Peer Review

EcoKids

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Mar 30, 2015 by Teacher Education

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: EcoKids is a free site developed by the Earth Day Canada organization to promote education in the area of ecology. It is presented in both English and French. It provides: *Lesson plans tailored to the Ontario Elementary Science and Technology curriculum, incorporating the 2008 Environmental Education Scope and Sequence of Expectations resource guide (more new lesson plans will be added throughout the year) *Corresponding printable handouts and assessment materials for each lesson *Activity sheets and topical handouts *A searchable interface of our resources categorized under a point-and-click version of the Elementary Science and Tech Curriculum Overview chart *A national contest called “The Great EcoKids Challenge” modified especially for teachers wishing to use class time for an environmental project with curriculum-linked ideas and assessment tools *Literacy Corner—a resource list of environmental books with corresponding teaching tools *English and French as a Second Language lessons and resources *A “Calendar” section where you can have access to our EcoCalendar *Profile pages for other EcoKids schools that list their activities and accomplishments *Sign up is required.
Type of Material:: Collection.
Recommended Uses:: Teachers (in-service and pre-service) can use the site to create curriculum around ecology and Earth Day. As well, the site can be used in a French language learning situation to meet language goals as well as imparting information about how to use the earth's resources wisely. The materials can be used in class or independently at home.
Technical Requirements:: To use EcoKids, you need to have Flash 4 installed on your browser. This will allow you to view most of the site and play some of the games. To play some of the newer games, you may need Flash 5 which is the latest version of Flash. You also should have Shockwave and Quicktime. You will need an Internet Browser and an email account. To download some materials, a .pdf reader is required.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: 1. to teach children about ecology 2. to provide teachers with lessons and activities related to Earth Day and ecology
Target Student Population:: The site is designed for grades K-8.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: An email address is required to login.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: This is a very diverse site with many activities and informative links. The graphic organizers would be useful in any content area. There is so much information on this site, that a teacher could use it many times for various units in a classroom. The site includes lessons in a wide range of disciplines focused on the environment. There are math lessons, music and art lessons, geography, etc. The site allows users to search for English, French, ESL, FSL lesson plans as well as activities, coloring pages, announcements of contests and events in the Canadian provinces.
Concerns:: Users outside of Canada will have limited access to events there, but the materials can easily be adapted or used outright for other locations. Teachers in the U.S. would have to align lessons to the Common Core Standards.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The materials are of good quality and lessons include objectives, activities and assessments. A .pdf reader is required for many downloads. This is a very user friendly site. The links all work well and it is easy to navigate. A teacher could use this site in multiple ways.
Concerns:: None.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: It is easy to search for appropriate materials. The categories are understandable and the dual languages are an added bonus. Materials can be searched in English, French or both languages. The site is labeled well. It is flexible in use. Students would not need a lot of direction for usage. It has an appealing, attractive look.
Concerns:: None

Other Issues and Comments:: This is a great resource for educators in the elementary and middle level as they prepare for Earth Day or a unit on ecology. While it is designed for Canadian educators, the materials are easily adapted to other locations.
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