Term

Summer 8-7-2015

Capstone

Thesis

Degree Name

MAT

Primary Advisor/Dissertation Chair

Margot F. Galt

Secondary Advisor/Reader One

Scott A. Haisting

Peer-Reviewer/Reader Two

Barbara D. Elvecrog

Abstract

This capstone addresses challenges faced by a first year high school teacher on an interdisciplinary team integrating social studies into an environmental studies curriculum. After exploring literature in biodiversity, biocultural diversity, and place-based education, the author determines that the existing curriculum can be enhanced to make stronger connections between people and the places already being studied, including the local community. To that end, this paper presents a sub-unit, developed using the Understanding by Design ® model, that seeks to integrate human culture, community, and sense of place into an environmental studies curriculum. The sub-unit includes six weeks of lessons to supplement an existing ten-week unit on biodiversity.

Keywords

Curriculum, Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary Teaching

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