Explore and Go Boldly: March 2015

Monday, March 9, 2015

Teachers' perspectives on Eco-Literacy

Teachers' Perspectives on Incorporating Eco-Literacy

Other than effectiveness, my other question before starting this project is who is teaching E.L. and how are they doing it? If they aren't incorporating E.L., why not? To find out, I surveyed teachers around the Rogue Valley. Specifically, I sent surveys to teachers in all grade levels in the Ashland, Medford, Talent-Phoenix, and Eagle Point school districts. Of the 561 teachers I asked to participate, 160 responded (28.5%). 32% do not specialize in a specific discipline. Of those who do specialize, there was no specific teaching focus or discipline that responded significantly more than another.

Here is a summary of their responses. Of those surveyed:

40% taught high school, 21% taught middle school, 11% taught upper elementary, and 28% taught lower elementary
There was not majority who taught any particular discipline

Of the 30% who were already familiar with E.L.:

48% had learned about E.L. through educational or scientific news or literature, 32% discovered it through some sort of educational class or experience, and 16% learned about it from a colleague/friend
the majority felt that they were only somewhat familiar with E.L. as a concept and how to incorporate it
45% had incorporated E.L. into their curriculum on a limited basis, 27% never had, and 16% had on a regular basis
of the 6% who had discontinued teaching E.L., the primary reason for discontinuing was that they felt the curriculum didn't allow for incorporation
the majority stated that incorporating E.L. was a positive experience for both the teacher and the student and students were able to make connections between ecology and non-ecology subjects.

In their own words, this is how teachers incorporate E.L. into their curriculum:

"I am an English literature and writing teacher. We read current essays on eco-literacy themes as well as non-fiction books and poetry with environmental themes. Currently my Creative Writing class is reading Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. They will read The Open Space of Democracy by Terry Tempest Williams and poetry by Mary Oliver and Wendell Barry. We read essays by Barry Lopez."
"Tons of ways. Taking students outside every few days. Monitoring sites, species inventory, environmental advocacy, local science specialists, stewardship, backpacking and camping trips, and more."
"I used to teach about colonialism and travel writing and there were many opportunities to discuss nature and nature writing in those courses. Now it's harder."
"Looking at efficiencies of simple machines, pros and cons of different types for power generation, especially nuclear power, discussions of the financial and ecological costs of moving water around."
"Our school just began our own community involved garden on-site. We are incorporating planting vegetables into our math, writing and reading. My students will also be researching best practices for gardening."
"Currently I am a specialist so my curriculum is limited. When I was teaching elementary I did a variety of activities usually connected with science or social studies. We did out door education trips to the coast and mountains. We did recycling activities and included them in classroom procedures. one year we even planted a school garden. We planted red tulips with red ribbon week and enjoyed them in the spring. Being a good steward, being responsible was and is just part of life."

These teachers' definitions of E.L. included:

"Understanding how one's conduct influences the environment, and using that knowledge to behave in an eco-friendly way."
"Being able to speak about, read, and analyze the importance of Earth's systems"
"Eco-literacy is knowledge of the way the earth and sustainability works for the health and well-being of all creatures on the planet. Our food sources, our natural resources and those who use them are all part of this literacy awareness and discussion. "
"Eco-literacy is the awareness of ones impact to the environment around them. Knowledge and awareness of the environmental-footprint of ones decisions on daily living are a measure of ones literacy to the ecology. The more eco-literate a person is the more environmentally conscious are the decisions that person makes throughout the daily life (ie. buying local, carpooling/mass transit, recycling/composting, etc.)."
"Eco- literacy is understanding the interrelationship of ecological systems. What keeps systems in balance and what moves then out of balance. It is understanding the interrelationships enough to look at pros and cons of big projects like the Keystone Pipeline or water issues in the Klamath Basin."
"Being a good steward of the earth where we balance our needs with the natural environment. We take care of what God has provided us. For example we may need lumber to build buildings, furniture, etc. We log our forest carefully and replant so there will be more in the future."
"Eco-literacy is similar to scientific literacy. A person having a working knowledge and understanding of ecological issues, challenges and events."

Of the 70% who had not heard of E.L before:

24% said they would definitely be interested in learning more about E.L. and 59% said they might be interested
those who responded favorably, most wanted to know more in-depth information about E.L. itself, how to integrate it, and examples of lesson plans
of the 17% said who were not interested in learning more the primary reasons listed were that E.L. didn't apply to the teacher's discipline or the teachers didn't feel they had the time
for those who said they would prefer to rely on outside experts, the primary reasons given were for the teacher's own training and the teacher did not feel like they were knowledgeable enough to integrate E.L. into their curriculum

So what does this information mean for me as a future environmental educator?

We need to create more opportunities for teachers to learn about E.L./environmental education and how to incorporate it into the preexisting curriculum
For those who are already familiar with E.L. or prefer to rely on outside experts, we need to provide opportunities to see and practice E.L. incorporation. They also need ideas for lessons and curriculum.
For those who don't see how E.L. can apply to their discipline, we need to show them that there are opportunities for integration and help them understand why integration is important

Tumalo Falls near Bend, OR
Photo: Bri Foster

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Eco-literacy's Effectiveness

As we've found out, E.L. can be integrated into any subject. It is not a separate subject that needs to be added on to your curriculum or limited to special events like field trips, or outside experts, clubs, and after school programs.

