Environmental literacy is a key factor in sustaining healthy communities, schools, and individuals. Nevada GreenPrint Schools have created an Environmental Literacy Plan to incorporate the state's fundamental environmental literacy concepts into science, health, and social studies standards. To guarantee that students are ready for the difficulties of the future, it is essential to give them chances to observe and inquire about their environment. This will help them build a sense of personal and collective responsibility.
Elevate Science K-8 provides students with the opportunity to practice strong reasoning skills and critical thinking strategies through explorations, formulating statements, and collecting and analyzing data that encourages evidence-based arguments. In order to ensure that students in Las Vegas are adequately prepared for the future, it is important to understand what environmental literacy skills are most important. The Environmental Literacy Plan developed by Nevada GreenPrint Schools outlines five core competencies that are essential for environmental literacy:
1.Understanding the Natural World
This competency focuses on helping students understand the natural world around them. It includes topics such as ecology, geology, climate change, and biodiversity.Students should be able to identify different species of plants and animals, as well as understand how they interact with each other and their environment. They should also be able to explain how human activities can affect the environment.
2.Understanding Human Impacts on the Environment
This competency focuses on helping students understand how humans interact with their environment. It includes topics such as resource management, pollution, land use, and sustainability.Students should be able to identify different types of pollution and explain how they can affect the environment. They should also be able to explain how human activities can impact ecosystems and biodiversity.
3.Understanding Environmental Stewardship
This competency focuses on helping students understand how to be responsible stewards of the environment. It includes topics such as conservation, recycling, waste management, and energy efficiency.Students should be able to identify different ways to conserve resources and explain why it is important to do so. They should also be able to explain how their actions can have an impact on the environment.
4.Understanding Environmental Decision Making
This competency focuses on helping students understand how to make informed decisions about environmental issues. It includes topics such as risk assessment, public policy, economics, and ethics.Students should be able to identify different types of environmental risks and explain how they can be managed or avoided. They should also be able to explain how public policies can affect environmental issues.
5.Understanding Environmental Systems
This competency focuses on helping students understand how environmental systems work together. It includes topics such as ecosystems, food webs, water cycles, and climate change.Students should be able to identify different types of ecosystems and explain how they interact with each other. They should also be able to explain how human activities can affect global climate change.
