Sustainability Education Handbook

A Resource Guide for K-12 Teachers Incorporating the State of Michigan Framework Standards

Helping your students create a more healthy, sustainable and equitable world for all beings.

Table of Contents:

List of Contributors, Acknowledgments, Terms of Use
Introduction
Sample Activities
Teaching Tools
The Benefits
The Approach
Customize Your Curriculum
Evaluation Criteria Chart
Sustainability Topics
Web Sites
Curriculum
Sustainability / State Standards
Standards Quick Guide
Renewable Energy and Efficiency Success Stories

Contributors:

Author: D Jones, MFA, Education Director, Sustainable Futures Group
Project Editor: Debra Rowe, Ph.D, Oakland Community College
Project Consultant: Harold Glasser, Ph.D, Western Michigan University; Principal, Sustainable Futures Group
Project Support: MECNET
Funding Support: Michigan Energy Office, Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DeLEG)

Acknowledgments:

This Handbook is a product of the following organizations and their shared vision, ideas and inspiration. This handbook has witnessed many iterations and could not have been possible without the generous giving of time and energy of the Michigan Energy Center Networks (MECNet) members:

Michigan Energy Options
Upland Hills Ecological Awareness Center
Recycle Ann Arbor’s Bruce MacKay Environmental House
Western Michigan University’s Environmental Learning Lab
Oakland Community College’s Environmental Systems Technology Program

Molly Cole (WMU) and Ramsey Zimmerman (Recycle Ann Arbor) graciously hosted numerous meetings; Jim Meyerle (retired, Michigan Energy Options) kept the scores of notes and reviewed curriculum organized in the early stages; Don Duggan-Haas (K College) and Susan Santone (Washtenaw County) provided lively discussion and questioning throughout multiple meetings as well as donated hours of their time reviewing curriculum; Deanne Bednar (Upland Hills Ecological Awareness Center) provided editing suggestions, and most importantly reviewed countless pieces of curriculum.

Pat Hudson (formerly with Michigan Energy Options, now the State Energy Office) arrived mid-stream during the project and did not miss a beat providing unerring support, direction, and a sense of humor. This project would not be before you if not for the generous donation of time and skill of Jesse Melcher, Web Designer; nor would it have seen the public eye if not for the hours upon hours of countless conversations, insight, inspiration and editing of Harold Glasser (WMU) and Debra Rowe (OCC). But, above all, thank you to LeRoy Harvey who had the foresight to initiate this project. We also wish to thank the entire staff at Michigan Energy Options for their generous donation of support.

We hope that all who use and peruse this web site, find helpful information for incorporating sustainability into their teaching.

- D. Jones, Primary Author, Education Director, Sustainable Futures Group

Terms of Use:

The information contained within the sustainable education handbook / curriculum guide may be reproduced and distributed with the written permission of Michigan Energy Options.  If you find this handbook's framework helpful to creating sustainable educational curricula, consider making a donation to Michigan Energy Options to support it's continued development.

Click here to continue to the next section: "Introduction"