As If The Earth Matters Recommitting To Environmental Education

Whether you are a veteran of environmental education or new to taking students outdoors, this book will help you organize positive experiences in Nature for your students, friends, children and colleagues. In these pages you will find ideas designed to arouse your passion for learning and ignite a flame of excitement. By using the activities described here, and adapting them to suit your needs and your local environment, you will discover Nature’s intricate beauty and subtle mysteries that usually go unnoticed. You will also gain valuable insight into the limitations of classroom instruction and come to realize that a complete and whole education includes getting outside and experiencing the natural world first hand As If the Earth Matters is a beautiful collection. From role-plays and kinesthetic activities to art, music, and listening adventures, each is described completely enough to be repeated. The authors have authentic, international experience with children (giving) a world-class flavor to the book. Teachers who are designing curricula will love the book. But it will be even more valuable for those planning spring or summer outdoor education experiences, where it is an essential! National Science Teachers Association NSTA Recommends! by Juliana Texley NSTA Web Field Editor The book is incredible - a must for every environmental educator. Nice Job, lot’s of great activities, nice diversity, good outlines and concepts. … I went through it carefully and particularly like the attention to concepts. Lawrence A. Wilson, PhD Ecologist Fernbank Science Center Atlanta, Georgia USA

This teacher's guide helps students explore the connection between human population growth and the well-being of the planet. Twelve readings and 34 activities introduce high school students to global society and environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, gender equality, economics, poverty, energy, wildlife endangerment, waste disposal, food and hunger, water resources, air pollution, deforestation, and population dynamics. Teaching strategies include role playing simulations, laboratory experiments, problem-solving challenges, and mathematical exercises, cooperative learning projects, research, and discussion. These activities were designed to develop a number of student skills including critical thinking, research, public speaking, writing, data collection and analysis, cooperation, decision making, creative problem solving, reading comprehension, conflict resolution and values clarification. Each chapter and activity can be used alone to illustrate points or be inserted into existing curriculum. Activity subject areas are listed along with a quick list reference of the summary of activities. A reference guide of activities linked to National Standards is also included. Contains suggested resources, including books, periodicals, audiovisuals, hardbooks and wall charts, software, and internet sites, for each topic area. (SJR)

Strong Spirits, Kind Hearts is the first practical teacher resource to provide comprehensive coverage of all aspects of developing strong spirits and caring young people. It is focused on middle years’ students but most lessons can be adapted for older and younger students as well. This resource describes ways to incorporate emotional and spiritual supports into daily routines and interactions with students and provides ready-to-use activities, lessons and units that can be integrated into subject area teaching. This book helps teachers to: understand the importance of strengthening students’ spirits and how this support improves students’ learning and classroom morale build resilience and hope through their interactions with students distinguish between the development of strong spirits and religious education use approaches that are respectful of religious and spiritual diversity as well as more secular views implement a wealth of strategies, lessons, and units that develop students’ compassion and sense of connection to others and the natural world integrate a focus on meaning and purpose within subject area lessons.

Coming of Age the RITE Way: Youth & Community Development through Rites of Passage addresses the absence of community-oriented rites of passage. This book is distinguished from others in that it combines almost fifty years of scholarship and practice to examine the concepts of rites of passage and sense of community, as it exists in literature and life. It focuses on the reciprocal relationship between rites of passage and sense of community and ways for it to impact the development of children and the health and adaptability of their community. This text raises and answers some of the most fundamental questions facing parents, schools and communities; How do we raise our children to be resilient, self-reliant, capable adults who are competent and with compassion that is manifested in civic engagement for social justice? The book sets forth guiding principles and clear methods for putting into practice a whole systems approach to youth development through rites of passage. The approach involves connecting and enhancing environments and building competencies, which promote the positive development of children and youth in their families, in their schools, among their peers in their community and with a strong connection to the natural world. It provides extensive narratives and case studies to illustrate how a framework of rites of passage is used to weave a common language throughout the community and links techniques for youth development with prevention, identification, intervention, and treatment and strengthens the fabric of community support.

‘This is an important book for all concerned with the teaching and learning of English, exploring new and hugely significant areas in a scholarly, thought-provoking and eminently practical way.’ – David Stevens, University of Durham, UK Drawing together ideas from a range of disciplines in the study of texts which explore nature, the built environment and issues of climate change and environmental stress, this book shows how English is well placed to develop the cultural, aesthetic and emotional response to environmental themes – both as part of everyday practice and within wider curriculum innovations. Features include: critical reflection on the teaching of secondary English connections with the academic study of ecocriticism and/or key environmental issues suggested teaching activities and/or reflections from classroom practice sources of further reading and information. The true worth of a school subject is revealed in how far it can account for and respond to the major issues of the time. This timely textbook breaks new ground in showing how English teachers can have a pivotal role in responding to the environmental crisis.

Through 12 readings and 32 activities this curriculum material introduces high school students to issues of the global environment and society, while both challenging them to critically evaluate the issues and motivating them to develop solutions. The materials are cited as being applicable to social studies, science, math, language arts, and family life education. A teachers guide provides a chart that briefly describes each activity, indicating the skills and subject areas emphasized in each activity. The activities utilize a variety of teaching strategies including role-playing simulations, laboratory experiments; problem solving challenges; mathematical exercises; cooperative learning projects; research; discussion; and, values clarification. Twelve of the 13 chapters address specific issues of global society and environment: (1) Population Dynamics; (2) Climate Change; (3) Air Pollution; (4) Water Resources; (5) Deforestation; (6) Food and Hunger; (7) Waste Disposal; (8) Wildlife Endangerment; (9) Energy Issues; (10) Rich and Poor; (11) Population and Economics; (12) The World's Women; and (13) Finding Solutions. The final chapter, "Finding Solutions," includes activities that encompass the preceding topics. Also included are: suggested resources for further research; and population education resources available through Zero Population Growth, Inc. (MCO)