Everything Under The Sun: Teaching And Caring About The Earth

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Teaching And Caring About The Earth

Rebecca Newburn with her seed lending library display.

She lives in the San Francisco area and teaches middle school at the Hall Middle School. Well, that's just standard kind of stuff. There's a lot more to Rebecca Newburn and her accomplishments. She started out in the Peace Corps, teaching in Fiji and she has continued to teach since her start in 1990.

Ms. Newburn noticed the lack of standards for the inclusion of environmental and social justice into the math and science curriculum, the STEM subjects. So, she set about remedying that situation. At first, she provided math and science lessons on YouTube. The quality of these videos was so high that she was invited to YouTube headquarters and met with some of the best in the country.

Then came the EARTH CARE EDUCATION website, which contains lesson plans that incorporate environmental education into the science and math curriculum. The site enables educators to share their own lesson plans, as well, making it a great resource for teachers.

Then there is the EARTH CARE GEEK site, also developed by Ms. Newburn. This one is designed for use by middle school students. Subject areas, such as Food, Water, Animals, are listed and then further subdivided when the student clicks on the main subject. Then the subtopics lead to another site, where the student can learn more about that topic. It's colorful and made to attract learners, and it even offers students an opportunity to participate through social media.

Ms. Newburn also hosts HER OWN website, designed particularly for her own students. Then she also has established a RICHMOND GROWS SEED LENDING LIBRARY, which allows users to "borrow" seeds and plant them. At the end of the season, the user returns the seeds that come from his/her plants. That also has a website that has instruction videos and other tips, including setting up your own seed library.

It takes a lot of passion to provide so much to your community. And that is what Rebecca Newburn has in spades!