Transformative Learning and Teaching of Environmental Science, from College Sophomores to Urban Children

The curriculum the authors report upon is one component of a long-term collaboration between an education professor, a science professor, and an urban pre-K–3 school. Their common goal was to improve the quantity and quality of science instruction in a local elementary school (the principal of which identified the need and welcomed our involvement). In addition, the goals for their college students were to motivate non-science majors pursuing careers in education to conceptually understand the science they are learning and to immerse pre-service teachers in best practices in pedagogy, as both learners and then as teachers. To accomplish these goals, the authors created a three course Learning Community (LC) pairing ENV200, Principles of Environmental Science, with EDU312, Art, Music, and Movement for the Young Child. The LC's third course, a team-taught integrative seminar, challenges students to use the pedagogical skills acquired in EDU312 to teach environmental science content acquired in ENV200 to children in prekindergarten through grade three.