Evanston/Skokie
School District 65
Teaching & Learning for Sustainability and Climate Action
A key focus area of our D65 Teaching & Learning Science Team is enhancing our teaching and learning around equity, sustainability and climate action.
Climate Change Unit and Collective Action for Climate Justice (7th Grade)
In our 23-24 school year, District 65 added an OpenSciEd Unit 7.6 Earth’s Resources and Human Impact (9-10 weeks) into our Middle School Scope and Sequence. The unit is NGSS aligned and part of our high quality instructional materials used in all our middle schools.
Collective Action for Climate Justice
In the Summer 2024, our D65 Science Team hosted a summer project focused on developing a refreshed 7th Grade Climate Action Project aligned to Unit 7.6 with a team of 7th Grade D65 Educators. We're excited to support our D65 Educators as they roll out this new "Collective Action for Climate Justice" project in 7th Grade in the 24-25 school year.
In order to inspire students and help them contribute to meaningful climate-related solutions, students will learn about a variety of changemaking efforts including (1) local Evanston-based initiatives, (2) Marginalized (most affected) communities and (3) youth-driven initiatives.
A school-based Spring Showcase will be thoughtfully planned for increased student and family engagement and equitable access. More details to come as we approach the Spring.
Collective Action for Climate Justice is a reimagining of the original CARP project (Evanston Roundtable article).
Our Long Term Vision
For particular units in our K-8 D65 Scope and Sequence, students will engage in an experience (that is authentically integrated into our curriculum and meaningfully connected to students’ communities) in which they apply and deepen their standards-aligned learning by investigating and contributing to meaningful changemaking on justice- and sustainability-related issues
- Grounded in optimism, joy, and community and cultural assets
- Focused on histories and futures of places (updated graphic)
Learning in Places (PreK-8th Grade)
Beginning in 2023, District 65 has been in partnership with Learning in Places. Learning in Places is an NGSS-aligned instructional model and set of frameworks that center outdoor learning, ecological caring, ethical decision making (civic engagement and changemaking), and family involvement. This instructional model focuses on student/family culture and identity while promoting social-emotional well-being.
As of the 24-25 school year, we have 13 participating educators (5 returning educators, 8 new educators) in 7 schools.
Key pieces of the Learning in Places model include:
- Interdisciplinary learning (integrating science, civics, literacy, social studies and some math), including learning about the histories of our places with an emphasis on wonder, awe, and sustainable & just futures.
- Integrated learning across classrooms, outdoors, and family/community contexts.
- Outdoor learning (Wondering Walks) alongside social science learning (Wondering Talks).
- Motivates learning through Should We questions.
- Field-based investigations drive learning outdoors.
- Young people engage in ethical deliberation and decision-making.
