Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support (MEECS)
- What is MEECS?
MEECS stands for Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support. The goal of MEECS is to provide students in grades 3 through 9 with an opportunity to learn more about their environment through lessons in Science and Social Studies. The MEECS curriculum consists of seven different curriculum units; Air Quality, Climate Change, Ecosystems & Biodiversity, Energy Resources, Land Use, Land and Environment, and Water Quality. The units have been field tested by 120 teachers in nearly 200 Michigan classrooms. The units can be used individually, or used together by a school system as the basis of a multi-year environmental education curriculum.
For any questions regarding MEECS, please contact:
Thomas Occhipinti
Education Coordinator
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Phone 517-284-6867
occhipintit@michigan.gov
Curriculum
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MEECS Units
MEECS contains seven Michigan-specific units that provide an opportunity for students in grades 3-9 to learn about Michigan's economy and environment through inquiry oriented, data-based lessons in Science and Social Studies. The units have been field tested by 120 teachers in over 200 Michigan classrooms. The units can be used individually, adopted into a school's multi-year science curricula, or combined to form the basis for an integrated science course.
All seven MEECS Units feature engaging, hands-on lessons that encourage student participation and inquiry. Units are designed to increase appreciation and understanding of Michigan's environment and its role in Michigan's economy. MEECS is aligned to meet requirements set forth by the Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations for Science and Social Studies in addition to a crosswalk alignment to Michigan Science Standards (November 2015).
Air Quality (Grades 6-8)
- Air Quality
Explore the health effects of air pollutants and examine current Michigan air quality issues. Lessons utilize hands-on activities to provide students with a broad understanding of air quality. The lessons in the unit consist of a core set of activities with enhancements and extensions focusing primarily on outdoor air quality. There are a variety of activities for the classroom, computer laboratory, and the outdoors. The activities are aligned to the Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations in Science and Social Studies and a crosswalk to the Michigan Science Standards (November 2015) is provided. Environmental education principles are also addressed.
- Air Quality Overview
- Air Quality Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
- Air Quality Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
Climate Change (Grades 6-9)
- Climate Change
The MEECS Climate Change unit is a multi-faceted unit comprised of two separate functional units: Science and Impacts. Climate Change: Science focuses on the physical nature of climate, and focuses on causes, analysis, modeling, and an overall exploration into mechanisms of the Energy Cycle. Climate Change: Impacts focuses on the repercussions of climate change to engage more students to be future-oriented. The effects of climate change are examined at the global and local scales; special emphasis is placed on climate change as it pertains to Michigan's Great Lakes.
- Climate Change Overview
- Climate Change (Science) Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Climate Change (Impacts) Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Other Climate Change Resources
Ecosystems (Grades 4-6)
- Ecosystems and Biodiversity
The Ecosystems & Biodiversity Unit is designed for use in grades 4-6. This unit provides students with a better understanding of ecosystems by examining how organisms interact within their environment. MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity Unit uses a Michigan context to provide students with a solid foundation in understanding basic ecological principals, as well as the importance of biodiversity as it relates to Michigan's environment, economy, and society. The ten core lessons in this notebook are divided into two separate units, Ecosystems and Biodiversity. Each of the two units consists of five lessons, and is designed to be taught in eight to ten hours of instructional time.
- Ecosystems Overview
- Ecosystems and Biodiversity Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
- Ecosystem Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Biodiversity Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Other Ecosystems Resources
Energy Resources (Grades 6-8)
- Energy
The Energy Resources Unit has been designed for use in many grade levels from upper elementary through middle school. The unit investigates a broad array of topics such as electricity generation, renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, energy conservation, and sustainability through eight lessons. Students keep an Energy Use Diary, compare Michigan and U.S. per capita energy consumption to energy use in other countries, and calculate their energy footprint.
- Energy Resources Overview (coming soon)
- Energy Resources Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations (coming soon)
- Energy Resources Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Other Energy Resources
Land and Environment (Grade 3)
- Land and Environment
Explore how land is used in Michigan and how human activities can have an impact. Students will investigate the relationships between land usage, energy resources, and the economy. This CD contains lesson activities to accompany a set of posters repurposed from the original Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support (MEECS) project. The activities are designed to help teachers meet some of the 3rd grade science and social studies Grade Level Content Expectations as well as the Michigan Science Standards.
- Land and Environment Overview
- Land and Environment Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
- Land and Environment Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Other Land Resources
Land Use (Grades 4-6)
- Land Use
The MEECS Land Use Unit will help students observe and analyze land use and land use planning challenges our society faces; the unit will also engage them in considering some of the possible solutions to these challenges. The unit is designed for grades 4 - 6 and supports Michigan Content Standards aligned science and social studies curricula. Lessons and activities can be adapted for other grades as well as for non-formal education programs.
- Land Use Overview
- Land Use Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
- Land Use Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Other Land Resources
Water Quality (Grades 6-8)
- Water Quality
The Water Quality unit is targeted for use in grades 6-8. Students discover the essential role of water in Michigan's economy and our lives, calculate direct and indirect water use, explore how Michigan watersheds are connected to the Great Lakes, identify characteristics of healthy streams, analyze Michigan stream data, and investigate challenges to the Great Lakes.
- Water Quality Overview
- Water Quality Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
- Water Quality Michigan Science Standards (November 2015)
- Other Water Quality Resources
Workshops
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Each MEECS curriculum unit requires a three to four (3-4) hour training workshop. Each low cost MEECS curriculum unit workshop runs from four to six hours. Participants of workshops will receive a classroom unit kit which includes:
- A binder of lesson plans relating to the given curriculum unit
- CD-ROM with electronic version of binder material plus extension lessons, supplemental resources and materials, Powerpoint presentations, videos, and more!
- Background information for teachers
- Hands-on activities and experiments
- Pre- and post-test
- MEAP-like unit assessments
- Colorful posters and worksheets
- Activities and lessons supporting outdoor learning
- Alignment with Michigan Content Expectations
Educators are encouraged to attend as many workshops as they desire in order to obtain all 7 classroom unit kits.
Materials
All MEECS materials are available for purchase through the Central Michigan University College of Science & Engineering. Prepayment is required for all purchases. Please allow at least two weeks notice for processing and shipping.
Materials
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Each Unit Classroom Kit Includes:
- Binder of lesson plans for each unit
- CD-ROM or Flash Drive with electronic version of units, extension lessons, supplemental resources and materials, PowerPoints, videos, and more!
- Background information for teachers
- Hands-on activities and experiments
- Pre- & Post-tests and Unit Assessments
- Colorful posters and worksheets
- Activities and lessons supporting outdoor learning
All MEECS materials are available for purchase through the Michigan Geographic Alliance at Central Michigan University.
*Prepayment is required for all purchases. Please allow at least two weeks’ notice for processing and shipping.
Online
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Grand Valley State University and the Public Broadcasting Service have partnered with MEECS to create online support modules for MEECS Units. The video modules demonstrate hands-on activities, provide lesson objectives, and explain how lessons connect to teaching standards. The online support videos also demonstrate MEECS lessons being used in classrooms with students. These modules are free and available anytime to educators.
Michigan Tech: Tech Alive
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Michigan Technological University has developed eighteen interactive web modules for three of the MEECS units: Ecosystems & Biodiversity, Water Quality, and Energy Resources. There are six web modules for each unit which may be used to introduce, enhance, or reinforce concepts presented in the lessons. The modules are designed for upper elementary and middle school students, but have also been used for high school and even college-level courses.
