2022 COEEA Annual Conference
WORKSHOPS
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
DAY 01 - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 06TH
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Growing Forest-Literate Communities: A Project Learning Tree Workshop (3h): 3:00 to 6:00pm
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Ropes of Ecology (3h): 3:00 to 6:00pm
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Project WILD Sampler (2h): 3:00 to 5:00pm
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One Long Island Sound, Many People (1.5h): 4:30 to 6:00pm
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Bringing the Outside In (1.5h): 4:30 to 6:00pm
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DAY 02 - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 07TH
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Project WET - Climate Phenomena (3h): 10:30am to 1:30pm
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Creative Worlds: Adventurous nature story building programs (2h): 10:30am to 12:30pm
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This is the Warrior Way - We share what we know to save the day (1h): 10:30 to 11:30am
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Nature’s Engineers- Exploring Biomimicry and Design in the Natural World (1h): 10:30 to 11:30am
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Harnessing the Wind (1.5h): 12:00 to 1:30pm
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​​Ropes of Ecology (FREE)
Presenters: Shawn Moriarty & Jason Hyland (Project IMO)
Description: Join us for a session that will show you how to use low ropes course elements as well as portable initiatives to teach ecological literacy. So often experiential education and environmental education are done side-by-side. The Ropes of Ecology integrates them together. In addition to developing group and interpersonal connections, the Ropes of Ecology also provides techniques for connecting to the natural world around us. In this workshop you will learn how to bring the Ropes of Ecology into your existing ropes course program, camp, or school lessons. You will leave with several new tools and a program that can be used in a variety of settings.This workshop is ideal for teachers, outdoor educators, camp staff, youth workers, and more. Attendees of the workshop do not need to have any formal training or experience in low ropes course adventure education. Many of the portable initiatives discussed in this workshop are inexpensive to implement and have a wide range of potential for activities aimed at a variety of nature education and social emotional outcomes.
Sponsored by:
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Project WILD Sampler (FREE)
Presenters: Susan Robinson (CT-DEEP)
Description: This workshop will contain activities from the terrestrial Project WILD K-12 curriculum and Growing Up WILD, the pre-K, early childhood curriculum. The first half of the workshop will feature an activity from the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide that address Common Core Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. Various literature (nonfiction, fiction, songs, graphic novels) and visual media (movies, cartoons) will be used to learn about environmental and wildlife issues. The second half of the workshop will focus on activities from Growing UP WILD. This workshop is appropriate for formal and non-formal educators of all experience levels. Audience: Formal and non-formal educators of all experience levels.
Sponsored by:
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One Long Island Sound, Many People (FREE)
Presenters: Francesca Williams & Abby Peklo (EdAdvance)
Description: During this workshop, Blue Science program staff will lead participants through a locally-focused activity that simulates the Piping plover’s migration from their coastal Connecticut breeding grounds dependent on Long Island Sound to southern wintering grounds and locally-based obstacles along their journey. We emphasize the need for people to realize that their actions matter, regardless of culture, to help these birds make their journeys safely. Social, economic, and political effects of actions are reviewed. Additionally, Blue Science program staff will conduct an activity demonstrating the phenomenon of ocean acidification and related social, economic, and political effects. The goal of this workshop is to demonstrate cross-curricular activities that cultivate a close connection with the land and encourage everyone to protect their local watershed, as Indigenous peoples did. Audience: Formal and non-formal educators of all experience levels.
Sponsored by:
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Bringing the Outside In (FREE)
Presenters: Kathleen Brooks & Sharyon Holness (eesmarts)
Description: Not all school students have access to diverse outdoor environmental settings. This hands-on session gives participants a way to bring a variety of outdoor ecosystems into their classrooms for their students to experience. Students get to use several scientific tools, including a secchi disc, infrared thermometer, watt meter, and a photometer in the classroom. Then, digital interactive slides containing data collected with the same tools from a variety of ecosystems are introduced to enhance the classroom experience thereby bringing the outside in. Digital interactive slides increase student engagement with clickable features providing meaningful data and useful information. Participants will be given instructions and resources to create their own interactive Google slides aligned to their curriculum. Digital interactive slides can be created for all grade levels and content. Each participant will leave with a sample bottle cap secchi disc, and eesmarts will raffle off a watt meter at the end of the session.
