How is EarthLearn Different?

First and foremost, EarthLearn curricula are keyed to state standards. Science, math, literature, etc. are incorporated in our lesson plans. We tie together environment, conservation, and the always popular animal pieces smoothly and seamlessly. Our educational pieces flow directly into service learning and ethics requirements at all grade levels.

EarthLearn educates in a cross-curriculum approach that addresses multiple intelligences. Where one child may be excited about straight-up formal science another may enjoy reading a historical fiction about a girl living with wolves. By addressing their very different needs, we can better reach our audience and facilitate their development of a deeper, more meaningful connection to the environment. Our three part lesson approach allows us to deliver curriculum content in the students' home classroom where distractions are minimized and the atmosphere is familiar and predictable. We then take them out to see what we discussed in the classroom to further reinforce the lesson. Our follow-up visit is designed to debrief our students but also to ensure they have close-up experiences with animals which exemplify their curriculum but are elusive in the field.

EarthLearn's curricula are focused on issues pertinent to our local community. We believe that first and foremost, we need to learn to appreciate and protect that which is closest to our hearts; our homes and families. For example, one curriculum may seek to raise awareness and empathy for how we care for our animal companions. Embedded within that curriculum, students would also learn to be responsible with their companions and what happens when we are not responsible. As students develop a higher level of comprehension, their curriculum may teach them about the diversity of life both locally and globally and how their decisions affect their local environment. They may also be asked to think beyond their localities and apply their understanding to the global environment and how the actions of one can be compounded by many, both with positive results as well as negative. By raising awareness of the issues and problems in our own backyard, conservation and environmental concerns become an integral component of our own quality of life rather than a problem of more exotic locales like Africa or in the rainforests of South America.

EarthLearn is continuous. Our intention is to work with students on a school-wide basis and return year after year to the same schools. In this way, this year's kindergarten students will receive thirteen years of environmental education in ever-progressing increments which build on their base of knowledge much the same as math, English, science and history are developed throughout a child's school career. We believe this is the best and most successful way to enable our students to fully embrace environmental awareness, understanding, and stewardship. This they will carry with them throughout their lives and into their adult professions.