The question that remains to be answered is 'how effective is E.L.?'

There are multiple ways of looking at effectiveness- all of which are valid and valuable. These are the questions I have when thinking about effectiveness:

Can the students integrate ecological concepts into non-ecology topics?
Does learning E.L. orient students' toward more sustainable attitudes and behaviors?
Do students retain E.L. concepts long-term?

These too have been questions for researchers and there are numerous studies available on the topic. The research points toward E.L. being moderately effective, with the manner of it's implementation being a large factor. Some of the main points of the research include:

E.L. incorporation does improve students' environmental knowledge and attitudes
E.L. needs to be integrated for the entirety of a child's education; starting in kindergarten and going all the way through college
Even limited E.L. exposure in middle and high school can increase environmental understanding
E.L. can be an effective means for working with at-risk youth but requires special attention to cultural barriers
We need to develop a framework for assessing E.L.
Improved environmental knowledge and attitudes does not always translate into more sustainable behaviors
I could not find research about students' ability to retain E.L. concepts long term
More research is needed

For even more information, please check these out:

Links and Useful Resources

Links, Media Reports, and Useful Resources

Here are even more resources for your perusal. Enjoy!

Eco-Literacyt for English Language Learners

Another area that may not seem immediately connected is E.L. and English Language Learners (ELL)/English as a Second Language (ESL)/English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Integration between these two topics isn't necessarily about creating a separate ELL eco-literacy curriculum, though it certainly can be handled that way. Rather it's about ensuring that these students have equal access to the E.L. information that is being taught to the rest of the class. This can be done through the use of bilingual materials, introducing new vocabulary with pictures, and other traditional ESL methods. Additionally, examining other cultures and their traditions, values, and attitudes toward the natural world can help to make ESL students feel valued while broadening the entire class's understanding of E.L. perspectives.

Here are additional resources:

Eco-Literacy & Physical Education

I admit that when I think of Physical Education (P.E.), E.L. does not come to mind. I think of sports, aerobics, and maybe even dance. However, the truth is that Physical Education isn't limited to the gym. More and more frequently called 'Physical & Health Education' P.E. also includes health, nutrition, anti-drug, growth and development, and more.

When it comes to integrating E.L. with P.E., it is possible to build connections via physical activities in outdoor spaces. Sports like soccer, football, track and field, baseball usually occur outdoors and can at least help kids feel comfortable with being outside. Other activities such as an obstacle course, rock climbing, or backpacking tend to occur in outdoor spaces that are less modified by humans. Using such 'adventure activities' promote physical health and wellbeing while also helping kids to build an attachment to the 'wild world'.

To go beyond the warm fuzzies of getting kids be to active and outside, the health side of P.E. is where we can create the strongest connections to E.L. Nutrition education is a direct tie-in to learning how food is produced, about the environmental impact of our food choices, as well as about how we can make better food choices personally and ecologically. For older children, nutrition education would be a great area to dive into controversial topics like vegetarianism, Genetically Modified Organisms, or organic farming. General health education could cover topics like the connection between air pollutants and asthma or the rise in allergies as a result of our increased cleanliness. Older students could also explore how endocrine mimicking chemicals in plastics affect human growth and development.

P.E. and E.L. can integrate together. We as teachers need to help our students see the connections and then explore them.

Check these out too:

A class garden
Photo source:gotfarms.wordpress.com

Eco-Literacy... in Art

Nature is prevalent in art. One only needs to walk through an art museum to see the how closely entwined the two are. It's not just in the visual arts either. The performing arts also find the inspiration in the natural world. Think of Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. The close partnership between art and the natural world shouldn't be any surprise given how closely we as humans have lived and worked in nature for most of humanity's existence. Nature is a part of our consciousness.

When you ask young kids to draw a picture they frequently include trees, flowers, bugs, or mountains. It makes sense to draw on that natural inclination to introduce them to E.L. Fine Arts education is in part about developing artistic skills such as drawing, sculpting, playing music, or acting. However, it is also about helping students to learn about their own observational skills, emotional well-being, attitudes, and creativity. Using art to explore environmental themes helps students to process what they've learned while helping them to develop an emotional connection to the world outside the classroom.

Ways to intertwine art and E.L. could include:

Drawing/painting a landscape or still life
Modeling the parts of a tree and then explaining how each part works together to support the tree's life
Making musical instruments from items found outdoors
Exploring where different arts materials come from and try to make some of your own dyes, paints, papers, etc.
Exploring how art is used to explain scientific principles that can't be seen with the naked eye
Creating a song, rap, or dance after spending time observing a river, tree, field, or other landscape
Making puppets and then perform a skit with them about an environmental topic
Trying doing nature photography
Turning rocks into insects
Starting a pictorial nature journal

Whatever you do, have fun! By creating good memories and encouraging exploration, we're helping kids to learn to love and enjoy the world around us. At the same time, helping them to discover their own passions, curiosities, and feelings. All these will help them be more engaged in learning and in caring for the environment.

