Beyond the Classroom
Exploring Environmental Issues | October 24-25, 2022
Beyond the Classroom is a 2-day professional development workshop for 4th-12th grade classroom teachers held in Keystone, Colorado. Teachers will receive curriculum and training to explore local and regional issues using Keystone Science School’s non-biased framework. Participating teachers will receive training and a complete set of lesson plans allowing teachers to facilitate an issues-based curriculum within their classroom.
Teachers will learn how to identify stakeholders, conduct a field-based research project, and gain background information to support policy recommendations within a chosen environmental issue. The closing activity will be a “Town Hall Meeting” which will allow students to collaborate across differing opinions as they develop policy recommendations within the topic they are exploring. We will be using the regional issue of water management in a demonstration of our issues-based curriculum. CEU’s will be available to all teachers through the Colorado School of Mines.
Details
When: October 24-25, 2022
Who: 4th-12th Grade Teachers
Where: Keystone Science School
Rate: $150 (Plus Processing Fee)
CEUs Available
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Program Schedule
We will be utilizing Keystone Science School's 10 step framework for exploring environmental issues (PDF).
| 7:30am | Arrival & Breakfast (provided) |
| 8am | Training Orientation |
| 9am | Exploring Positions & Interests |
| 9:30am | Introducing an Opinion |
| 10:15am | Break |
| 10:30am | Defining Stakeholders within an Issue |
| 12pm | Lunch (provided) |
| 12:30pm | Analyzing Stakeholders |
| 1:30pm | Classroom Planning: Transfer Learning to Your Classroom |
| 1:45pm | Break |
| 2pm | Field Trip: Research & Water Testing |
| 4:30pm | Break |
| 5pm | Dinner (provided) |
| 6:30pm | Mine History Tour & Free Time in Breckenridge |
| 7:30am | Breakfast (provided) |
| 8am | Day 1 Reflection and Classroom Planning |
| 9am | Exploring Issues in Your Community |
| 10am | Collaboration vs. Competition |
| 11am | Town Hall Meeting: Building Consensus |
| 12:30pm | Lunch (provided) |
| 1:15pm | Stakeholder Action Plans |
| 2:45pm | Classroom Planning: Transfer Learning to Your Classroom |
| 3:30pm | Classroom Planning Presentation and Program Debrief |
| 4:30pm | Program Ends |
Logistics: Meals & Lodging
Meals
Teachers will be provided all meals throughout the training which starts with breakfast on the first day and ends with lunch on the final day. We have a full-service kitchen capable of meeting any dietary restrictions of participating teachers.
Lodging
Lodging is included with the program. Teachers are welcome to arrive on the evening prior to programming and stay an additional night departing on the morning of the day following programming. All teachers will be provided a bunk within our spacious dorms and will be assigned to a room. Please note that you will have a roommate of your same gender. Within the registration process, you are welcome to make roommate requests if you are traveling with a co-teacher. Take a virtual tour of the dorms.
Continuing Education Units
Teachers can receive 1.0 CEU’s for participation in this training through the Colorado School of Mines. There is an additional cost of $55 for the CEU’s and teachers must pay by check on the last day of the training.
Special Thanks to Our Program Sponsors
