EEI Curriculum - Frequently Asked Questions
Click the buttons below to find the answers to our most common questions.
If you cannot find the answer to your question here, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you!
Q: What is taught in the EEI Curriculum?
A: The EEI Curriculum consists of 85 K-12 units that teach science and history-social science through an environmental lens.
Q: How can I use the EEI Curriculum to teach Common Core State Standards?
A: EEI provides texts that include activities designed to develop critical thinking skills and reasoned arguments from evidence. Our free Common Core Correlation Guides provide a lesson-by-lesson alignment.
Q: Can I use the EEI Curriculum to connect with the Next Generation Science Standards?
A: Yes. To learn more about how EEI can support NGSS instruction, please visit our NGSS Correlation Guides page.
Q: Does the EEI Curriculum align with other curricula and resources?
A: Yes. The Unit Planner section of each Teacher’s Edition cross-references textbook standards. The California Department of Parks and Recreation site offers an alignment tool and online resource that connect specific EEI lessons and units to various state parks. For more local programs and online resources for teachers, please contact your local representative of the California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network.
Q: How can I find out if the environmental topic I want to teach is covered in an EEI unit?
A: The Environmental Topics in the EEI Curriculum page provides resources to support your lesson planning.
Q: How can I minimize the paper my class consumes while using EEI?
A: All components of the EEI Curriculum are available for free download in a PDF format. For more ideas on how to implement the EEI Curriculum digitally, visit our Going Green webpage. Please follow these instructions to request access to the EEI SharePoint site.
Q: How can I order EEI Curriculum units in print?
A: The Office of Education and the Environment will no longer print hard copies of the EEI Curriculum units. The last day to order printed EEI materials was October 15, 2021. The order form is now closed. Online access of the entire EEI curriculum is available to download. Please follow these instructions to request access to the EEI SharePoint site.
Q: How much does the EEI Curriculum cost?
A: All 85 EEI Curriculum units are free.
Q: Is the Curriculum online?
A: Yes, all 85 EEI Units are available on CalRecycle’s EEI Curriculum SharePoint site. You will need a Microsoft account to access the curriculum.
Q: What components will not be included in my shipment?
A: All unit components on our website are available for download. The following will not be included in the shipment of printed materials:
- Teacher’s Masters
- Visual Aids
- Form Fillable files
- Video/Audio files
- Projectable Formats
Q: What should I expect in my reorder shipment?
A: A reorder is limited to student materials only. Teacher’s Kits are not provided with reorders.
Q: May I use the EEI curriculum if I do not live in California?
A: All of our materials are accessible in downloadable format on our EEI Curriculum SharePoint site.
The EEI Curriculum is free to use for non-profit, educational purposes and we encourage you to download and print resources that may benefit you and your students.Q: What if I am having trouble accessing the EEI Curriculum SharePoint site?
A: Please contact us via email.
Q: Are there plans to create additional EEI Curriculum units?
A: Currently, there are no plans to add more EEI units. The State Board of Education (SBE) approved the original 85-unit collection as a model curriculum for publishers to use as a guide for incorporating environmental principles and concepts (EP&Cs) into future classroom texts. Rather than creating more EEI units, we, along with Dr. Gerald Lieberman and Ten Strands, worked with the California Department of Education, the California Instructional Quality Commission, and the SBE to ensure integration of the EP&Cs into the new state-adopted science and history-social science instructional materials.
The EP&Cs are also in academic frameworks for health, art, and expected for math in 2022, with state-adopted instructional materials to follow.
Q: Are there any plans to produce the EEI Curriculum units in other languages?
A: A select number of EEI Curriculum components have been voluntarily translated into Spanish by bilingual educators. CalRecycle’s Office of Education and the Environment does not control the quality or accuracy of the content, however these materials are available for download.
Q: Are there plans to align the EEI Curriculum to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards?
A: We have guides that provide tips for using the EEI Curriculum to support Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards.
