This winter, I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion focused on environmental literacy at the annual California Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee (CISC) Leadership Symposium. Our session featured the work of county offices of education that are supporting districts using environmental learning as the context for inclusive, relevant engagement with core subject […]
For the longest time, I saw climate change only as the melting of ice caps and the clearcutting of rainforests in faraway, obscure parts of the world visible only in documentaries and news reports. My parents always made sure I was aware of the issue, but I was never awake to it. After all, I […]
As a science teacher it is a challenge to offer approachable yet enriching curriculum for all students, especially because I strive to create rich curriculum for every student in every one of my classes. The middle school students I teach reflect the diversity of California, and include students with a wide range of experiences, abilities, […]
“Look, there’s water in my bag! Why does my bag have more water than yours? What happened to the leaves?” These were my student’s observations as he took off the rubber band that was wrapped around a clear Ziploc bag covering a small batch of leaves on a tree. This was a result of an […]
Every year all of Carmel Middle School’s seventh grade students participate in the Monterey Bay Outdoor Education (MBOE) program. The main goals of this place-based program are to connect students to their local environment and increase their understanding of the interconnection between humans and nature.
It’s January in the quiet mountain town of Greenville, California. This is the heart of the Lost Sierra; an impressive expanse of rolling mountains and vast forest that are as remote as they are beautiful.
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do.” ~ Steve Jobs In 2017, I had the very great pleasure of meeting Dr. V. Ram Ramanathan, Distinguished Professor of Climate Sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Scripps), following a featured presentation he did in Los Angeles […]
It is not easy to find a healthy habitat on our school campus. Our campus is a bit of a concrete jungle. Concrete sidewalks connect the buildings that lead to an expansive concrete play area which is surrounded with, you guessed it, more concrete. Beyond the concrete are a few green spaces. There is a […]