to develop learning with understanding, and the knowledge,
skills and attitudes to contribute to the development of society. Each
learner brings to the school a wealth of knowledge and social experience
gained from the family, the community, and through interaction with the
environment. Learning in school must involve, build on, extend and
challenge the learner’s prior knowledge and experience.
 Learners learn best when they are actively involved in the learning
process through a high degree of participation, contribution and
production. Each learner is an individual with his/her own needs,
pace of learning, experiences and abilities. The teacher must be
able to cater to the needs of the learners and shape learning
experiences accordingly. Teaching strategies must be varied but
flexible within well-structured sequences of lessons. Working in
groups, in pairs, individually, or as a whole class during
Environmental Studies must, therefore, be organised and focussed.
 Co-operative and collaborative learning should be encouraged
wherever possible. Project work in groups can be used frequently
as the learners develop social skills. As the learners develop
personal, social and communication skills, they can gradually be
given increasing responsibility to participate in planning and
evaluating their work, under the teacher’s guidance. There are
many opportunities for integration of subject areas. For example,
learners can use their writing, mathematics and arts skills to show
understanding of the Environmental Studies competencies.
Ruth Wilson (1993), in Fostering A Sense of Wonder During the Early Childhood Years,
provides a guideline helping us to understand how young children learn best EE

 Begin with simple experiences. When introducing children to

nature, start with the most immediate environment so that
children feel safe and comfortable. Watch a bean sprout before
tending a garden, or walk barefoot in the grass before wading in a
stream.
 Keep children actively involved. Facilitate childrens interactions
with adults, materials, and their surroundings, allowing their
interest, curiosity, and need to know to drive activities.
 Provide pleasant, memorable experiences. The enjoyment of an EE
experience is just as important as the content.
 Emphasize experience versus teaching. For effective learning,
young children need to be involved in sharing and doing versus
listening and watching.
 Involve full use of the senses. Children need to engage with the
natural world at the sensorimotor level. (see Piaget)
 Provide multimodal learning experiences. Provide opportunities to
learn through more than one avenue or channel of information.
 Focus on relationships. Promote cooperation, communication, and
trust between people by encouraging cooperative learning in the
outdoors. Help children feel comfortable in the natural
environment in order to build independence and self-concept. Help
children understand that all parts of the natural world are
interconnected and that they are a part of it, as well.
 Demonstrate a personal interest in and enjoyment of the natural
world, and model caring for the natural environment. Young
children learn more about attitudes and values from their
observations of adult behavior than they do from what adults say
to
 Maintain a warm, accepting, and nurturing atmosphere. Young
children need to know that they are valued and that they can trust
the adults who work with them.
 Introduce multicultural experiences and perspectives. Use art, literature and visitors from different
cultural backgrounds to introduce children to a variety of cultures.
 Focus on the beauty and wonder of nature. The most important thing young children can learn about
the Earth is that it is full of beauty and wonder.
 Go outside whenever possible. If young children are to develop a sense of love and caring for the
natural world, they must be given time to experience it.
 Wilson suggests the following types of activities:
 Nature-related materials and activities in learning centers.
 Animals and plants as part of the classroom environment.
 Nature-related books for children.
 Nature-related art, music, and movement activities.
 Celebration of the four seasons with special nature-related
 activities.
 Using foods to show our connection to the natural world.
 Nature-related themes in group activities.
 Nature-related art and art projects made from mate

The diagram below suggests different teaching strategies:
The following clarifies some of the
teaching strategies/methods

 Project method
 The project method requires that learners participate in a project. The
project could be designed by the teacher or the idea could come from
the learners. It should be problem-solving in character, be realistic and
meaningful, and also be within the field of interest of the learners. A
project should have clear outcomes which can be assessed. The teacher
must give clear instruction about what should be done, how it should be
done, the resources available, the deadlines for the completion of the
project, how the project will be assessed and what will be assessed.
The teacher should not only assess the content but also the process.
Learners can work either as individuals or as groups.
 Through groups projects, learners learn to work cooperatively with
other members of the team. This activity teaches them to compare
solutions and discuss their findings together. The teacher offer guidance
only when it is necessary to allow learners freedom to investigate, seek
information and display their creative and cognitive abilities. Link to
Enviro studies
 Think of examples........
Problem-solving method

 It allows learners to discover things for themselves and the engage

in solving problems. They learn self-activity and self activity
always concerns a problem to be solved, a difficulty to be
overcome or a confusion to be resolved. It is, however, important
that the teacher guide the learner towards the problems which
form part of the prescribed outcome. Problem solving is a form of
inquiry learning which engage learners in seeking knowledge,
process information and applying ideas to real-life situations. This
means that problems have to be real to the learners and fall as
much as possible within the learners’ field of interest. The problem
should challenge the learner and encourage him or her to greater
responsibility for his or her own learning. Problem solving helps in
developing learners’ thinking and reasoning skills, thus keeping
their natural curiosity alive.
 Think of suitable examples......
Experimental method

 The experimental method is used by the teacher to discover

reality by means of studying relevant examples and generalised
statements. This method allows learners to experience reality
and discover things themselves. Experimenting ‘deals mainly
with the discovery of reality by means of a specific example in
order to eventually arrive at generally valid pronouncements
concerning the phenomenon or object. This method is
commonly used in natural and biological sciences, the
experimental method encourage learners to learn through self-
discovery, exploration and observation.
 Think of examples and link to syllabus…….
Participative methods

