These ELSEE Lesson Plans have been field-tested at ELSEE and at other ELSEE models around the state of California. This ecology-based curriculum meets Content Standards for California Public Schools from Kindergarten through Grade Seven. The ELSEE concept is a land use model that we believe is appropriate for the lands surrounding 10,000 public schools in California. Here are some of the goals that ELSEE can help educators achieve.

1. Instill a love of science and understand the connectedness of all life on our planet beginning with 2nd grade.
2. Raise science test scores.
3. Create an environmental education curriculum that meets science standards and build a certification program in EEI that becomes a requirement for education majors in California’s colleges and universities. (We have written our own lesson plans and are working with SJSU on a certification program) This crosses many depts., e.g., education, nutrition, environmental science, biology, geology, etc.
4. Demonstrate sustainable land use principles for the students and their community in the urban environment.
5. Grow abundant healthy food in small urban areas utilizing urban farming technology to produce high yields with fewer imputs. Our model teaches students food production that can be used for school lunches and well as connect their new skillset to science standards through thought provoking lesson plans.
6. Provide opportunities for students including job training programs and collaborative partnerships with local businesses.
7. Produce revenue for each school to support and sustain the program.

We have been teaching eco-literacy and urban farming classes in our flagship model to 150 2nd through 7th grade students each week since 2009.

• Lesson 1: Universe and History of the Earth
• Lesson 2: Rocks and Geology
• Lesson 3: Soil
• Lesson 4: Energy Flow In Ecosystems
• Lesson 5: The Water Cycle
• Lesson 6: Carbon Cycle
• Lesson 7: The Nitrogen Cycle
• Lesson 8: Life Cycles
• Lesson 9: California Ecosystem and Geography
• Lesson 10: Ecosystem Services
• Lesson 11: Disturbances
• Lesson 12: California Native Americans
• Lesson 13: Insects
• Lesson 14: Fire Ecology
• Lesson 15: Owls and Crows

ELSEE is sponsored by the California Native Garden Foundation (CNGF).