Sponsored by:
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DAY 01 WORKSHOPS' DETAILS
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Growing Forest-Literate Communities: A Project Learning Tree Workshop (FREE)
Presenters: Beth Bernard (CFPA) & Sue Quincy (CT-DEEP)
Description: Do you want to support the environment, health, and economy of your community by promoting forest literacy? Learn how to include forest literacy in your programs by using Project Learning Tree (PLT). PLT is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12. In 2017, PLT partnered with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc., an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the future of our forests and promoting sustainable forest management. In the past five years, PLT launched many exciting resources on topics including forest literacy, climate change, urban forests, green jobs, and more. PLT activities are correlated with Common Core and NGSS learning standards and are great for both formal and non-formal educators. This interactive workshop will explore many of the new PLT resources. We will also review PLT's Forest Literacy Framework and discuss ways to integrate forest literacy into your educational efforts. Participants with an interest in current topics in environmental education and forest-based learning are encouraged to attend. This is a great update for those who have attended PLT workshops in the past but is also appropriate for someone new to PLT.
Sponsored by:
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Creative Worlds: Adventurous nature story building programs (FREE)
Presenters: Jason Hyland (Project IMO)
Description: Engage people of all ages in environmental education, STEAM-focused problem solving, social emotional activity and more while they build a story through cooperative play. Participants in this workshop will experience a short adventure and then work on program integrations as they explore adaptations of the world’s most famous role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. Will you be the druid, a person so deeply connected to the forest they can magically create plants and move trees to help solve problems? Perhaps you’ll be the explorer who makes maps and uses their skills of observation to see things other people don’t? Role-playing games are an excellent way to engage in adaptive and immersive learning that encourages cooperation, creative thinking, and infuses a little bit of magic into our lives. Environmental education and STEAM outcomes can be woven throughout an adventure and bring excitement to explore. Participants in this workshop don’t need any experience with tabletop games or D&D, as our learning adventures are designed for new players and still exciting for gaming veterans. You’ll receive some digital copies of workshop activities and free, open-license basic game rules for 5th edition D&D. You’ll also receive starter adventures, player resources, ongoing support from Project Imo’s Creative Worlds programs, and the opportunities for future virtual facilitator workshops.
Sponsored by:
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This is the Warrior Way - We share what we know to save the day (COST = $25)
Presenters: Leticia Colon de Mejias (Eco Green Warriors)
Description: Are you an educator seeking to connect Climate ACTION to your students? Climate change can seem like a hard topic to approach, but we have made it simple for teachers to use off the shelf materials to meet NGSS needs in Climate and energy Education. Learn how to connect with free and low cost NGSS materials that will inspire, engage, and empower your students to become Warriors for Good. Where does energy come from, what impacts does our energy use have, and can we create a brighter future together? Ideal for teachers, parents, grandparents, educators. Workshop registration fee includes a gift set of NGSS aligned Comic books.
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Nature’s Engineers- Exploring Biomimicry and Design in the Natural World (FREE)
Presenters: Theresa Nodine & Jessica LaPolt (Northwest Park)
Description: In this workshop, Northwest Park educators will share methods to build an understanding of wildlife adaptations, habitat development, and engineering design principles used by humans as well as keystone species such as beavers through the exploration of biomimicry and design in the natural world. Students’ curiosity is unlocked as they draw lessons from nature to model water management in the landscape and design solutions using evidence-based accounts of natural phenomena. Audience: Formal and non-formal educators of all experience levels.
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Harnessing the Wind (FREE)
Presenters: Kathleen Brooks & Sharyon Holness (eesmarts)
Description: Participants will explore the nature of wind, and the anatomy of wind turbines, with a focus on the energy transfer processes. Wind energy has been harnessed for centuries throughout the world in many cultures for a variety of uses and this will be noted. Participants will learn how to engage students in wind turbine blade design using KidWind kits. The engineering cycle, including criteria and constraints, as well as evaluating performance, will be discussed. Participants will also create and test a wind turbine rotor using a small motor and their own blade designs. They will be challenged to consider how turbines could affect local communities. Each participant will leave with their small motor and blade design, and eesmarts will raffle off a KidWind kit at the end of the session.
Sponsored by:
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DAY 02 WORKSHOPS' DETAILS
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Project WET - Climate Phenomena (FREE)
Presenters: Sue Quincy (CT-DEEP)
Description: Engage in the Climate, Water and Resilience materials to help your students understand climate impacts. Participate in simulations and lessons around Sea Level Rise, Green House Gases, Carbon Capture and more. Use the lesson concepts to understand what Connecticut is experiencing and review data resources. Additional materials will be provided to connect these concerns with growing human populations. Resource guides and supplemental materials will be provided for each participant to implement into their curriculum or programs as needed. Material level is for grades 5-12, but additional extensions and activities from the WET Resources will be provided for application to lower grade levels. Open to new and experienced educators alike.
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