The Hickory Environmental Education Center (HEEC) staff identified a desire and need to strengthen the integration of environmental literacy components into middle school science courses. All Garrett Ccounty Public School middle school science teachers attending a session led by the HEEC staff during a designated professional development time on the afternoon of October 10, 2019. The session opened with a discussion of the most recent draft of the Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards. Teachers then worked in grade-level groups to review the current course curriculum and determine where environmental literacy is currently being taught and potential changes. During this time, HEEC staff circulated among the groups to discuss how we could best support each grade level through the lessons we provide at the center and by supporting their classroom instruction. Each group then shared their findings with the rest of the teachers to assist with vertical alignment and planning. Although decisions were made regarding environmental literacy at the middle school level during this session, as was our intention when organizing the session, the discussions and plans to strengthen instruction are ongoing.
