Eco Bay: Tapping the educational potential of San Francisco Bay

Everyday decisions that seem insignificant—such as where to discard a piece of trash or how much water to use in a garden—have far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, both local and global.  The Exploratorium Teacher Institute has seen this awareness become an essential goal of education. We understand that students must learn about their interaction with the natural environment in order to become responsible stewards of that environment. We have also come to realize that the most effective way of teaching stewardship is by linking it with environmental science.  Pedagogically, the critically important social content of environmental education cannot be separated from its underlying science. Environmental science is a major content theme described in the California Science Content Standards for grades 6 through 12.  In practical effect, these curricular requirements are the ideal “delivery system” for ideas about stewardship. In fact, no better strategy exists for shifting the public consciousness and building a social awareness about the environment.

Unfortunately, science teachers have had little or no preparation in either the issues of environmental stewardship or the multidisciplinary content required to teach environmental science—a subject area that requires deep and fluid knowledge of chemistry, biology, physics, and Earth science.  In addition, few have been trained in the pedagogical strategies that have been shown to actively engage students.  

In response to these needs, the Exploratorium Teacher Institute is developing Eco Bay, an environmental initiative for middle and high school science teachers and their students.  Eco Bay is designed to help teachers with both the social content and scientific content of environmental education, while broadening the societal impact of environmental stewardship by extending it more deeply into the curriculum.  Eco Bay is generously funded by the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation.