Reaching Teachers and Students Using Project Learning Tree

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Reaching Teachers and Students Using Project
Learning Tree

• Brenda Weiser, Ed.D
• Environmental Institute of Houston
• University of Houston-Clear Lake

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What are we doing with energy education?

• Teacher workshops preservice and inservice
• Using Project Learning Tree
• Pre-K 8 Activity Guide
• Secondary Modules
• Energy and Society Kit

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What is PLT?

• A Comprehensive Environmental Education Program
• PreK - 12 Curriculum
• Partnerships - state and federal agencies, NGOs
  (including API), Universities, others
• Implementation by volunteer network with state
  coordinators
• International Program

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Project Learning Tree Goals
Awareness
Knowledge
Challenge
Responsible Action
Teaching students how to think, not what to
think.
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PreK-8 Guide

• Interdisciplinary
• Thematic
• Use of Storylines
• Classroom Friendly
• Aligned to National Standards and TEKS
• PreK-8 Guide Revisions
• Reading Connections
• Technology Connections
• Differentiated Instruction

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Project Learning Trees Integrated Energy
Education Program
Funded by American Petroleum Institute
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Energy Society Kit

• Activity Guide
• Energy Me CD
• Energy Me music and dance video
• Poster set Where is the energy? and What powers
  the move?
• Aligned to TEKS

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Energy Me CD
Winner of Childrens Music Web Award and a
Parents Choice Award
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EIH Partners in Energy Education

• Newfield Exploration
• Offshore Energy Center
• Ocean Star
• Cy-Fair ISD
• Clear Creek ISD
• Aldine ISD

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What Teachers Are Saying

• Easily incorporated into existing curriculum
• Cross-curricula
• Hands-on, minds-on
• Correlated to education standards
• In line with education reform

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Recent Energy Society Teacher

• ----Original Message-----
• From Chanda
• Sent Wednesday, October 12, 2005 753 PM
• To 'Weiser, Brenda'
• Subject RE Energy Society Kits
• I used the kit on the following Monday after
  our workshop. My GT and Pre -AP Kids wouldn't let
  me alone about the music and songs. We did the
  energy chain. Good stuff. The other kids keep
  asking to play the songs again because they can't
  get them out of their heads. (Me,too!) So, thanks
  again to you for sharing the energy of the
  project, and of course to the artist, Billy B,
  who have turned my kids on to a whole new genre
  of singing and dancing and producing this kind of
  ENERGY for themselves! We are so kinetic.
• Chanda _at_ Twain

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PLT Works ...

• Up to 30,000 educators a year
• EIH reaches 700 plus educators a year
• Half of users report using PLT at least once a
  month
• 60 percent come to workshops because another
  educator told them about PLT

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How Can You Get Involved?

• Purchase ES Kits for schools
• Support energy education
• Be a resource person at a workshop