1st Edition
Education in Times of Environmental Crises Teaching Children to Be Agents of Change
The core assumption of this book is the interconnectedness of humans and nature, and that the future of the planet depends on humans’ recognition and care for this interconnectedness. This comprehensive resource supports the work of pre-service and practicing elementary teachers as they teach their students to be part of the world as engaged citizens, advocates for social and ecological justice.
Challenging readers to more explicitly address current environmental issues with students in their classrooms, the book presents a diverse set of topics from a variety of perspectives. Its broad social/cultural perspective emphasizes that social and ecological justice are interrelated. Coverage includes descriptions of environmental education pedagogies such as nature-based experiences and place-based studies; peace-education practices; children doing environmental activism; and teachers supporting children emotionally in times of climate disruption and tumult. The pedagogies described invite student engagement and action in the public sphere. Children are represented as ‘agents of change’ engaged in social and environmental issues and problems through their actions both local and global.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Bill McKibben
Preface
Section I Setting the Stage for Elementary Teachers, with Eyes Wide Open
1 Teaching in Times of Environmental Crises: What on Earth are Elementary Teachers to Do?
Ken Winograd
2 Loving and Protecting Earth, Our Home
Nel Noddings
3 A Twilight Dance in the Snow: Thinking about Environmental Identity Development
Carie Green and Michael Brody
Section II Place-based Education: From Appreciation of Nature to Community Activism
4 Learning Care for the Earth with Krishnamurti
Simon Boxley, Gopal Krishnamurthy, and Mary-Ann Ridgway
5 Sowing Seeds of Stewardship through Intergenerational Gardening
Jolie Mayer-Smith and Linda Peterat
6 The Naturalist-in-Residence: Learning with Students and Teachers in the Outdoors
Ted Watt
7 A-ha! Animal habitat art: Creating Connections in, about, and through Art and Nature
Geraldine Burke
8 Honoring the Sacred Land: Students in Conversation
Linda Wason-Ellam
9 Creating Meaningful Opportunities for Children to Engage with Climate Change Education
Candice Satchwell
10 Acts of Resistance: Decolonizing Classroom Practice through Place-Based Education
Christy Radbourne
11 "Dapto Dreaming": A Place-based Environmental Education Project Supporting Children to be Agents of Change
Karen Malone
Section III Teaching Peace
12 Nurturing Social and Ecological Relationships: The Contribution of Conflict Resolution Education
Rhys Kelly
13 An Ethics-based Pedagogy
Ben Paxton, Ingrid Hakala, and Sahtiya Hammell
14 Environmental Ethics: Reflections on Valuing Nature Rightly
Allen Thompson
Section IV Children’s Activism: From the Local to the Global
15 The New Realism: A Rationale for Supporting Children’s Climate Activism
Hilary Whitehouse
16 Urgent Global Problems Require Teacher Agency
Julie Andrzejewski
17 Teaching Climate Change with Hope and Solutions: Lessons from a Film Project
Lynne Cherry
Section V Explicit Teaching to Support Children’s Emotions and Resilience
18 Supporting Children Emotionally in Times of Climate Disruption: Teaching Practices and Strategies
Molly Young Brown
19 Preparing Children for the Emotional Challenges of Climate Change: A Review of the Research
Maria Ojala
20 Rescuing the Earth through Small World Play
Sharon Witt and Helen Clarke
21 Children as Change Agents in Reducing Risks of Disasters
Mayeda Rashid, Kevin R. Ronan, and Briony Towers
Section VI Opportunities for Professional Development: Teachers Moving Ahead, with Urgency
22 Cultivating Curriculum Wisdom: Meeting the Professional Development Challenges of the Environmental Crisis
Kathleen Kesson
23 A Rural Girl’s Global View on the Environmental Challenge: Advice for Elementary Teachers
Amy Krol
24 : There’s No Time to Waste: Teachers, Act with Courage and Conviction!
Ken Winograd
Supplemental Resources
About the Authors
Index
Biography
Ken Winograd is Associate Professor, College of Education, Oregon State University, USA.
"In summary, Education in Times of Environmental Crises is an important, rigorous, empowering book that provides the notions and guidance for environmentalists who are seeking new ways to create awareness and consciousness raising that will lead to action and change. Instead of throwing mere facts and numbers about our endangered planet, contributors discuss methods and real-life experiences centred on environmental education and citizenship studies, with an insistence on the local scene dynamics and issues. Advanced undergraduates and students in higher levels would also benefit from these strong case studies; many of those essays are so rigorous they could serve as templates for future research in other settings. Elementary schools and university libraries (in English-speaking institutions) should own a copy of it."— Yves Laberge, Electronic Green Journal
"This book is an enjoyable read, with many articles using case studies or vignettes to convey their story. As such, it would be beneficial for any formal or non-formal educator who wishes to learn more about inspiring children to become the 'agents of change' during these challenging times." — Kim Zumach, Green Teacher
