Between September 2008 and August 2010 24 KS2 classroom teachers were involved in a two-year programme of continuing professional development (CPD), delivered by the LSO in partnership with Local Authority Music Services. The teachers indicated that they embarked on the CPD programme looking forward to opportunities to share good practice, gain…

This study aimed to determine how 33 urban 5th grade students' science conceptions changed during a place-based inquiry unit on watersheds. Research on watershed and place-based education was used as a framework to guide the teaching of the unit as well as the research study. A teacher-researcher designed the curriculum, taught the unit and…

Recipient of a research award from the 28th Progressive Architecture Awards is a teaching guide that begins with sections on aesthetic perception and ways to discover the environment and moves through styles and development patterns within cities to planning issues related to preservation. (Author/MLF)

Notes a dearth of quality poetry for young readers. Looks at the work of three poets for young people who have turned to the urban experience for inspiration--Richard Margolis, Paul Janeczko, and Gary Soto. Suggests that the city is a "grand and colorful chorus of humanity with voices mingling sorrow and joy." (RS)

This guide was developed for teachers to use in helping students understand components of the urban ecosystem. The guide is based on sequentially arranged performance objectives for each concept. Organization of the guide includes activities designed to link the urban units with the forest ecology unit which overlap in concepts and philosophy. A…

A replicable design of environmental studies which places the greatest emphasis on the urban eco-system is discussed. (NQ)

The Mystery Tour is a multi-sensory approach to the man-made environment. It is designed to acquaint children with historical significance of buildings and architecture and thus prepare them to participate in decisions concerning historical preservation. Developed through a grant from the national Endowment for the Arts, the Mystery Tour guides…

The founder of the Zephyros Teacher-Parent Collaborative in San Francisco tells how to compile an original, creative textbook for children. (PG)

Working plans for an inexpensive urban dust dome model are presented together with some generalizations about urban atmosphere pollution. Theories and principles of atmospheric pollution which are introduced can be made meaningful to elementary students through classroom use of this model. (SM)

In an attempt to understand how children (urban children, in particular) perceive nature, this paper reports on interviews conducted with eight- and nine-year-old children from the Chicago metropolitan area. Children rated a set of black-and-white photographs of nature scenes for preference. (LZ)

Describes techniques that help teach urban and suburban children the virtues of trees and forests. Includes a listing of book titles that may help teach children about trees. (MCO)

This article provides information on the evolution of the building material, concrete, and suggests hands-on activities that allow students to experience concrete's qualities, test the heat absorbency of various ground surface materials, discover how an area's geology changes, and search for city fossils. A reproducible activity sheet is included.…

These readings provide basic background information on urban integrated pest management and the development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs for the control of rodents, cockroaches, and head lice. IPM is a decision-making process for deciding if pest supprssion treatments are needed, when they should be initiated, where they should be…

The purpose of this study was to survey the emerging environmental educational programs in the elementary and secondary schools which focus on the aesthetics of the urban environmental as the total function of city design and its consequences upon the student as inhabitant and perceiver. A group of urban experts was chosen to formulate a consensus…

Outlines the goals and rationale for a built environment educational program and describes some of the current materials and programs in the field. (IRT)