ESD 113

To date, ESD 113 has reached 902 K–5 teachers, 361 middle school teachers, and 279 high school teachers through the following delivery methods: traditional face-to-face workshops, hybrid workshops with a mix of face-to-face and virtual meetings, and online Learning Management Systems.

Statewide – Climate Science Canvas Courses

As part of the statewide Climate Science effort, Capital Region ESD 113 took on the challenge of designing, implementing, and moderating the Climate Science Canvas Courses. This Learning Management System (LMS) provided teachers with up-to-date climate science data to analyze and protocols for conducting student-centered lessons. One unique aspect of the courses is the ability of K–12 teachers to contribute to discussion boards. Teachers can provide each other insights and helpful hints to apply what they have learned as a result of working through the courses.

One teacher said about the course, “This course allowed me to see that even my little learners can participate in respectful arguments about climate and the impact human activities have on the climate and the world around them. They learned to take turns listening to other students arguments even if they are different than theirs.”

Regional – Climate Science Series

Pacific Education Institute, NCESD GLAD Program, and EarthGen will each facilitate a grade band of teachers through a series of face-to-face meetings and ZOOM check-ins. These workshops are designed to introduce teachers to grade appropriate, locally relevant 3-D NGSS based activities that focus on climate science. Teachers will gain experience weaving the practices, disciplinary core ideas and cross cutting concepts around a local climate-based phenomenon.

Chehalis Basin Education Consortium (CBEC) will facilitate the Climate Fellows program to approximately 25 local 4th – 12th grade teachers. These quarterly meetings provide teachers with extra support from the program coordinator, additional budget for classroom and field experiences, and curriculum resources in order to effectively teach climate science in both their classrooms and outside.

CBEC organizes and facilitates 24 visits to the Thurston County and Lewis County Detention Centers. These Climate Science presentations are led by local environmental professionals and include such topics as disaster preparedness, composting, carbon footprints, salmon, and ocean acidification. Expected outcomes for the adjudicated youth: gaining understanding of local environmental phenomena and concerns resulting in increased environmental stewardship, green job awareness and critical thinking and scientific skills that will help them meet state standards.