For additional resources, try these:

Baroque Era Landscape Painting by Jan Hackert

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Eco-Literacy... in Language Arts

Lewis and Clark's Journals
Photo Source: amphilsoc.org

Eco-Literacy... in Language Arts

There is a long history in Language Arts of writing about nature. No matter whether it's the ancient Greeks who wrote philosophical, mathematical, and scientific treatises on what they found in nature, last century's great natural history explorers, American, Irish, and English writers who found aesthetic inspiration in the natural world, or science fiction writers using environmental chaos as a setting for dystopian fiction, nature and writing have always been closely knit together. The only difference now is that we have codified the concept of E.L. and recognize how we can utilize such writing as a tool for teaching E.L. along with language arts.

Language arts is much more than reading and writing. It actually encompasses:

Listening: understanding spoken language

Speaking: communicating ideas through oral language

Reading: understanding written language

Writing: communicating through written language

Viewing: understanding visual images and connecting them to accompanying spoken or written words

Visually Representing: presenting information through images, either alone or along with spoken or written words

All of these are skills that allow for interdisciplinary learning and shouldn't be limited to just the language arts classroom. Conversely, the language arts classroom can still focus on teaching these skills while using resources from outside of the language arts field.

For instance, in my 5th grade class, I might ask my students to listen to a TED talk about an environmental issue or solution and then write a reflection on what they learned. In another instance, I might ask them to create a flow chart of the water cycle and then speak to the class about how humans modify that cycle. I might also have them read a basic scientific paper that includes images and explain how their reading connects to the images.

For a unit on fictional, creative writing, I might have my students listen and read to myths about the night sky along with diagrams of how the stars actually move, then write their own myth complete with pictures that they will share with the class.

For a poetry class, I could ask them to create a written or spoken poem based on an experience they had in nature or even a single picture of a natural area.

For a short story, I could ask them to write a story from a non-human perspective.

They could read the journals of a great explorer or writer, like Lewis and Clark, and then transform it into a graphic novel.

They could hold a debate about the solution to an ecological issue.

In this way, incorporating E.L. into Language Arts isn't much of a stretch.

For additional information, check these out:

Eco-literacy in Social Studies, History, Economics, and Civics

Eco-Literacy in Social Studies and More

Social studies and history already have strong connections to E.L. The study of environmental conditions and changes can easily connect to changes in human civilizations, political or social movements, and economic fluctuations. For example, Europe's Little Ice Age had wide spread affects on European culture, economics, and history. The same can be said for the American Dust Bowl. Additionally, students can explore how humans have changed the environment and the affects that has had on society. For example, the Plains Tribes used fire to encourage the growth of Great Plains grasses and improve hunting. Or, students could look at how the building of dams on Pacific Northwest rivers had negative affects for some groups, but positive outcomes for others. For more modern connections, students could look into the factors that lead to the creation of the National Parks, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, or the Environmental Justice movement. In looking at topics like these, students can not only examine the history of each, but also the social or economic ramifications of their implementation.

To look at things through another lens, try geography. While geography is a science focused on "the lands, the features, the inhabitants, and the phenomena of the Earth." it is so much more than maps and country facts. The social studies aspect of geography relates to learning about how those phenomena and land forms affect human cultures past and present. In order to understand the interaction between the human culture and geography, students must first understand ecological cycles and then apply them to societies, traditions, and historic points of change.

Social studies also incorporates civics (also political science) and economics. Both of these also have strong ties to E.L. Students need to understand the political processes that make environmental protection and resource management possible. They also need to understand how they as individuals and groups have power to affect environmental policy change locally and nationally. Civics provides the framework for understand those processes, powers, & rights.

A natural tie-in and a great way to get kids engaged before starting to teach civics is service learning. Whether through taking surveys of a local population about attitudes, cleaning up a river, planting trees, or participating in a citizen science initiative, students get hands on experience with real world issues in the local community. This provides them with opportunities to talk with people who are experts or who are affected by the issues. It also helps them to build emotional connections to what would otherwise be abstract topics. It also helps students to develop a sense of empowerment and responsibility for their local environment and community. Most importantly, service learning should help students develop a new level of curiosity that will prompt them to further investigate the issues they worked with.

Similarly, economics provides the framework for understanding the movement of money and resources. This gives students and understanding for how the world works. They gain an understanding of consumption, business, taxation, and more. Economics also helps to explain economic drivers of various ecological topics. For instance the black market timber trade is related to economic growth in China. The same is true for rare and endangered animals. On the other hand students can learn about how companies and corporations can be an influence for environmental and social good. Meanwhile, a way of tackling the problem of Climate Change is through implementing economic tools such as a carbon tax. Also, arguments for the preservation of wetlands have been made via the valuation of environmental services. In helping students to make the connection between economics and ecology, we empower them to seek multiple avenues for solving ecological problems.

For additional ideas try these:

President Teddy Roosevelt posing with John Muir and company in Yosemite National Park, 1903
Photo Source: PBS.org