K-12 Partnership Spring Workshop: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Teaching Climate Science

We invite K-12 teachers and educators to join us on March 19 for a full day of professional development focused on interdisciplinary methods of teaching climate science and the climate crisis. 

Register today, click here!

Who: K-12 teachers and informal educators

When: Tuesday, March 19 from 9-3:30pm

Where: in-person Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 East Gull Lake Dr., Hickory Corners, MI 49060 (link to directions) AND/OR online via zoom webinar (9-10:30am each morning)

Compensation: 5 SCECHs, lunch, sub-cost reimbursement to your school/district OR $75 personal stipend (or $25/1.5 scechs for online)

During the workshop, we will empower one another to facilitate difficult conversations about the climate crisis and climate science, wield literature and creative writing as tools to teach climate science, and discover resources for climate science, with tools for teaching subjects from the carbon cycle to climate advocacy. 

Keynote: Teaching to the Climate Emergency

Dr. Allen Webb, Professor, Western Michigan University

In Dr. Webb’s talk he will share interdisciplinary approaches to climate change teaching, connecting critical place based education with more global understanding. He will share a framework for climate crisis teaching which draws on inquiry, justice, and action. Telling the whole truth is important, in order to recognize the urgency of the crisis and, when doing so, irresponsible not to address educating others and acting in the civil sphere — else students may be left in anxiety and dread.

Click here to see the DRAFT Agenda

What to expect in-person: each day starts with a lecture from a local scientist, which is followed by at least three sessions that are interactive, experiential and presented by educators and scientists. We add in lunch, snacks, networking and reflective time.

What to expect online: we will be sharing the morning’s introduction and plenary talk via zoom webinar. We’ll have the chat function open so you can ask questions and interact with other virtual participants.

Meet our speaker: A former high school English teacher, Dr Allen Webb is a professor at Western Michigan University teaching in English and in the School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability and a member of the WMU Climate Change Working Group.  He has authored, co-authored or edited a dozen books including Teaching Climate Change to Adolescents, and, forthcoming from Teachers College Press, Teaching Like the World is On Fire. He has given 100s of talks to teachers, including 40+ talks on how to address the climate crisis. He and his students participate in climate education and activism.

About the KBS K-12 Partnership

The KBS K-12 Partnership is funded through the KBS Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) and the Michigan State University Graduate School. The KBS K-12 Partnership is a network of educators and scientists that come together to learn about the latest science at KBS and innovative pedagogies for classroom and outdoor teaching.

Questions? Email our team, k12partnership (at) kbs.msu.edu

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KBS K-12 Partnership offers professional development in science teaching! Learn more about the KBS K-12 Partnership.