Consider: What are the core elements (policies, standards, efforts, etc.) that guide the way you approach teaching environmental literacy?

Implementing a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) helps meet Michigan's Academic Standards across grade bands and subject areas. MWEE's can offer an opportunity for cross-curricular learning and engagement. 

Your school district may also have an environmental literacy plan that lays the foundation for district-wide implementation and integration of environmental literacy programming, including MWEEs, into the curriculum.

Consider: What issue(s) are particularly relevant to your community and school? 

There are many ways to generate ideas for planning a MWEE, ranging from an inspiring learning objective that lends itself to field-based learning to a compelling local environmental issue. MWEEs are not meant to be something “extra” but rather a means of enhancing lessons for deeper student learning while meeting academic standards. You may want to start by exploring and gathering information on local environmental issues and/or reviewing your curriculum for lessons that address environmental issues. 

To organize your ideas, start with the MWEE Think Cloud planning tool. This tool can help you with initial brainstorming about program ideas, collaborators, and resources and can be used to facilitate planning conversations with partners and team members.

Visit the Issues Definition webpage to explore more!

Your entire MWEE will be framed around a driving question. The driving question is the “big picture” question that sparks curiosity and organizes student inquiry and investigations. It engages students in learning about, investigating, and taking action to address an environmental issue.

As you work towards developing the driving question for your MWEE and as you help guide your students to developing supporting questions, take a moment to pause and think about whether the driving question or issue could lead to realistic and relevant action. Use the Developing Driving Questions planning document to create effective driving questions. 

Consider: What curriculum resources are available for information on the issue you identified and to meet your academic and learning standards? 

The Environmental Literacy Model (ELM) Curriculum Anchor component identifies connections of the MWEE to academic standards and establishes relevant, local contexts for learning. The ELM can guide you through the Issue Definition and Investigation process. Usually, the Curriculum Anchor is completed by the teacher with no student involvement so the teacher can place the ELM within their curriculum.

Explore the Curriculum Anchor webpage to find resources to support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences in your learning space and community. 

Consider: How do outdoor field experiences help to answer or look more deeply at the driving question/supporting questions?

Outdoor Field Experiences can take place on school grounds or at locations close to schools, such as streams or local parks. They can also take place at off-site locations such as county or state parks and nature centers.  A range of partners can help facilitate field experiences. Teachers and partners should ensure an accessible outdoor learning environment for all participants, including students with a range of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities. Use the Incorporating Outdoor Field Experiences planning tool to identify sites that could support your MWEE.

Check out the Outdoor Field Experiences webpage for 10 tips and tricks for taking students outdoors and for additional classroom connections. 

Consider: As an educator, it’s important that you list the criteria that you know to be a limiting factor for your action project. However, at the same time, you still want to support youth voice in the project selection process. What can you do to ensure that the students and your criteria are recognized in the process? 

Once an action project has been identified, students engage in the process of planning how to make their vision a reality. Encourage students to practice claim evidence reasoning to turn their issue investigations into action. This part is all about the logistics–from timelines to who’s doing what to acquiring appropriate supplies and communicating about the project. Because the MWEE is student-led, these tasks should not fall onto the shoulders of the educator; instead, the educator should provide the students agency in taking them on and supporting them through the process. One way to ensure that all students feel empowered and find meaning in the action project is by harnessing student talents and interests. Support students as they develop their plans using the Environmental Action Planning Worksheets. Pull out the worksheets that make sense for your project, or use them all! The worksheets are designed for students or a class to work through each page as they plan, implement, and maintain their action project.

Visit the Environmental Action Projects page for action project ideas and support!

Consider: How can you celebrate student success? 

Now that your MWEE environmental action project is complete, celebrate your success! Celebrating student success can help increase your school’s understanding of and excitement for the MWEE and to build toward or reinforce a school culture that embraces environmental education. It is also important to recognize community partners who lend support through resources, money, or time teaching and supporting students. A news blast can be sent to your school or PTA newsletter, website, or social media accounts. 

Students can deliver powerful testimonials about their MWEE during a student showcase or school board meetings. The community surrounding a school is generally interested in learning more about school initiatives, especially because many of the community members have family who are attending, will attend, or have attended the school.

Visit the Synthesis and Conclusions webpage for more ideas!