A project-based learning activity in which students assess their community's ability to respond to crises and develop ideas for making it more resilient. Students participate in project-based learning over several days as they assess their community's ability to respond to crises that threaten both natural and human systems. Then they develop ideas for redesigning their community to be more resilient.
The KBEE has been working to find ways of enabling teachers to effectively use environmental/place-based education across their teaching practices in order to support students in developing the Core Competencies and achieving the Content, Curricular Competencies and Big Ideas in the Know-Do-Understand model articulated by the BC Ministry of Education, as well as to enhance their students' learning experiences both in and outside of their classrooms.
With animation, interactivity, and sound effects, Starting with Soil demonstrates how plants and animals cooperate to make the soil we need to grow healthy food. Kids learn that soil starts with bare rock and discover how long it takes nature to make one inch of topsoil. (Spoiler alert: it takes 500 years!) Different chapters convey the importance of pollinators and the critical roles animals, the weather, microorganisms, and cover crops play in organic farming. Designed for students ages 7-9, Starting with Soil allows users to plant seeds, build a compost pile, drag a microscope over different organisms in soil to get a better look, and view the symbiosis at work when corn, beans, and squash are planted together.
Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide uses video, photography, text, and interactive experiences to help educators, students, and advocates learn how food and climate systems interact and how personal choices can make a difference. Ideal for grades 6–12 and general audiences, for Social Studies themes, the guide offers activities for student research and resources for further investigation. The guide is also designed to support self-guided and independent study, and is a boon for advocates seeking hopeful strategies and creative responses. Available as a free iBook for Mac and iPad users.