2012 Houston Environmental Education Summit

The 2012 Environmental Education Summit offers one-and-a-half-hour and three-hour-long workshops with two focus track to serve different professional development needs. These include hands-on instructional workshops that offer State Board of Education Certification credit as well as Texas Environmental Education Advisory Committee credit. All workshops are directly correlated to the TEKS.

Agenda
7:30am Registration and Exhibit Opens
8:15am Welcome – Susan Kaderka, Regional Executive Director National Wildlife Federation
8:25am Introduction - Jaime Gonzalez, Community Education Manager, Katy Prairie Conservancy
8:30am Keynote Speaker- Jarid Manos, Great Plains Restoration Council
9:15am-12:15pm TRACK A: Morning Sessions:
9:15am-10:30am TRACK B: Morning Sessions I
10:45am-12:00pm TRACK B: Morning Sessions II
12:00pm Complimentary Local/Sustainable Lunch, Round Table Discussion Groups
1:30pm-4:15pm TRACK A Afternoon Sessions
1:30pm-2:45pm TRACK B Afternoon Sessions I
3:00pm-4:15pm TRACK B Afternoon Sessions II

TRACK A: 3 hour Sessions
Offers TEEAC, SBEC, CPE credits
Project Wild Sampler
Grades: K – 12
Project WILD is a suite of pre K – 12th grade environmental and conservation education programs emphasizing awareness, appreciation and understanding of wildlife and natural systems. WILD promotes critical thinking, provides fun, hands-on activities, and supports existing curricula. It is TEKS aligned and also ideal for youth programs emphasizing nature and conservation. The workshop will give participants a sampling of activities from the four Project Wild Activity Guides. It will also include a discussion of how Project Wild may be used to illustrate the main environmental issues facing the Houston area and Texas. Participants will also receive some resources related to the activities presented.

Flying Wild
Grades: 6 – 8
Project Learning Tree: Energy and Society
Grades: 4 – 8
Energy & Society helps students develop critical thinking skills to make decisions about their personal energy use. Energy & Society uses hands-on activities and integrates music and dance to enhance the study of energy issues. TEKS are supported.

Project WET & the WaterWorks
Grades: K – 8
Instructor(s): Jerrel Geisler, City of Houston WaterWorks Education Center
A 3-hour Intro to Project WET curriculum program and the City of Houston’s WaterWorks Education Center. This shortened version will provide introduction to the water education program with activities available for classroom use. TEKS coorelations available.

Growing Up Wild
Grades: PreK – 2nd
Instructor(s): Kiki Corry, Texas Parks & Wildlife
Build on young children’s sense of wonder about nature and invite them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Sample activities and receive a Growing Up WILD activity guide. TEKS and NAEYC aligned.

Nature Access Curriculum and Activity Guide
Grades: 1 – 5
TRACK B: Morning Sessions I & II

Creating a Schoolyard Habitat
Grades: K – 8
Instructor(s): Sheila Grigsby Brown, WaterSmart
Does your school have a school habitat? Come join the fun as we learn how to create a successful school site! We will hike through the EIH School Habitat Guidebook to learn about safety, class management and lesson plans for K- 8th grade. Each participant will receive the EIH School Habitat Guidebook

Maintenance a Must
Grades:
Instructor(s): Sheila Grigsby Brown and Chris LaChance, WaterSmart
Does your school habitat have a mission statement and maintenance plan? Learn how to maintain your school habitat with guidelines for sustainability to enhance the school habitat on your campus! Learn ways to involve your community volunteers to assist with maintenance.

Learning Green-Trellised by Eco-Schools
Grades: K – 12
Instructor(s): Jennifer Hammonds
Learning Green-Trellised by Eco-Schools USA focuses on NWF’s FREE green schools program, specifically, student’s connection to nature & boosting the success of your SYH through implementation of other environmentally focused pathways. Our material is aligned to the TEKS and NSES. Resources will be available free online.

Urban Wildlife
Grades: Pre-K – 6th
Instructor(s): Sheryl Nolen & Rebecca Jones, Junior Master Gardeners
Wildlife Gardener Series is a TEKS aligned curriculum that connects youth to the benefits of gardening for wildlife urban habitat. Learn about habitat heroes, using native plants in urban spaces and activities to help youth develop schoolyard habitat.

TOMORROW Curriculum for High School Environmental Science
Grades: 8-12
Instructor(s): Jay Blazek Crossley, Houston Tomorrow
Learn how to use national standards-based curriculum materials for High School or College Environmental Science classrooms based upon TOMORROW Magazine to expose students to locally relevant issues, including growth, land use, transportation, and food.

TRACK B: Afternoon Sessions I & II
Designing a Butterfly Habitat
Grades: PreK – 12
Instructor(s): Diana Foss, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Creating successful habitats that function as outdoor learning areas is vital to re-connect children with nature. Learn how to design butterfly habitats, draw a detailed plan to scale resulting in a project plant list and cost estimate.

Got Energy?
Grades: K – 12
Instructor(s): Jennifer Hammonds, National Wildlife FederationGot Energy? We will explore National Wildlife Federation’s FREE green schools program, Eco-Schools USA and its environmental focus areas or pathways. The energy pathway will be the focus for this presentation. Our material is aligned to the TEKS and NSES. Resources will be available free online.

Build Your Own Rain Barrel
Grades: K – 12
Instructor(s): Virginia Livingston, Edith Smith, and Joanne Wilton, Texas Master Naturalist
Catching rainwater is back in style. Plants will thank you for using rainwater! Learn the history of rain cisterns and how to make a simple rain barrel. Attendees will receive pictoral instructions to use in making your own rain barrel.

Poetry and the Environment
Grades: K – 8
Instructor(s): Carol Miserlian, Houston ISD Outdoor Education Center
The birds chirp like twinkling stars. We will learn how poetry can be utilized both indoors and out to reinforce science learning and attune the senses to the details of the outdoors. Poetry is a TEKS objective in all grade levels.

Build Your Own Compost
Grades:
Instructor(s): Carol Burton, Urban Harvest

Teaching With Live Specimens (and learn where to get them for free!)
Grades: K – 12
Instructor(s): Edith Smith

Coastal Prairies 101
Grades: Pre-K – 12
Instructor(s): Jaime Gonzalez, Katy Prairie Conservancy
Interactive workshop designed to build skills and provide resources for teaching about the imperiled coastal prairies of Texas and Louisiana. Participants will receive curriculum, PowerPoint, DVDs, literature, and other resources. SBEC credits given.

Agenda
7:30am Registration and Exhibit Opens
8:15am Welcome – Susan Kaderka, Regional Executive Director National Wildlife Federation
8:25am Introduction - Jaime Gonzalez, Community Education Manager, Katy Prairie Conservancy
8:30am Keynote Speaker- Jarid Manos, Great Plains Restoration Council
9:15am-12:15pm TRACK A: Morning Sessions:
9:15am-10:30am TRACK B: Morning Sessions I
10:45am-12:00pm TRACK B: Morning Sessions II
12:00pm Complimentary Local/Sustainable Lunch, Round Table Discussion Groups
1:30pm-4:15pm TRACK A Afternoon Sessions
1:30pm-2:45pm TRACK B Afternoon Sessions I
3:00pm-4:15pm TRACK B Afternoon Sessions II

Fee: $25 early registration–includes lunch. $30 after January 15. CPE credits available

Register: http://houstoneesummit.wordpress.com/register/