Providing students with opportunities to build, and test and revise ideas, can help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In this article, the authors describe how core measurement and geometry concepts were embedded within a "Model It!" task. They replicate an industry-based, interdisciplinary problem, but only…

Sure, it would be nice to start a school garden, but there will be plenty of time to do it in the spring. Think again. If one's goal this year is to start a class garden, it's already time to start planning! In this article, the author shows just how (and when) to do each step with a full-year calendar.

This publication covers the planning and design of school grounds for outdoor learning in new and existing K-12 facilities. Curriculum development as well as athletic field planning and maintenance are not covered although some references on these topics are provided. It discusses the different types of outdoor learning environments that can be…

This paper presents a campus tour assignment in a first-year undergraduate environmental studies course at York University, Toronto, Canada. As a pedagogical tool, the assignment enables students to interrogate the dominant narratives of a university's immediate physical spaces and to apply broader theoretical and practical concepts to their…

The importance of athletic fields has increased in today's society because of the popularity of sporting events. As a result, education administrators face challenges when dealing with their athletic facilities. Decisionmakers constantly are being second-guessed in regard to outdated, overused facilities and lack of budget. In this article, the…

An insatiable appetite for energy, a burgeoning world population, and a heightened awareness of climate change are focusing global attention on sustainability, an issue that may very well determine the future course of civilization. The pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle today is of paramount importance for future generations. Achieving…

Schools and universities recognize that many of the people and neighborhoods they serve expect education institutions to embrace environmental stewardship and sustainable design. Standards such as the LEED-registered facility program, managed by the U.S. Green Building Council, are receiving more attention. Schools can demonstrate their commitment…

A few miles outside the town of Puri, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, lies Beladala, a farming village of thatch-roofed homes. Beladala and 17 other villages, comprising farms, homesteads, and pastures, are slated to be acquired by Anil Agarwal, a metals-and-mining mogul whose company, Vedanta Resources, has made the 53-year-old…

Describes efforts to evaluate and map the susceptibility of barrier islands to damage from storms, erosion, rising sea levels and other natural phenomena. Presented are criteria for assessing the safety and hazard potential of island developments. (WB)

Examines the major aspects of school grounds design and development. Focuses on a consultative case study involving the staff and the students in the Programs for Aboriginal and Islander Students at Salisbury. Contains details of the landscape design. (DDR)

The design team for the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) has pushed the state of the energy art to its current limits for the initial phase, with provisions for foreseeable and even speculative future applications. (Author/MLF)

A campus-wide site plan looks at the campus as a whole and defines immediate and long-range problems and potential. Text and photographs illustrate site development at McClennan Community College in Waco, Texas, and at the University of Toledo and the University of Dayton, both in Ohio. (MLF)

This guide contains suggested criteria for planning, designing, and renovating Head Start centers so that they are safe, child-oriented, developmentally appropriate, beautiful, environmentally sensitive, and functional. The content is based on the U.S. General Services Administration's Child Care Center Design Guide, PBS-P140, which was intended…

Describes four very different but successful northeastern United States pavilions for the performing arts: (1) Mann Music Center (Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); (2) Ravinia Festival Pavilion (Highland Park, Illinois); (3) Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga Springs, New York); and (4) Tanglewood (Lenox, Massachusetts). Includes…

Under California law, developers are required to pay school districts impact fees of $1.84 per eligible square foot. However, the Huntington (California) School District says the state-mandated fee falls far short of expenses and attempts to convince developers to increase the fee voluntarily. The Utah State legislature recently outlawed…