The purpose of this lesson is to assist the learner in developing a deeper understanding of what it means to be an environmental steward.
 

The learner will:

• explain the meaning of environmental stewardship.
• articulate an understanding that one person can make a difference.
• identify ways in which they can personally be an environmental steward.
  

Anticipatory Set:
As learners enter the classroom have the song entitled “What Can One little Person Do”  by Sally Rogers playing in the background. Hand a copy of the lyrics (See biographical References) to each of the learners as they enter the class room. Tell the learners that tomorrow they will be having two visitors attend the class. Their names are Envi and Ron Steward.  Ask the learners if any of them might know these two people and if so, if they could share what they know about them so that everyone could help make them feel more welcome tomorrow? Assuming that no one will know them, share that sometimes the family name gives a clue?

 

• Ask: What does “steward” mean? Brainstorm ideas and placing them on the display board for all to see.
  
  
• Share with the learners that the dictionary defines “steward” as a person who manages another’s… affairs. Suggestion…Share that the word steward means a person who supervises, or manages something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something.
  
  
• Write the words “Envi” and “Ron Steward” on the board and convert it to “environ steward.” Explain that “environ” is another word for environmental, so an environmental steward could be defined as someone who manages the environment (conservation) for the environment itself, for their own self-interest, for others, and for future generations.  Elected officials (government), for-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, households, as well as individuals can all be environmental stewards.
  
  
• Explain that the purpose of the unit is to examine what they can do, as a single individual, involving the landscape around their own home and community to be environmental stewards. Ensure them that they should not be discouraged by the scope of the task to be an environmental steward just because they are only one person.
  
  
• Show and briefly discuss the Power of Ten playing it both forwards and backwards. http://microcosm.web.cern.ch/microcosm/
  p10/english/welcome.html
  
  
• Explain that a person can have a local impact as environmental stewards by focusing on ones own school, home, and community.
  
  
• Show the Ecology Hall of Fame pictures of environmentalists and briefly explain each of their ‘individual’ contributions. http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/index.html
  
  
• Distribute multi-colored construction paper and instruct the learners to place their name on the paper in a decorative/individual fashion.
  
  
• Have each learner give thought to what they might do involving the landscape around their home, school, or community to be an environmental steward.  Have them write their ideas on a self sticking note and place the self sticking note on the paper bearing their name.  (Teacher’s Note: During this activity replay “What Can One Little Person Do?” If the actual song is unavailable, have the learners read through the lyrics one more time before starting to record their ideas.)
  
  
• When completed, collect the papers with the self sticking notes and place them on the display board for all to see, encouraging the learners, at their leisure, to look over what their classmates wrote and encouraging them to add or delete ideas from their own self sticking notes as appropriate.
  

For homework, have learners discuss with the members of their family the meaning of  environmental stewardship and interview them about what they could do together to be stewards of the environment in their own yard. Have the learners' record their ideas from each interview on separate self sticking notes and then post them by their own picture on the class bulletin board the following day.