Teaching teachers conservation

Excerpt

THE land conservation committees of Pierce and St. Croix Counties in Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin—River Falls are involved in a cooperative educational effort to help elementary and secondary school teachers in west-central Wisconsin develop confidence in teaching soil conservation. The county committees provide scholarships covering fees and materials for teachers who enroll in a graduate-level course on soil and water conservation designed specifically for established teachers. This instructional opportunity represents an approach that seemingly works well.

A matter of law

Wisconsin law mandates conservation education in teacher training programs. While coverage of specific topics is often required, considerable latitude exists in the numbers of units and depth of coverage. As a result, many courses that satisfy requirements are often general in nature, widely inclusive, and may or may not include any information about soil conservation. These courses are also taught by faculty members with wide-ranging backgrounds and interests, but seldom by faculty members trained in soil science.

It is difficult for classroom teachers to include units dealing with soil-related topics if they are unfamiliar with the subject. They may even face intimidation when they are asked to teach conservation or environmentally related …