Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/63126
It also encourages students to take long-term views and take action for the common good. Environmental education also helps address "nature deficit disorder," a condition linked to children spending so much time indoors watching television and playing video games, which can cause obesity, loneliness, depres- sion, attention problems and isolation. GPA of students and test scores [compared with] other students at our school, promotes learning and can actually raise student achievement because it promotes critical thinking and problem-solving. According to www.classroomearth.org, "environ- Numerous studies show that environmental education " says Turner. mental educators often find that students who fail in a traditional school setting can succeed when the natural outdoor environment becomes the students' classroom." Going green boosts achievement Did you know environmental education students… Performed better in reading, writing, math, science and social studies, according to a review of 40 environmental education programs in various states. (Gerald Lieberman and Linda Hoody, 1998, "Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning," www.seer.org/pages/GAP.html.) Outperformed traditional program students in reading, language arts, math, science and social studies, according to a study of STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) exam results in California. (State Education and Environment Roundtable, 2005, "California Student Assessment Project, Phase Two: The Effects of Environment-based Education on Student Achievement," www.seer.org/pages/research.html.) Performed better in math, reading, writing and listening tests, according to a study of students in grades 3-10 in Washington state. The study also examined the key factors associated with the higher performance, including the use of natural areas, curriculum integration, strong teacher beliefs that the environmental education training was valuable, and support from administrators, parents and the community. (O. Bartosh, 2004, "Environmental Education: Improving Student Achievement," unpublished master's thesis, www.seer.org/ pages/research.html.) GREEN keeps district out of the red, promotes nutrition While most school districts are cutting back, the Twin Hills School District in Sonoma County has added art, music and technology classes while maintaining small class sizes without layoffs. Part of the reason is the dis- trict's commitment to sustainability. The district runs on solar power, says Sunny Gal- braith, a math, science and independent study teacher at Orchard View School. It installed electric vehicle charging stations in its parking lot, started a recycling program, and has composted 20,000 pounds of garbage over the past few years, she estimates. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth it," says Galbraith, a member of the Twin Hills Teachers Association (THTA). "The solar panels have saved a lot of money on our electric bills. We've been able to keep enrichment programs such as art, science and music." The district passed a bond measure to pay for solar panels, which were installed last summer. Three years ago Galbraith wrote a grant for a large organic school garden at Apple Blossom School, which is maintained by students. Every day at lunchtime Galbraith and some of her stu- dents walk next door to Apple Blossom to help "compost- ing teams" of elementary students, selected each week for the honor of hacking up apples and other assorted garbage for worms to eat. The students love it. "It's fun, good for the environment, and you get to smash stuff," says fiſth-grader Ryan Pearson enthusiastically. "They absolutely love the garden," says first-grade teacher and THTA member Meg Scherfee. "It's a great teaching tool. We cook what we grow and measure ingre- dients for math. For science, we can study everything from insects to plant life to weather. During art, they sketch in the garden." Scherfee says she was pleasantly surprised to discover that the garden encourages students to eat their vegetables. "If they plant something, they will eat it," she says. "When we picked Swiss chard they looked at me like I was nuts, and the next thing you know they were chomping on leaves like lollypops and asking for seconds. This is why we have a garden." 14 California Educator / April 2012