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Environmental Education Article
The Basics of Environmental Education
from:Introduction
The way our academics and educational curriculum are designed in the present times are now quite different from the earlier concepts. From mere conventional subjects to far more practical, relevant and modern lines of study, there have been various new subjects and modules that have come into existence.
In today's era of industrialization and rapid economic growth, it is the subjects as environmental education which are gaining immense popularity, owing to the rising need to pay heed to the fallouts of the increased commercial activity.
Key Aspects
To begin with, the basic subject of environmental education refers to the organized efforts carried out to teach about the way in which natural environment functions. A clear relevance to this is the study of how human beings can conduct their own behavior and ecosystems in line of the same.
By concept and usage, there are two broader applications of the term environmental education in everyday life. The first and most common usage refers to the specific curriculum of environmental education as laid down in the education line.
The second reference is made to the term most often to include all efforts to educate the public and other audiences which also comprise of print materials, websites and various other media campaigns.
However, traditionally, environmental education has always been considered as an additional or elective subject in the conventional K-12 curriculum. As far as the elementary school level is concerned, environmental education can takes the form of science enrichment curriculum, natural history field trips, community service projects, along with the basic participation in outdoor science activities.
On the other hand, in secondary schools, environmental education is rather taken as a focused subject within the sciences and also as a part of the student interest groups or clubs. Meanwhile, at the undergraduate and graduate level, environmental education is considered its own field within education, environmental studies, environmental science and policy, ecology or human and cultural ecology programs.
The latest change in trend in the field of environmental education makes room for the basic approach of activism and ideology to move to an approach that allows students to make informed decisions and also take action based on experience as well as other concrete information.
In all, the entire broad spectrum of the move to incorporate environmental education in the academic unit has achieved quite a pace, especially after the 1960s when the industrial world came to notice the impact the overall development was causing. The same has been also well supported by summits, conferences and meetings held at various levels across the world on the subject to create awareness and develop various action plans.
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