 Participative methods are those methods which focus on

the learner playing a central role in teaching-learning
activities. Participative methods give learners an
opportunity to participate actively and fully in
classroom activities. The learners are accompanied and
assisted by the teacher to seek solutions and to solve
problems, to probe questions and to find answers, to
wonder, to explore, to investigate and to manipulate
the information at their disposal. Participative methods
lead to productive interactions between the teacher
and the learner and among learners.
 Think of examples and link to syllabus……
 Discussion method
 A discussion allows for a planned and systematic teaching-learning
conversation between the teacher and learners and among learners. Teachers
need to plan such lessons beforehand, and it is useful if they tell learners in
advance what the intended outcomes of the discussion are. The teacher
should lead the discussion in the right direction and, at the same time,
prompting the learners to exercise their own intellectual powers.
 Nature table
 On this table you should portray the theme of the week. Learners can bring
objects of interest e.g. a plant and display it on the nature table. It is good to
label the items for incidental reading.
 Group work
 Group work broadens and develops the social interaction op learners. It keeps
learners actively involve and enables them to help each other. Effective
groups consist out of 5 to 6 learners. When learners are busy in groups the
teacher should walk around in the classroom to supervise the groups, giving
advice and encouragement and help where needed. Well behaved groups can
even sit and work outside the classroom.
 Learning through Play:
 The value of play should never be underestimated. Play is the
spontaneous way in which children of all cultural groups discover the
world around them. They learn through playing and if they enjoy their
play, they associate learning with enjoyment. Play is important for the
total development of the child:
 Intellectual: the child learns to solve problems and make choices
 Social: the child learns to interacts and cooperate with other;
 Emotional: the child learns to express feelings and respect others;
 Physical: develop senses and good body and muscle control;
 Language: the child learns to speak and communicate with others
 Play can happen inside or outside the classroom and the teacher should
be present to supervise and support learners.

Environmental education promotes learner-centred education .
As teachers we need to focus on developing the skills, values and attitudes that encourages us
to care for people, and the resources and landscapes around us.
Learner-centred education is a way of thinking about how learning occurs and
how learners acquire knowledge. It is both a theory of knowledge and theory of teaching and learning.
The focus of learner-centred education as a theory concerns:
•Understanding and on conceptual development
•Teaching and learning that is participatory
•Learning as a process leading to expanded understanding
•Knowledge as skills and values that are seen as an integral part of knowing about, why, what if, how and how to.
•The multiple role of the teacher and the learner in the learning process.
Environmental learning is concerned with making our learners environmentally literate.
By this we mean that through environmental learning our learners will:
•Understand the key concept contained in the area of environmental education and that they will through the learning
process expand their conceptual development in these areas.
•Knowing about these key concepts, and know the why, what if, how and how to.
Environmental literate learners will be able to:
•Apply their knowledge to environmental issues and problems
•Think critically about the environmental issues that affect lives and the lives of their community.
•Make informed decisions about these issues
•Demonstrate the skills and competencies to work for ‘a better place to live, learn and work.’
Look carefully at the above and you will notice that the intention of environmental learning and learner-centred education
are the same that is conceptual development.
Environmental learning, therefore, logically is based on the same theory
of learning and teaching that learner-centred education is.
Portfolio:

 It is expected that each student compiles a portfolio.

 Portfolios are a way in which students can ‘showcase’ their work and
through which they are able to demonstrate their development and
progress.
 What can be included in the portfolio:
 Student can include copies of work they have done in this course,
interviews you have conducted, teaching aids you have developed,
lesson plans you have written etc.
 When will this portfolio be assessed?
 At the end of your second year the portfolio will be assessed.
 Please keep all your work in your portfolio file.
End of Unit

 Let’s see what you have learned?

 List the topics discussed?
 What was fun, what did you enjoy the most and why?
 What was not enjoyable and why?
 List areas for improvement (for lecturer as well as
students as a whole)
 Did you give your very best students?
 Next Unit to follow after recap of previous work!……….
References

 Grobler, H.M., Faber, R.J., Orr, J.P. , Calitz, E.M., & Van Staden, C.J.S.(2005). The Day
Care Handbook. Cape Town, Creda Communications.
 Jacobs, M., Vakalisa,N., &Gawe,N. (2004) Teaching-Learning Dynamics, 3rd edition.
Sandown,Heinemann Publishers.
 Ministry of Education. NIED. (2013) Curriculum for the Lower Primary Phase Grades 1-3.
Windhoek,Namibia: John Meinert Printing.
 Ministry of Education. NIED. (2008). Environmental Learning in Namibia. Curriculum
Guidelines for Educators. Windhoek: Printech cc.
 Ministry of Education. (2010). Lower Primary Phase. Integrated Planning Manual for
Teachers’ Grade 2. Okahandja. NIED.
 Murray, S., (2005). Introducing Environmental Learning in Schools. Windhoek: Typoprint.
 Trawick-Smith,J. (2010). Early Child development: A Multicultural Perspective 5th edition.
New Jersey: Pearson Education.
 Van Harmelen, U., (2005). Environmental Learning and learner-centred education.
Windhoek: Typoprint.
